Social Security in the United States has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it became law in 1935, it has helped those who reach retirement age and it has helped those that suffer a physical or mental disability while they are still employed. Getting Social Security retirement benefits is very straight forward, rarely are there problems; the same cannot be said for those applying for Social Security disability in Missouri. To be granted disability benefits the SSA has established many rules and regulations, one rule states that before you can collect benefits you must have worked long enough to have contributed a predetermined amount to Social Security via your FICA taxes.
How many work credits are needed to be eligible for SSDI benefits?
It doesn’t take a great deal of income to accrue work credits, in FY2016 you only had to earn $1300 to be credited with one work credit. AS you can only earn four credits annually, the total earnings for full credit are only $5,200.
To qualify for Social Security disability in Missouri there are two tests that you must pass; one is the recent work test and the second is the work duration test. The older you are when you apply, the more credits you need.
* Recent work test: For those that are 31 years of age and up, you will have to have worked for five out of the last ten years (20 work credits). For those between 24 and 31you will have to have worked at least 50 percent of the time since your 21st birthday and those under the age of 24 have to had worked for one and a half years minimum.
* Work duration test: The number of years at work and the subsequent work credits vary by age. It varies from 6 work credits at age 21 through 40 work credits for those that apply for disability at age 62 or older.
For disabled applicants that cannot meet the expectations of these tests there is another program available to them; Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has no work requirements at all but to qualify you must show that you are in dire financial distress.
To be approved for benefits under Social Security disability in Missouri there are a number of requirements that must be met. To discuss your particular situation you are invited to contact the Grundy Disability Group.
