Life Insurance✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 1/5
To be "currently insured" under Social Security for survivor benefits, a younger worker (under age 24) generally needs to have earned:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
A worker under age 24 is currently insured with 6 credits earned in the three years, or six quarters, immediately before death or disability, so a young worker can qualify quickly. Fully insured status, required for retirement and many survivor benefits, generally requires 40 credits earned over a working lifetime. The 6-credit, three-year standard is the accelerated path for young workers who have not had time to accumulate 40 credits. Currently insured status alone qualifies a survivor for certain limited benefits.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) 40 credits is the fully insured standard for retirement benefits, not the currently insured test for a worker under 24.
- C) The currently insured standard for a young worker is 6 credits in 3 years, not 20 in 5.
- D) The test measures credits over the last three years, not a single calendar year, and requires six credits.
Memory hook
Under 24? Six credits in three years and you are currently insured — a fast track for the young.