Insured Status

Insured status relates specifically to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and whether a claimant has earned enough work credits to be considered insured for SSDI benefits. To be considered insured the worker must have worked and paid taxes into the Social Security system through their employment taxes. A worker can earn up to four quarters of work credits per year and will need a certain number of credits to be considered insured.

The number of work credits a worker needs to be fully insured varies by age. The minimum number of work credits needed for SSDI is 6 and the maximum number needed is 40. For most workers, they will need approximately 40 work credits, and they will need to have earned at least 20 work credits in the past 10 years prior to their date of disability. Younger claimants will need fewer credits to qualify for SSDI, although their payments may be substantially less because their average income is lower.

Workers will not have to be insured to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits. SSI claimants must only prove they are aged, disabled or blind, cannot work for at least 12 continuous months and they have limited income and resources.