The Disability Insurance program is designed for people who have paid into Social Security through their jobs then can no longer hold a job due to their medical condition. If you quit your last job 20 years ago and now have become disabled, you will not be able to qualify for the DIB program. To be considered for DIB, you must have worked 5 out of the last 10 years. Often times people think that they have to work 5 years straight to get benefits, however this is not true. According to Social Security Administration, you need to pass two different work tests; duration of work test and a recent work test to qualify for DIB.
The “duration of work” test reviews your entire work history-what you have paid into Social Security. FICA taxes are the premiums that all working citizens in the United States pay for which is considered Social Security coverage (and Social Security retirement benefits). Like almost all insurance policies, Social Security Disability Insurance coverage will lapse after a certain amount of time if you do not pay into the system. If you stop paying FICA taxes your time will eventually lapse. Once the time has lapsed, this is called the date last insured (DLI). Often times it seems counterintuitive how a person can work all their life but could be denied for DIB due to lack of insurance status. Even though you may pay into the system or pay FICA taxes most of your adult life that does not mean that you are insured for your entire life. Social Security is not a savings account, it is a federal program. If you haven’t paid FICA taxes within the last 10 years you will find that you are no longer covered under DIB.
The second test, “recent work” determines if you have earned 5 years worth of wages (20 quarters) over a period of 10 years before your disability prevented you from working. Working individuals accrue “quarters” of coverage through wages and Social Security taxes. 1 quarter is equal to 3 months of work, 4 quarters equals 1 year of work. Once you have accumulated 20 quarters (5 years) out of 40 quarters (10 years), you will then pass the recent work test evaluation. Social Security reviews the last 10 years of your work history and calculates the quarters you have earned.
If you pass both tests, you are technically qualified for the DIB program and may apply for disability benefits. If your DLI is in the past, you will need to prove you were unable to work due to your medical condition prior to that date.
