A 22-year-old worker has worked sporadically and now becomes disabled. To be currently insured for Social Security disability purposes, a person under age 24 must have earned:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Under the Social Security program, a worker under age 24 is currently insured if the worker earned 6 credits in the 3-year period ending when disability began. The number of credits required for current insured status is scaled to the worker's age so younger workers, who have had less time in the workforce, can still qualify. The standard fully insured status, by contrast, requires 40 credits over a longer career. Understanding the distinction between currently insured and fully insured status is a tested objective under Social Security Disability coverage on the California exam.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) 40 credits is the requirement for fully insured status generally. It is not the reduced standard that applies to a worker under age 24 who is seeking currently insured status.
- C) Twenty credits in the last 10 years is a disability-insured requirement that applies to older workers. It is not the under-24 standard of 6 credits in the last 3 years.
- D) Twelve credits in six years is not the statutory standard. The rule for a worker under 24 is 6 credits earned within the 3-year period ending with the onset of disability.
Memory hook
Under 24, need only 6 credits in 3 years. Youth gets a discount on the disability-work test.