Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) helps those who can’t work because of disabilities receive monthly income from the federal government to cover the cost of basics like food and housing. In Wisconsin, the US Social Security Administration (SSA) offers SSDI to those who meet Wisconsin Social Security disability work requirements.
Not everyone who’s unable to work because of a disability qualifies for SSDI. An applicant must have worked and paid into Social Security in the past to be eligible for the program. The following overview will help you better understand work requirements for disability in Wisconsin. It also covers alternatives if you don’t meet these requirements.
Understanding Work Credits in Wisconsin
Someone needs to have earned a sufficient number of work credits to be eligible for SSDI in Wisconsin. What are work credits, exactly?
Work credits are earned by American workers when they pay into the Social Security system. As of this writing, a worker can earn a maximum of four work credits a year.
General SSDI work requirements in Wisconsin are the following:
- An applicant must have earned at least 40 work credits during their working years
- At least 20 of their work credits must have been earned in the 10 years immediately before their disability started
As of 2025, the SSA calculates work credits by awarding one work credit to a worker for every $1,810 they earn in a given year. That amount can change due to factors like inflation, changes in cost of living, etc.
As with all other states, Wisconsin Social Security work requirements serve to ensure that applicants aren’t trying to game the system. Work credits indicate an applicant has contributed to the system in the past, and has made a genuine effort to work, but can no longer do so because they’re disabled.
How Many Work Credits Do You Need in Wisconsin?
Again, the general rule is that you need 40 work credits, 20 of which you earned in the 10 years before becoming disabled, to satisfy work requirements for disability in Wisconsin. However, you may still have options if you’re a younger applicant who hasn’t been working long enough to earn that many credits. Consider the following breakdown:
- If you’re younger than 24, you may be eligible if you’ve earned at least 6 work credits during the three-year period immediately before your disability started.
- If you’re between the ages of 24 and 31, you may be eligible if you have sufficient work credits to represent half the time between when you turned 21 and when your disability started. For example, maybe you developed a disability at age 29. This would mean you’d need at least four years’ worth of work credits, or 16 credits, to qualify for SSDI in Wisconsin.
- You must generally have earned at least 20 work credits in the 10 years before you became disabled to qualify for SSDI if you’re over the age of 31.
The SSA also states that blind individuals who don’t have enough work credits can still receive work credits if they continue working after becoming legally blind. Eventually, they may have enough credits to qualify for the program. Or, the SSA can account for the income of their parent or spouse if a blind individual doesn’t have sufficient work credits based on their own income.
The SSA generally establishes that an applicant must “pass” two tests to receive benefits: a Recent Work test and a Duration of Work test. Essentially, this means that when the SSA reviews an application for SSDI in Wisconsin, it will consider how long an applicant worked and how recently they worked and paid into Social Security when deciding whether to issue an approval.
What If You Don’t Meet the Work Requirements in Wisconsin?
SSDI isn’t the only benefits program the SSA offers. If you can’t satisfy Wisconsin disability work requirements, you may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
SSI doesn’t typically pay as much as SSDI. However, unlike SSDI, you don’t need to prove you’ve earned a certain number of work credits to qualify for the program. You only need to show that you have a disability and have minimal income and financial resources.
In addition, you can earn work credits by working more and paying taxes. Although you don’t want to earn so much that you end up earning too much money to qualify for the program, if you’re able to perform some extra work, you could build up enough work credits to meet the eligibility requirements.
How to Check Your Work Credits
The best way to check your work credits is to create a my Social Security account with the SSA. Along with checking work credits online, your account allows you to access any other relevant information via your Social Security statement. Other options include calling the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visiting your local SSA office in-person.
Wisconsin Offers SSDI Help
If you have a disability, you’re elderly, or both, one of Wisconsin’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) may be of assistance. These centers offer a range of services to vulnerable Wisconsin residents, including help with Social Security tasks.
It’s also a good idea to review your case with a Wisconsin SSDI attorney. Their insights can help you better understand whether you satisfy Wisconsin disability work requirements.
