What are Social Security Disability work credits? | Tampa Bay Social Security Disability Lawyer

The Social Security Administration runs two separate disability benefits programs – Social Security Disability and SSI. While the qualifications for disability in each program are the same, the eligibility requirements are completely different. What do we mean? Under the Social Security Disability program you have to be insured for coverage. You must have worked a certain number of work credits within a specific period of time. That means, for an adult, that you have earned 40 work credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years.

What’s a work credit?

You receive one work credit per quarter for every 1000 hours you work, and you can receive up to four credits per year. Sometimes the Social Security Administration will question whether or not you have enough quarters of coverage. At Cavey & Barrett we can help you review the information that Social Security has received about your work credits to ensure that you have properly gotten credit for the work that you have done. This can make the difference between being eligible for social security disability or SSI.

Under the SSI program there is no work credit requirement, and it exists to provide benefits to those who are not insured for Social Security Disability. However, there is also an asset test. There are very significant limitations on the assets that you can have, and you can be penalized for your spouse’s earnings. In fact, your spouse’s earnings may make you ineligible for SSI. If you have been denied for lack of quarters of coverage, contact Sharon Barrett at Cavey & Barrett immediately so we can determine whether or not you have the right number of work credits to make you eligible for Social Security Disability benefits.

Answering these broad-based questions isn’t easy. Help is a phone call away. You can contact Nancy Cavey, an experienced long-term disability attorney at 727-894-3188.