SSDI Work Credits: What Kansas Residents Need

Qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits depends on more than just the severity of your medical condition. The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires applicants to have earned a sufficient number of work credits before they can receive monthly disability payments. For Kansas workers who have paid into the Social Security system throughout their careers, understanding this requirement is the critical first step in determining whether you're eligible to file a claim.

What Are Work Credits and How Are They Earned?

Work credits are the SSA's way of measuring your work history based on your taxable earnings. Each year you work and pay Social Security taxes, you accumulate credits — up to a maximum of four credits per year. In 2024, you earn one work credit for every $1,730 in wages or self-employment income. That means earning $6,920 in a calendar year earns you the full four credits for that year.

It's important to understand that credits accumulate over your lifetime and do not expire. A Kansas factory worker who earned credits in their 20s, left the workforce to raise children, and then re-entered the job market retains those early credits. However, as explained below, the recency of those credits matters just as much as the total count.

How Many Work Credits Do You Need for SSDI?

The number of credits required to qualify for SSDI depends on your age at the time you become disabled. The SSA applies two separate tests:

• The Duration Test: You must have worked long enough to accumulate a minimum number of total credits.
• The Recency Test: You must have worked recently enough — meaning credits earned in the years immediately before your disability onset count the most.

For most adults who become disabled at age 31 or older, the general rule is that you need 40 total work credits, with 20 of those earned in the 10 years immediately before your disability began. This translates to roughly 10 years of total work history and approximately 5 years of recent work within the past decade.

Younger workers face a different standard because they have not had the opportunity to build a long work history:

• Disabled before age 24: You need only 6 credits earned in the 3-year period ending when your disability began.
• Disabled between ages 24 and 31: You need credits for half of the time between age 21 and the date you became disabled.
• Disabled at age 31 to 42: You need 20 credits (5 years of work).
• Disabled at age 44: You need 22 credits.
• Disabled at age 50: You need 28 credits.
• Disabled at age 60: You need 38 credits.
• Disabled at age 62 or older: You need 40 credits.

This sliding scale means that a 26-year-old Kansas nurse who develops a debilitating back condition needs far fewer credits than a 55-year-old construction worker facing the same injury.

Kansas-Specific Considerations for Work Credit Eligibility

Kansas workers should be aware of a few practical realities that affect work credit accumulation in this state. Kansas has a significant agricultural sector, and farm laborers and agricultural workers earn Social Security credits under special rules. Cash wages from farm work count toward credits only if an employer pays $150 or more per year or pays $2,500 or more total in agricultural wages during the year. Kansas farmworkers who were paid informally or off the books may find gaps in their Social Security earnings record that affect credit totals.

Similarly, self-employed Kansans — including independent contractors, small business owners, and gig economy workers — must file Schedule SE and pay self-employment taxes to earn work credits. Those who underreported income or failed to file may have fewer credits on record than they expect. You can verify your full earnings history by creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov or requesting a Social Security Statement by mail.

Kansas state and local government employees hired before 1986 may have worked in positions not covered by Social Security, which can affect credit totals. If you worked for a Kansas municipality or school district under a pension plan that opted out of Social Security, those years did not generate SSDI credits.

What Happens If You Don't Have Enough Work Credits?

Falling short of the required work credits does not necessarily mean you have no options. The SSA administers a parallel program called Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which does not require any work history. SSI is a needs-based program that pays monthly benefits to disabled individuals with limited income and resources, regardless of their employment history.

In Kansas, SSI recipients may also qualify for KanCare, the state's Medicaid program, which provides health coverage for individuals with disabilities. Receiving SSI automatically qualifies you for KanCare, making it a valuable safety net for those who cannot meet the SSDI work credit threshold.

For those who are close to meeting the credit requirement, it may be worth delaying a claim — if medically and financially feasible — to accumulate additional credits. However, this is a strategy that should be evaluated carefully with a disability attorney, as the SSA also considers your disability onset date when calculating benefits. An incorrect onset date can cost you months of back pay.

How to Check Your Work Credits and Protect Your Claim

Before filing an SSDI application, every Kansas resident should take the following steps to verify their work credit status:

• Review your Social Security Statement: Log in to ssa.gov to see your earnings record year by year and your estimated benefit amount.
• Correct any errors promptly: If your earnings record shows zero or lower-than-expected income for any year you worked, report the discrepancy to the SSA immediately. You will need W-2 forms, pay stubs, or tax returns as documentation.
• Document your disability onset date carefully: The date your disability began — not the date you stopped working — determines which credits count toward the recency test. Medical records, employer records, and physician statements all help establish this date.
• Do not delay filing unnecessarily: SSDI back pay is generally limited to 12 months before your application date. Waiting costs you money even if you eventually win your claim.

Kansas residents who have been denied SSDI on the grounds of insufficient work credits should request a reconsideration and carefully examine whether all wages were properly credited. Errors in Social Security earnings records are not uncommon, and correcting them can mean the difference between approval and denial.

Understanding the work credit system is foundational to a successful SSDI claim. Whether you meet the threshold, narrowly miss it, or are unsure where you stand, getting a clear picture of your options early in the process puts you in the strongest possible position.

Need Help? If you have questions about your case, call or text 833-657-4812 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

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