Many people think of Social Security as a safety net for retired and disabled Americans, which it is. Many people also think that Social Security is there for anyone who has worked and paid into Social Security, which it also is to a degree, but there are also rules related to being insured. Being insured means you are eligible to receive benefits under specific Social Security programs, and like everything else dealing with Social Security, there are rules in place related to who is insured and who is uninsured.
Why Is Insured Status Important?
You must be insured under the Social Security program before retirement, survivors, or disability insurance benefits can be paid to you or your family.
Are Social Security Credits Used To Determine Insured Status?
We consider the number of Social Security credits you earned to determine if you have:
Fully insured status;
Currently insured status; or Insured status for establishing a period of disability.
You earn Social Security credits (previously called quarters of coverage) for a certain amount of work covered under Social Security. (See §§211-215.)
Note: Under Section 211 of the Social Security Protection Act of 2004 (“SSPA,” or Public Law 108-203), certain alien workers must meet additional requirements to be fully or currently insured and to establish entitlement to benefits based on the alien’s earnings. (See §201.)
How Does SSA Determine Insured Status?
We use your lifetime earnings record reported under your Social Security Number (SSN). The number of quarters you have covered credits determine if you have enough credits for insured status. (See §212.6.)
How Do The Requirements Of The Social Security Protection Act Of 2004 (SSPA) Affect Insured Status Determinations?
Under Section 211 of the SSPA, an alien worker whose Social Security Number (SSN) was originally assigned on or after January 1, 2004, must meet one of the following additional requirements to be fully or currently insured and in order to establish entitlement to any retirement, survivors or disability Social Security benefit or Medicare based on End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). These additional requirements also affect entitlement of any family members of the alien worker who may otherwise be entitled to benefits based on the alien worker’s earnings
The alien worker must have been issued an SSN for work purposes at any time on or after January 1, 2004; OR
The alien worker must have been admitted to the U.S. at any time as a nonimmigrant visitor for business (B-1) or as an alien crewman (D-1 or D-2).
If an alien worker whose SSN was originally assigned January 1, 2004 or later does not meet either of these additional requirements, then the worker is not fully or currently insured. This is true even if the alien worker appears to have the required number of Social Security credits to meet the insured status provisions.
Who Is An “Alien Worker” Under The SSPA?
For purposes of the SSPA requirements, an “alien worker” is a worker who is not a U.S. citizen or national of the U.S.
