To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance credits (also known as Quarters of Coverage), you must meet the Earnings Requirement. You may earn up to four credits each year. The precise monetary amount required to qualify for a quarter of Social Security Disability Insurance coverage varies from year to year. As of 2016, a quarter of credit requires $1,130 in earnings. Once you’ve earned $4,520, you’ve earned all four of the 2016 credits available to you.
If your income is sufficient, you can meet the requirements for all four credits available to you in a single month. Each time you meet the earnings criteria, you will earn one Social Security Disability Insurance credit, up to a maximum of four credits per year. Any income earned in excess of the earnings threshold for four credits will be excluded from your Social Security Disability Insurance.
To be considered disabled, you must have earned at least one SSDI work credit for each year since you turned 21. Additionally, to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, you must have at least six credits.
The wages criterion for SSI participants is entirely different. Because SSI eligibility is based on financial need, you are not required to earn quarters of coverage to qualify. Indeed, the lower your income, the more likely you will qualify for SSI. If your income exceeds the permitted limit (which is modified on a periodic basis), you are ineligible for SSI.
The earnings criterion for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income is published on the Social Security website. Additionally, a Social Security Disability lawyer would be familiar with the current earnings requirements and would be able to assist you with your Social Security Disability claim.