To be Currently Insured, how many credits are required in the last 13 calendar quarters ending with the quarter of death, disability, or entitlement to retirement benefits?

To be Currently Insured, how many credits are required in the last 13 calendar quarters ending with the quarter of death, disability, or entitlement to retirement benefits?

• A. 8 credits
• B. 12 credits
• C. 6 credits
• D. 40 credits

Answer: (C)

Being currently insured means you have enough recent work credits under Social Security to qualify for retirement or disability benefits when they become due. The rule is to earn at least six credits in the 13 calendar quarters ending with the quarter in which death, disability, or entitlement to retirement benefits occurs. You can earn up to four credits in a single year, based on earnings, so six credits can be accumulated in as little as a year and a half if earnings are high enough. This 13-quarter span keeps the test focused on relatively recent work activity. If you don’t reach six credits in that window, you’re not currently insured, though you could still be insured under other rules (for example, fully insured status generally requires 40 credits).

Being currently insured means you have enough recent work credits under Social Security to qualify for retirement or disability benefits when they become due. The rule is to earn at least six credits in the 13 calendar quarters ending with the quarter in which death, disability, or entitlement to retirement benefits occurs. You can earn up to four credits in a single year, based on earnings, so six credits can be accumulated in as little as a year and a half if earnings are high enough. This 13-quarter span keeps the test focused on relatively recent work activity. If you don’t reach six credits in that window, you’re not currently insured, though you could still be insured under other rules (for example, fully insured status generally requires 40 credits).