Life Insurance✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 1/5
To qualify for Social Security disability benefits as currently insured, a worker who becomes disabled before age 24 must 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 needs only 6 credits earned in the 3 years before the disability to be currently insured for Social Security disability benefits. The 40-credit requirement defines fully insured status, which qualifies a worker for retirement benefits and premium-free Medicare Part A; it is a much higher bar. The 20-credit and 12-credit figures do not match the statutory credit tests. Because a young worker has limited earnings history, Social Security deliberately sets the currently insured requirement low for workers under 24.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) 40 credits make a worker fully insured, the test for retirement benefits and premium-free Medicare Part A. It is a stricter standard than currently insured for disability.
- C) No 20-credit-in-5-years disability test exists. The rule for a worker under 24 is 6 credits earned in the 3 years before the disability.
- D) The applicable test for a worker under 24 is 6 credits earned in the 3 years before disability, not 12 credits in the last 12 months.
Memory hook
Under 24, just 6 credits in 3 years keeps the disability door open.