Under Social Security, a worker under age 24 is considered currently insured for survivor benefits if the worker earned how many credits in the three years before death?

Why A is correct

A worker under age 24 is currently insured for Social Security survivor benefits if the worker earned 6 credits during the three years immediately before death. Being currently insured entitles certain survivors, such as a widow or widower caring for young children, to survivor benefits. This is a lower threshold than the 40 credits, about 10 years of work, required for fully insured status, which is needed for retirement, disability, and certain other survivor benefits. Credits are earned by working and paying Social Security taxes, with up to 4 credits per year.

Why the other options are wrong

• 12 credits exceeds the six-credit requirement for a worker under age 24 and is not a statutory threshold for currently insured status. This answer describes a different situation from the one in the question and is therefore incorrect under the facts given here.
• 40 credits provides fully insured status, a broader qualification than the six-credit currently insured test that applies to young workers. This choice does not fit the arrangement described in the question, so it is clearly not the right option to choose.
• Four credits is the maximum that can be earned in a single year, not the threshold for currently insured status, which requires 6 credits. Accordingly, this option is not correct because it does not match the specific rule or product that is described in the question.

Memory hook

Under age 24, six credits in three years means survivors are covered.

Why A is correct

A worker under age 24 is currently insured for Social Security if they have earned 6 credits in the three years ending with the quarter of death or disability. Currently insured status qualifies dependents for certain survivor benefits. Fully insured status, by contrast, requires 40 credits (about 10 years of work) and is needed for retirement benefits and other benefits.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) The worker has earned only 6 credits, not the 40 credits that fully insured status generally requires; the fact pattern states 6 credits were earned in the past three years.
• C) Currently insured workers' dependents ARE eligible for some survivor benefits, including a lump sum death payment and benefits for children in care.
• D) Medicare Part A eligibility generally requires fully insured status or age 65; 6 credits do not qualify a young worker for Medicare.

Memory hook

6 credits in 3 years = currently insured. 40 credits in a lifetime = fully insured.

Why A is correct

A worker under age 24 becomes "currently insured" for Social Security disability purposes after earning six credits within the three-year period ending when the disability began. Because younger workers have not had time to accumulate the 40 credits needed for fully insured status, Social Security uses the shorter 6-credits-in-3-years test for them. The 40-credit standard generally applies to retirement and survivor benefits. The disability must also meet Social Security's definition of severe and expected to last at least a year or result in death.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Forty credits make a worker fully insured, a longer test not required for a worker under 24.
• C) Twenty credits is not the young-worker test.
• D) The credit test is a fixed 6 credits in 3 years for workers under 24, not one credit per year of age.

Memory hook

Under 24? Six credits in three years earns the disability ticket.

Why A is correct

To be currently insured for disability benefits, an individual generally needs 6 credits in the 13-quarter period, about three years, ending with the quarter in which the disability or death occurred. For individuals under age 24, earning 6 credits within that three-year period is sufficient to satisfy the test. Fully insured status, by contrast, requires 40 credits earned over the worker's lifetime. The distinction between currently insured and fully insured determines which benefits are available: disability benefits require currently insured status, while retirement benefits require fully insured status. Credits are earned based on earnings covered by Social Security.

Why the other options are wrong

• 40 credits establishes fully insured status, which is the lifetime earnings test; it is not the currently insured test for a young worker.
• The six credits must be earned within the three-year period ending with the disability or death, not over a six-year window.
• Twelve credits in three years exceeds the requirement; six credits is the correct number for currently insured status under age 24.

Memory hook

Currently insured = 6 credits in the last 3 years. Under 24, that is the whole test.

Why A is correct

A worker under age 24 is currently insured for disability benefits if they have earned 6 credits in the three years before becoming disabled. This reduced requirement recognizes that young workers have not had time to accumulate the 40 credits that fully insured status generally requires. Fully insured status, which most benefits require, is normally 40 credits, but the under-24 disability standard is 6 credits earned within the recent three-year window ending with the onset of disability.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) 12 credits is not the young-worker standard; it is closer to the credits required over a four-year period for workers in other age groups.
• C) 20 credits is not the currently insured threshold for a worker under age 24; the correct figure is 6 credits.
• D) 40 credits is the fully insured standard for retirement and full survivor benefits, not the under-24 disability shortcut.

Memory hook

Under 24 and disabled? Just 6 credits in the last 3 years. Youth earns a discount.

Why A is correct

A worker under age 24 is currently insured for disability purposes by earning 6 credits in the 3-year period ending with the onset of disability. The 'currently insured' test measures recent work, whereas the fully insured test generally requires 40 credits. For young workers, the recent-work requirement is reduced because they have not had time to accumulate 40 credits.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) 40 credits is the fully insured standard for retirement and full disability benefits, not the reduced young-worker test.
• C) 20 credits is not a statutory insured-status threshold for a worker under 24.
• D) 12 credits in 5 years does not match the 6-credits-in-3-years standard for workers under 24.

Memory hook

Young and disabled? 6 credits in the last 3 years is the ticket. The fully insured badge is 40, but youth gets a discount.