How Long Do I Have to Work to Qualify for Disability Benefits?

If you are disabled because of an illness or injury and cannot work any longer, you may be able to obtain disability benefits payments from the Social Security Administration. If you have worked for long enough and have paid social security insurance contributions through payroll taxes you may be eligible for disability benefits through the SSA’s SSDI program. In order to qualify for disability benefits through this program, you need enough work credits based on your work history. If you do not qualify for SSDI because of your work history, you may still obtain disability benefits through the SSI program.

Working and Earning Credits

How many work credits you need to qualify:

• depends on your age;
• is typically 5 years out of the last 10 years.

Changes are based on your age and when you became disabled.

Qualifying When You Haven’t Worked

If you do not have sufficient work credits and therefore do not qualify for SSDI disability benefits, you may still be eligible for disability benefits through the SSA’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pathway. This program exists for benefit applicants who are disabled but do not have a certain level of income or assets. The SSA will assess your income and assets to determine whether you are eligible together with other criteria necessary for eligibility for disability benefits.

How Long Do You Have to be Off Work to Get Disability Benefits?

The SSA needs to be certain that you are unable to continue working for a minimum of 12 months. Even if your disabling condition is treatable and may be temporary, the minimum period of 12 months is a criterion for eligibility. You will need evidence that you will be unable to continue working for this length of time. A medical assessment by your doctor or other health professional may be used as evidence if it provides details of your suitability for work. A RFC may also be needed to confirm your suitability for work.

Other Requirements to Qualify

In addition to work credits and work history assessment, the SSA has other criteria that need to be assessed before an application for disability benefits through the SSDI program can be approved.

Income and assets assessment must be made for any applicant for SSI. The most important other factor that is assessed by the SSA is the evidence of your disability. The SSA uses its own Blue Book to determine whether the symptoms of your disability meet their criteria. Each type of possible disability is listed in the Blue Book under a different section. If your symptoms don’t quite match the listing for your disability, you may still qualify if you have a residual functional capacity (RFC) assessment completed by your doctor.

The SSA’s examiners will also need to assess the medical documentation you can supply such as your medical history, doctor’s notes, medical tests such as x rays and scans, and treatment you have been receiving.

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