SSDI Work Credits: What Maryland Residents Must Know

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is not a needs-based program — it is an earned benefit. To qualify, you must have accumulated enough work credits through years of paying Social Security taxes. For many Maryland workers, understanding how credits are calculated and how many you need can be the difference between receiving benefits and being denied outright.

Maryland's workforce spans federal contractors in the DC suburbs, port workers in Baltimore, healthcare professionals, and small business owners across the state — all of whom contribute to Social Security through FICA payroll taxes. If a disabling condition forces you out of work, those contributions may entitle you to monthly SSDI payments. But only if you have earned enough credits at the right time.

How Social Security Work Credits Are Calculated

The Social Security Administration (SSA) measures your work history in credits, formerly called quarters of coverage. Each year, you can earn a maximum of four credits. The dollar amount needed to earn one credit adjusts annually for inflation.

In 2024, you earn one work credit for every $1,730 in wages or self-employment income. Earn $6,920 or more in the year and you have the maximum four credits. Credits do not expire — they accumulate over your lifetime. However, how recently you earned them matters enormously when applying for SSDI.

It is important to understand that credits do not correspond directly to quarters worked. You could earn all four credits for the year in January if your income is high enough. The SSA simply uses your total annual earnings to calculate how many credits to award.

How Many Credits Do You Need in Maryland?

The number of credits required to qualify for SSDI depends on your age when you became disabled. The SSA uses a two-part test:

• Total Credits Test: Most applicants need 40 credits total (roughly 10 years of work).
• Recent Work Test: Generally, 20 of those 40 credits must have been earned within the 10-year period ending when your disability began.
• Younger workers get reduced requirements: If you became disabled before age 31, you may qualify with far fewer credits, sometimes as few as 6.
• Ages 31–42: You need 20 credits total.
• Ages 43–61: The requirement increases by 2 credits for every 2 years of age beyond 42.
• Age 62 and older: You need 40 credits, with at least 20 earned in the last 10 years.

Maryland residents who spent significant portions of their careers in self-employment, domestic work, or certain agricultural jobs may have gaps in their Social Security earnings record. If your employer was not withholding FICA taxes correctly — or if you were misclassified as an independent contractor — those years may not appear on your Social Security record, quietly eroding your credit count.

The Date Last Insured: A Critical Deadline

One of the most misunderstood aspects of SSDI eligibility is the Date Last Insured (DLI). This is the date after which you no longer have enough recent work credits to qualify for SSDI, even if you are clearly disabled.

For most workers, the DLI falls approximately five years after you stop working. If you leave your job due to a medical condition but delay filing — perhaps hoping to recover — you may find that your DLI has passed by the time you apply. At that point, the SSA will deny your claim regardless of how severe your disability is.

This is not a hypothetical risk. Maryland SSDI applicants who left the workforce in their 40s or 50s to care for family members, deal with chronic illness, or pursue non-wage activities frequently discover their insured status has lapsed. Once the DLI passes, your only remaining option for disability benefits may be Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which has strict income and asset limits.

You can find your DLI on your Social Security Statement, available through your my Social Security online account at ssa.gov. Every Maryland resident should review this document before assuming they are covered.

What Happens If You Don't Have Enough Work Credits

Falling short on work credits does not necessarily mean you are without options. Several alternative paths exist:

• SSI (Supplemental Security Income): Unlike SSDI, SSI requires no work history. It is means-tested, meaning your income and assets must fall below certain thresholds. Maryland currently supplements federal SSI payments through the State Supplementary Payment program, which can modestly increase your monthly benefit.
• Disabled Adult Child (DAC) Benefits: If you became disabled before age 22 and a parent is deceased, retired, or disabled and receiving Social Security benefits, you may qualify for benefits based on your parent's record rather than your own.
• Disabled Widow(er) Benefits: If your spouse was insured under Social Security and you are between ages 50 and 60 and disabled, you may be entitled to benefits based on your spouse's record.
• Correcting Your Earnings Record: If your work history is inaccurate, you have the right to contest it with the SSA. Maryland workers in cash-intensive industries or gig employment should carefully audit their Social Security statements.

Protecting Your SSDI Eligibility While Managing a Disability

Maryland residents managing a progressive condition — multiple sclerosis, degenerative disc disease, heart failure, or early-stage cancer — often continue working as long as possible before their condition forces them out of the workforce. This is admirable, but it requires careful planning to protect SSDI eligibility.

If you reduce your hours or switch to part-time work due to your medical condition, you may continue accumulating work credits. However, if your earnings fall below Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) — $1,550 per month in 2024 for non-blind individuals — the SSA may use that as evidence relevant to your disability onset date.

Timing matters. The date you establish as your alleged onset date (AOD) affects not only whether you qualify, but also how much back pay you may receive if approved. If you have been working despite a deteriorating condition, a disability attorney can help you establish a defensible onset date that reflects the true severity of your impairment — rather than the date you simply stopped going to work.

Maryland applicants should also know that SSDI approval rates at the initial application stage are low statewide. Most successful claims require at least one appeal, and many require a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). At every stage, your earnings record and insured status are re-examined. Errors in your Social Security record can surface at any point and derail a claim that should otherwise succeed.

If you believe your work credits are insufficient, do not assume the case is closed. An experienced SSDI attorney can review your full earnings record, identify potential errors, explore alternative benefit pathways, and advise you on the most strategic time to file — before your Date Last Insured passes.

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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