Texas Social Security Disability Work Requirements
Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) is one of two main ways you may be able to obtain federal disability benefits in Texas if you have severe disability which stops you from earning a living for at least the next 12 months. SSDI insurance contributions are paid through payroll taxes. Your work history when you apply for SSDI benefits will determine whether you have paid enough payroll taxes to qualify for disability benefits. Texas Social Security disability work requirements are discussed below.
Understanding Work Credits in Texas
What are Work Credits?
Work credits are obtained whenever you work and pay regular Social Security contributions in your payroll taxes. Not all jobs qualify for work credits. Up to 4 work credits can be obtained for each working year in Texas. One work credit is obtained for a certain amount of earned income. This amount increases a little every year taking into account the fact that most wages of employees tend to increase year on year.
How Work Credits Are Calculated
The SSA uses an income threshold to establish how many work credits can be obtained every year of work. For example, in 2024, an employee obtains 1 work credit for each $1,730 of income. If the employee has earned at least $6,920 in 2024 they will be credited with the maximum number of work credits for that year, i.e. 4. Earning more income will not increase the number of work credits beyond the maximum of 4, but earning less than $6,920 will mean fewer than 4 work credits for that year.
The Role of Work Credits in Disability Benefits
SSDI work requirements in Texas for disability benefits are primarily assessed by the number of work credits accumulated. The number of work credits accumulated during the lifetime of work needed to be eligible for disability benefits depends on the age at which the worker was first impacted by the disability. The earlier in life that the disability developed, the fewer total work credits are required for that applicant to be eligible for benefits.
How Many Work Credits Do You Need in Texas
Work Credit Requirements by Age
The maximum number of work credits needed is 40, i.e. 10 years of work history, if the applicant first developed a disability at 62. Workers who develop a disability at 31 through to 42 must have accumulated at least 20 work credits (5 years of work) to be eligible for SSDI benefits in Texas. The number of work credits needed between 42 and 62 increases in steps as your age at disability increases.
Blind Workers
Special rules apply to people who have become blind and are seeking disability benefits in Texas. The SSDI work requirements in Texas for blind people allow work credits earned at any time in the person’s work history to be used to qualify for benefits, even after they have become blind and are still working. Blind workers also do not have to pass the recent work test as described below.
Recent Work Test & Duration of Work Test
The SSA has exacting requirements that must be met before you can apply for disability benefits in Texas. There are two work tests used, which are:
- A recent work test, which assesses how long you have been working in the period just before you developed a disability; for example if you were 31 or older, you must have worked at least 5 out of the 10 years immediately previous to the quarter of a year in which you developed the disability;
- A duration of work test, which assesses how long you have been working during your lifetime and paying social security contributions in your payroll taxes; this is based on the number of quarters of a year in which you have been working and this varies according to your age, so if you were 42 at the time you developed the disability you would have needed a minimum of 5 years (approx.) to qualify for disability benefits.
What If You Don’t Meet the Work Requirements in Texas
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
If you don’t have enough work credits for your age, and have limited income or assets, you may still qualify for disability benefits in Texas through the supplemental security income (SSI) program. Your disability still has to meet the criteria for a disability as described in a section of the Blue Book, but income and assets are assessed for eligibility and not the number of work credits accumulated.
Exceptions and Appeals
If your application is rejected because of insufficient work credits or any other reason given by the SSA, you can appeal the decision. The appeal process involves a series of steps you need to take. The SSA’s decision may be reversed at any of these stages if the SSA is satisfied that the information you provide is sufficient to offer you disability benefits.
How to Check Your Work Credits
You can check your work history, earnings, and work credits together with a lot of other information on your my Social Security account. It is easy to set up your account with the SSA online, or you can get help by visiting your nearest Texas SSA office.
