Social Security disability insurance qualifications

Besides meeting the Social Security's definition of disability, other qualifications exist in order to receive SSDI benefits. You must have worked a certain amount of time within a certain time period under Social Security to qualify. The amount of time or the number of work credits you need to qualify for disability benefits are based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income and depend on your age when you become disabled. You can earn up to four credits each year and you usually need up to forty credits with twenty credits earned in the last ten years ending with the year you become disabled. Though, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits. The actual amount needed for a credit changes every year.

There are also special benefits for disabled widow's and widower's. These benefits are paid to people who are at least fifty and become disabled within a certain amount of time after the death of their husband or wife. In order to qualify for these benefits, the deceased husband or wife must have worked for the allotted time period under Social Security to be insured. There is also another type of special benefit called the disabled adult child benefits which go to the children of individuals who are deceased or who are receiving Social Security disability benefits and were disabled before the age of twenty-two.