Social Security taxes are an unavoidable part of life for American workers. Every year, 12.4% of our income goes straight to the government to finance benefits for the millions of retirees, disabled workers, and family members who depend on these checks to make ends meet.
It's a benefit that today's workers hope they'll be able to take advantage of themselves someday. But first, they have to qualify for benefits.
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The Social Security Administration doesn't just hand out checks to anyone. You have to meet certain eligibility criteria -- and that's getting a little harder next year.
Qualifying for Social Security retirement benefits
You qualify for Social Security retirement benefits by accruing at least 40 work credits throughout your career. A work credit is a certain amount of annual earnings, and you're limited to a maximum of four credits per year.
That means you need at least 10 years of work history to qualify, though these years don't have to be consecutive. You could qualify for one credit in 40 separate years and still receive Social Security benefits when you're retired.
The definition of a credit varies from year to year. In 2024, one credit is defined as $1,730 in income. But in 2025, this will climb to $1,810. So to earn your full four credits for next year, you must earn at least $7,240.
Though it's a tougher requirement than what workers faced this year, it's still very doable for the majority of Americans. Even many of those working part-time shouldn't have an issue earning this much throughout the year. If you don't get your full four credits next year, that's OK too. Unless you plan to retire in the next year or two, you'll have more time to qualify if you're not already there.
You probably already have some idea from this information if you've earned enough to qualify for benefits, but if there's any doubt, you can find out by creating a my Social Security account. After you've set up your login, you can check whether you'll be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits based on your work history to date. If you haven't earned 40 credits yet, it should tell you how many more you have to go.
Qualifying for other types of Social Security benefits
Here's a quick breakdown of how you qualify for other types of Social Security benefits, in case you're unfamiliar.
Spousal benefits
Social Security spousal benefits are based on your partner's retirement benefit. You aren't required to have any work credits yourself to claim a spousal benefit. But your spouse will need to meet the 40-credit requirement discussed above.
The only thing you must do to qualify for a spousal benefit is to either be married to a qualifying worker, have been married to one for at least 10 years before divorcing without remarrying, or caring for the minor or disabled child of a qualifying worker who is receiving retirement or disability benefits.
Survivors benefits
Survivors benefits are for the family members of deceased workers. If the deceased worker had at least 40 work credits, their family members will be eligible for survivors benefits. They may also be eligible if the worker had as few as six Social Security credits, depending on their age at death.
Disability benefits
Disability benefits use a similar system to survivors benefits. If the disabled worker has 40 credits, they and their family members automatically qualify for disability benefits. However, they may be eligible with fewer benefits, depending on their age at disability and their work history:
- If you were disabled before age 24, you typically need at least six work credits in the three years before your disability began.
- If you were disabled between ages 24 and 30, you typically need credits for one-half of the time between age 21 and the time your disability began (i.e., eight credits if you were disabled at 25).
- If you were disabled after age 30, you typically need at least 20 credits within the 10 years immediately before your disability began.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, contact the Social Security Administration for clarity. You'll need to provide some basic information about yourself, including your Social Security number. And if you're applying on someone else's work record, you may need to share information about that person as well.
