A 21-year-old worker becomes disabled. To be currently insured for Social Security disability benefits, how many credits must the worker have earned in the three years before becoming disabled?

Why A is correct

A person under age 24 who becomes disabled needs six credits earned in the three years before the disability to be currently insured for Social Security disability benefits. A worker earns up to four credits per year, so six credits can be earned in as little as two years of work. For older workers the required credits scale up with age. Forty credits is the benchmark for fully insured status, which is needed for retirement benefits and broader survivor protection, while the smaller six-credit test applies specifically to the younger disabled worker.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Twelve credits is not the requirement for the under-24 currently insured rule for disability benefits. The correct benchmark is six credits earned in the three calendar years before the disability began.
• C) Forty credits makes a worker fully insured, the standard for retirement and broad survivor benefits, not the younger-worker disability test. The six-credit test applies specifically to disabled workers under age 24.
• D) Two credits is far below the six-credit requirement for a disabled worker under age 24. A worker must earn enough credits to be currently insured before disability strikes and can receive benefits.

Memory hook

Under 24 and disabled? Six credits in three years puts you on the current payroll.