Work Credits and SSDI Eligibility

Understanding work credits in Georgia involves:

• Each year of work can earn you up to 4 credits, depending on how much you earn.
• Generally, 40 credits total are needed to ever qualify for SSDI.
• At least 20 credits must be earned in the past 10 years before your disability began.

Age-Based Work Credit Requirements

The amount of work credits needed varies:

• Younger applicants need fewer credits to qualify for benefits.
• For example, if under 24, you may only need 6 work credits within the last 3 years.
• Older workers closer to retirement require the full work history for qualification.

How Long You Need to Work

In Georgia, qualifying means:

• A minimum of 5 years of work with proper tax contributions to accumulate enough credits.
• This timeframe varies if you had irregular work history or recent employment gaps.

Impact of Disability Onset Date

Your disability start date affects:

• Which earnings count toward your work credits based on SSA guidelines.
• The period in which your work credits must have been earned to remain valid.

Additional Factors in Qualification

Other considerations include:

• Gaps in employment might reduce credit eligibility.
• Self-employed individuals can earn credits based on reported income and tax payments.
• Credits expire after 10 years except for those under age 24, where a shorter timeframe applies.