Being a stay-at-home parent is a full-time job. Despite having no payroll and a shortage of days off, you work day in and day out to care for your children and raise them to be their best selves while you maintain your home. However, if you become disabled as a stay-at-home parent, you may wonder if you’re eligible for Social Security Disability benefits (SSD) for financial relief and security when you can’t exert the same activity as before.
It depends on a few factors such as age, your ability to work, how recently you’ve worked, and how long you’ve worked. This can be complex and confusing and will likely lead to an initial denial from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This is why the help of a skilled Social Security Disability attorney is essential in ensuring you receive the benefits you need as you become more familiar with the process. If you’re struggling as a disabled stay-at-home mother or father, here is what you should know.
Work Credits and Social Security Disability Benefits
Eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits ultimately depends on your work history. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, you likely worked before you had children and, in turn, earned work credits. To qualify for disability benefits, you need a minimum of work credits, depending on your age.
According to the SSA, here are the minimum years worked and work credits to qualify for disability benefits:
- Six work credits or one- and one-half years of work if you are under 28 years old
- Eight work credits or two years of work if you are 30 years old
- 12 work credits or three years of work if you are 34 years old
- 16 work credits or four years of work if you are 38 years old
- 20 work credits or five years of work if you are 42 years old
- 22 work credits or five- and one-half years of work if you are 44 years old
- 24 work credits or six years of work if you are 46 years old
- 26 work credits or six- and one-half years of work if you are 48 years old
- 28 work credits or seven years of work if you are 50 years old
In addition, you could qualify for benefits under the following conditions:
- Younger than 24 years old, you earned six work credits in the three years immediately before your disability began.
- You are between the ages of 24 and 31, and half of your required work credits were earned between the age of 21 and the age you were when your disability began.
- You are 31 years or older, and earned 20 work credits in the ten years immediately before your disability began.
Could Stay-at-Home Parents Qualify for SSI?
If you’re a disabled stay-at-home mother or father, you may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) under different conditions than SSD. To qualify for SSI, you must prove that you’re medically incapable of working while meeting household income requirements. So, if your spouse works, you may not be eligible for these benefits.
To learn more about SSD and SSI as a stay-at-home parent who has recently become disabled, speak with the disability lawyers at Kerr Robichaux & Carroll today for free.
Your Rights. Your Life. Call The SSD Attorneys at Kerr, Robichaux & Carroll Today
Your world can quickly be turned upside down with a recent disability. When you have a family and household depending on you, you don’t just need a disability attorney – you need an advocate. At Kerr Robichaux & Carroll, we give each case the attention and compassion they deserve and stop at nothing to ensure that our clients receive the help they need. That’s why we have a track record of winning even the most challenging cases and securing our clients’ benefits that will make a difference for them and their families.
Contact us by filling out and submitting the form below or calling our office at 503-255-9092 for a free consultation.