Working part-time instead of full-time doesn’t make a disability any easier to deal with. If your health is getting in the way of you being able to keep a steady job, you might be looking into Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and wondering if you even qualify. Lots of questions can arise when it comes to SSDI eligibility. One question being whether or not you can get SSDI if you’ve never had a full-time job. The good news? It’s still possible, but there are a few things you’ll need to understand first.
How SSDI Eligibility Works
To get SSDI, you need to have paid into Social Security through your job over time. That’s how the system knows you’ve contributed, and they track that using something called work credits. The more you earn each year, the more credits you earn, and you can earn up to four each year. The SSA states that, “In 2025, for example, you earn 1 credit for each $1,810 in wages or self-employment income you earn in each quarter of the year. When you’ve earned $7,240, you’ve earned your 4 credits for the year.”
Most adults need 40 work credits to qualify, and 20 of those credits must have been earned in the last 10 years before their disability began. However, the requirements may be shifted depending on your age.
What If You Don’t Have Enough Credits?
The main reason why you may not qualify for SSDI if you only worked part-time is that you may not have been able to earn as many work credits as someone who worked full-time. However, there may be another option for you: Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI is a need-based program, meaning it doesn’t require a work history, but it does have specific income and asset limits. If you’ve been out of the workforce a while or don’t meet the credit requirement for SSDI, SSI may be an option for you.
Read More: Which is Harder to Get, SSI or SSDI?
Substantial Gainful Activity
Another important requirement for SSDI is that your disability must prevent you from participating in “substantial gainful activity” (SGA). SGA is work that is considered significant physical or mental effort, or both, required to complete work-related tasks. This isn’t just for full-time workers either; it can be present in part-time jobs as well. According to the SSA, the monthly SGA amount for statutorily blind individuals for 2025 is $2700. For non-blind individuals, the monthly SGA amount for 2025 is $1620. This means that in order to qualify for SSDI in 2025, you must not be earning above that specified amount.
Never Worked Full Time? You Might Still Qualify
A common misconception about SSDI is that it is only for full-time workers. Sometimes a full-time work schedule doesn’t work for everyone’s lifestyle, but does that matter when it comes to SSDI eligibility? No, it does not. The three key things you need to be eligible for SSDI are:
- You have a disability
- Your disability prevents you from engaging in “substantial gainful activity” (SGA).
- You have paid into the Social Security System and have earned the proper amount of work credits (Most people need 40 credits, with 20 of those earned in the past 10 years)
If you meet these requirements, it does not matter whether you worked full or part-time; you could still be able to qualify for SSDI.
Learn More: SSDI and the Trial Work Period: How to Test Your Ability to Work
Get the Right Help
Applying for SSDI can feel overwhelming, especially if your job history doesn’t look “typical” on paper. That’s where working with an experienced disability attorney comes in. At Tabak Law, we’ve helped individuals across all kinds of work backgrounds, full-time, part-time, and everything in between, navigate the SSDI system and get the benefits they deserve. Contact us today to get started.