A 40-year-old woman recently learned she does not qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, despite having a long work history before taking time off to raise her children.
The reason: she hasn't worked enough in the past decade to meet the program's eligibility rules.
While she has earned enough lifetime work credits for her children to receive survivor benefits if she passes away, the lack of recent credits means she cannot collect SSDI now — even with a terminal diagnosis.
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A Family's Story
Details of the situation were shared in a post on Reddit's r/SocialSecurity forum. The poster explained that his wife worked full-time from 2006 to 2015 before stepping away from the workforce for eight years to raise their three children. She returned to work in 2023 for about a year and a half before being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
A local Social Security attorney advised that she did not meet the SSDI requirement for recent work history and that their children would also be ineligible for survivor benefits — though the poster later learned the latter was incorrect.
How SSDI Eligibility Works
SSDI functions like an insurance program. Workers pay into it through payroll taxes, and benefits are only available if you maintain "insured status." Under the 20/40 Rule, most workers over 31 must have at least 20 credits — the equivalent of about five years of work — earned in the last 10 years before becoming disabled.
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Because she had been out of paid employment for eight years, her coverage effectively expired before her diagnosis. To qualify, she would have needed to prove she was disabled before her date last insured.
Why Survivor Benefits Are Different
Survivor benefits have different rules. A worker who has earned at least 40 lifetime credits can leave benefits to eligible children or a surviving spouse, regardless of when those credits were earned.
In this case, the woman has exactly 40 credits, meaning her children should qualify for benefits if she passes away. The benefit amount will depend on her past earnings.
No Special Provisions for Stay-at-Home Parents
Some commenters in the Reddit thread expressed frustration that SSDI rules do not account for time spent as a full-time parent. While Social Security offers spousal retirement benefits based on a partner's work record, SSDI does not.
A former Social Security employee in the discussion noted that they often encountered cases where people had sufficient lifetime credits but not recent ones — leaving them without disability coverage when they needed it most.
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The Takeaway
This case underscores how stepping away from paid work can affect future Social Security benefits. SSDI eligibility depends on both total and recent work history, and coverage can lapse after just a few years out of the workforce.
The couple plans to meet with the Social Security Administration to confirm what benefits may still be available. While SSDI appears out of reach, survivor benefits for their children could help provide financial support in the years ahead.
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