SSDI Work Credits: Maryland Applicant Guide

SSDI Work Credits: Maryland Applicant Guide

Social Security Disability Insurance is not a welfare program — it is a benefit you earn through years of work. Before the Social Security Administration (SSA) will consider the medical evidence in your claim, it first confirms that you have accumulated enough work credits to be insured. For Maryland residents navigating an SSDI application, understanding how credits are earned, how many you need, and what happens if you fall short is essential to building a strong claim.

What Are SSDI Work Credits?

Every year you work and pay Social Security taxes, you accumulate work credits. The SSA uses these credits to determine whether you are "insured" — meaning you have contributed enough to the system to qualify for SSDI benefits if you become disabled.

In 2025, you earn one work credit for every $1,730 in covered earnings, up to a maximum of four credits per year. The earnings threshold adjusts annually for inflation. Credits are based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income, not on how long you worked. A Maryland construction worker who earns $6,920 in January and then becomes disabled in February would still receive all four credits for that year.

Important distinctions to keep in mind:

• Credits are earned, not purchased — you must have actual wages or self-employment income subject to FICA taxes
• Credits never expire; they remain on your record permanently
• Credits from Maryland state government jobs covered by Social Security count just as credits from private employment do
• Earnings from jobs where you did not pay Social Security taxes — certain federal, state, or local positions — do not generate credits

How Many Work Credits Do You Need in Maryland?

The number of credits required depends on your age when you became disabled. The SSA applies a two-part test:

The "Duration of Work" test requires a minimum number of total credits based on age:

• Disabled before age 24: 6 credits earned in the 3 years before disability
• Ages 24–31: Credits for half the time between age 21 and the date of disability
• Age 31 or older: Generally 20 credits in the last 10 years (40 total credits required)

The "Recency of Work" test is equally critical. For most applicants over 31, you must have earned at least 20 work credits in the 10-year period immediately before your disability began. This is where many Maryland claimants run into problems — particularly those who left the workforce to raise children, care for a family member, or dealt with a previous health issue that reduced their working hours.

A Maryland nurse who worked full-time for 15 years, then worked part-time for 5 years earning under $6,920 annually, could find herself with a gap in recent credits even though she has decades of employment history. Timing matters enormously.

The Date Last Insured and Why It Controls Your Claim

Once you stop accumulating credits, your insured status does not last forever. The SSA calculates a Date Last Insured (DLI) — the deadline by which your disability must have begun in order for you to receive SSDI benefits. After your DLI passes, no amount of medical evidence will make you eligible unless you return to work and rebuild your insured status.

For most Maryland applicants, the DLI falls approximately five years after leaving covered employment. This creates an urgent problem for individuals who stopped working years before applying. A Baltimore resident who stopped working in 2018 due to a back injury but did not apply until 2025 may be told that her DLI was December 31, 2023 — and that the SSA will only evaluate whether she was disabled before that date, not whether she is disabled today.

Protecting your DLI requires acting quickly. Do not delay your application while waiting to "see if things get better." If your condition worsens after your DLI, that deterioration cannot save a claim that was not timely filed.

Special Situations for Maryland Workers

Maryland has a large concentration of federal government employees, particularly in the Washington, D.C. suburbs of Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Federal civilian employees hired before 1984 may be covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), which did not contribute to Social Security. These workers may have limited or no SSDI work credits despite long careers. Their disability protection, if any, runs through the Office of Personnel Management — not the SSA.

Maryland also has a significant population of self-employed individuals, gig workers, and small business owners. If you are self-employed in Maryland, your work credits depend entirely on whether you properly reported net self-employment income and paid self-employment taxes on Schedule SE. Unreported income does not generate credits, and many self-employed claimants discover this gap only when they apply for SSDI.

Additionally, Maryland residents who worked in states with separate pension systems — or who spent time working abroad — should carefully review their earnings record at ssa.gov to identify any missing credit periods. Errors on your Social Security earnings record are more common than most people realize and can be corrected with proper wage documentation.

What to Do If You Do Not Have Enough Work Credits

A finding that you are not insured for SSDI does not necessarily end your options. Consider the following alternatives:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI): SSI is a needs-based disability program that does not require work credits. Maryland residents with limited income and resources who are disabled may qualify for SSI even with no work history.
• Maryland Medical Assistance (Medicaid): Approval for SSI in Maryland generally triggers Medicaid eligibility, providing health coverage while the broader disability case is resolved.
• Disability Insurance Through Former Employer: Some Maryland employers — particularly in government, education, and healthcare — provide long-term disability (LTD) insurance that operates independently of SSDI work credit requirements.
• Review Your Earnings Record for Errors: Request your Social Security Statement and compare it against your tax returns and W-2s. Crediting errors, especially from older employment, can sometimes be corrected through SSA's earnings correction process.
• Disabled Adult Child (DAC) Benefits: If you were disabled before age 22 and a parent is deceased or receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, you may qualify for benefits on your parent's record without needing your own credits.

An attorney experienced in SSDI claims can review your complete earnings record, calculate your DLI, and identify which programs — or combination of programs — offer the best path forward given your specific work history in Maryland.

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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