When a Missourian has an injury, illness or condition and seeks disability benefits from Social Security, he or she must understand the importance of credits and how they are earned. For Social Security disability benefits, there must be a certain amount of credits earned before getting an approval. Knowing how these are accrued is vital to a case.
The Social Security Administration bases Social Security credits on the earnings of the individual. The individual’s work history and earnings will be used to decide whether he or she is eligible for benefits or not. For 2017, a person will get one credit for every $1,300 he or she earns. There is a maximum of four credits per year. The amount a person must earn to accumulate credits changes when the average earnings rise. The credits cannot be taken away even if the person stops working or changes jobs.
To qualify for disability benefits, the number of credits required is contingent on how old the person was when he or she became disabled. If it happened before age 24, there will generally need to be 1.5 years of work and six credits in the three years prior to becoming disabled. For those ages 24 to 30, there will need to be credits for half the time between turning 21 and the disability occurring. For people age 31 and older, it is generally required for them to have accumulated 20 credits in the 10 years before the disability. The credits and years of work rise incrementally culminating with those age 62 or older needing 40 credits and 10 years of work.
When a person is disabled and has an inability to work, their work record will be examined to ensure that they are able to receive disability benefits. If there is confusion or a problem with receiving the benefits, it is imperative to contact a lawyer who has knowledge of credits and Social Security disability.
