How Do I Know If I’m Eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits?
Many Washington residents are unable to work due to a physical or mental disability. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can provide monthly benefits for such individuals. But the eligibility requirements for SSDI are quite strict and are often confusing for first-time applicants. Below are some of the more common questions Gustad Law Group receives on this subject.
Do I Need a Work History to Apply for SSDI?
Yes. SSDI is a form of insurance funded by Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) or Social Security taxes. This means that you need to have worked in positions that have withheld Social Security taxes in order to be eligible for SSDI benefits. Most employers do withhold Social Security taxes.
How Long Do I Have to Work?
Social Security bases SSDI eligibility on “work credits.” Each credit is based on a person’s total wages or self-employment income. The amount needed to earn a credit varies each year. For 2026, a single word credit equals $1,890 in wages or self-employment income for each quarter. In other words, if you earn at least $1,890 from January to March 2026, you earn one SSDI work credit. You can earn up to 4 work credits per year, which means that you need to earn a minimum of $7,560 in 2026 to maximize your credits.
As far as how many total work credits you will need before applying for SSDI, the general rule is that you must have at least 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the past 10 years. (You may qualify with fewer work credits if you are under the age of 31.) So if you have worked the equivalent of at least 10 full years, and at least 5 out of the past 10 years, you should have sufficient word credits for SSDI eligibility. You can verify your insured status with the Social Security Administration.
What Is Considered a “Disability”?
In broad terms, you need to have what Social Security considers “severe” medical impairments that have lasted or are expected to last 12 months or longer in duration, or result in death. This means that you have demonstrable physical or mental impairment or a combination of impairments, that prevent you from working at the “substantial gainful activity” level for a period of at least 12 consecutive months. It is not enough to prove that you are unable to work at your previous jobs. You must also show that your conditions prevent you from performing any jobs that exist in “significant numbers” in the national economy.
Contact a Social Security Disability Lawyer
Establishing your eligibility for SSDI benefits is often a long and complicated process, especially when it comes to showing you have a qualifying disability. There is actually a five-step sequential evaluation process the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses in making these assessments, and it is quite common for the agency to reject applicants even though they are qualified under SSA’s rules.
You can improve your chances of success, however, by working with an experienced Social Security Disability attorney. Contact Gustad Law Group, PLLC, today to schedule a consultation. We serve clients in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma and throughout the United States.