Disabled at 44 with 29 work credits - denied SSDI but on Medicare - can I get Social Security at FRA?

I went through almost the same exact situation! Disabled at 47, had 32 credits but spent several years in state government. SSA reps kept telling me different things every time I called. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an actual SSA agent within 5 minutes instead of waiting for hours. Their video shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Through them, I got connected to a Technical Expert who actually understood my case. Turns out the regular phone reps were COMPLETELY WRONG in my situation - check if you qualify for a frozen period of disability which can protect your eligibility despite not having 40 credits. Don't just accept what the regular reps tell you!

This is EXACTLY why I hate dealing with SSA!!! Every rep tells you something completely different and half of them don't know what they're talking about!!! I spent 6 MONTHS fighting with them over my husband's disability claim with similar credit issues. They kept changing their story every single time. Document EVERYTHING - get names of who you talk to, record dates, what they tell you. The system is designed to make you give up!!!!

There's definitely some confusion happening here. Let me clarify a few things: 1) For SSDI, you need both sufficient total credits AND a certain number in recent years (usually 20 credits in the 10 years before disability). That's likely why you were denied SSDI. 2) Medicare eligibility after disability can occur through different paths than SSDI. 3) For retirement benefits, you normally need 40 credits (10 years). However - and this is important - if you were medically determined to be disabled (even if denied SSDI for technical reasons), you might qualify for what's called a "disability freeze." This prevents the years you're disabled from counting against you in benefit calculations. I recommend requesting a formal appointment with a Claims Specialist (not just calling the general line) and specifically ask about "disability freeze" and "medical determination of disability without SSDI benefits." Also ask about how your public service pension might affect things (Windfall Elimination Provision). You should also create an account at my.ssa.gov if you haven't already and check your earnings record and estimated benefits.

Based on what you've described, there are several important things to understand: 1. You can qualify for Medicare through multiple paths - SSDI is just one way. The fact you're on Medicare suggests you did receive a medical approval, just not technical approval for SSDI payments. 2. There's a concept called a "period of disability" or "disability freeze" that can help people in your situation. If SSA determined you were medically disabled, this period can be "frozen" when calculating your benefits. 3. The SSA has special rules for retirement benefits if you were found medically disabled before reaching retirement age, even if you didn't qualify for SSDI payments due to technical reasons. In your situation, I'd recommend: - Request your official disability determination letter - Ask specifically about your "disability freeze" status - Inquire about the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and how your public pension affects benefits - Get clarification on whether your Medicare approval indicates you had a medical disability determination Many SSA phone representatives aren't familiar with these special situations. You might need to speak with a Technical Expert or Claims Specialist who handles disability cases.

my dad had something like this. he worked for the city for 15 years but had some regular jobs too. they told him he wouldn't get ss but then when he turned 67 he got a small check anyway. not much but something. maybe theyre wrong about yours too?

Your on Medicare BUT not getting SSDI? That's weird, usually you have to be on SSDI for 24 months to qualify for Medicare before 65. Maybe you qualified thru a special program? Anyway I'd double-check with SSA again cause those phone ppl mess up ALL the time

Same thing happened to my cousin! She got denied SSDI but still got Medicare after 2 yrs. Something about being "medically disabled" but not "technically qualified" for payments? She eventually got retirement benefits at 67 even tho she only had like 35 credits. Go figure!

After reading through this thread, I think I understand what might be happening in your case: 1. You likely received a medical determination of disability (which explains Medicare eligibility) but were denied SSDI payments due to insufficient recent covered employment. 2. If you received an official medical disability determination, you may have qualified for a disability freeze, which would protect your retirement benefit eligibility. 3. The confusion from the SSA representatives might be because they're looking at your record without considering the disability freeze provision, or they're confusing the technical denial of SSDI with a complete medical denial. 4. There's also the complication of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) that would reduce (but not eliminate) any Social Security benefits due to your public pension. I strongly recommend requesting a formal appointment with a Claims Specialist and specifically asking about your disability freeze status and how it affects your retirement eligibility. Also request a PEBES (Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement) that accounts for your disability freeze if applicable.

Following up on my earlier comment - after using Claimyr to reach an actual knowledgeable person at SSA, I discovered my benefits were calculated wrong for YEARS because regular reps didn't understand how the disability freeze worked with my public employment. Got a nice backpay check! Definitely don't give up and keep pushing for answers.