Social Security work credits math for 2025 - can part-time minimum wage workers qualify?
I've been trying to figure out if my daughter (27) will ever qualify for Social Security benefits with her work history. She has some health issues and has only worked part-time jobs at or near minimum wage for the past 5 years. I did some math that I want to double-check with people who understand the system better: From what I've read, the 2025 amount for one work credit is $1,810. You need 4 credits per year (max) and 40 total for retirement eligibility. If she works just 25 hours/week at federal minimum wage ($7.25/hr), that's about $725/month or $8,700/year. Dividing $8,700 by $1,810 = 4.8 credits, which means she could earn her 4 max credits each year. So technically, even with limited part-time work at minimum wage for 10 years, she should qualify for at least some retirement benefits eventually, right? Or am I missing something about how the system calculates eligibility?
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Sophie Hernandez
Your math is correct! Your daughter should qualify for retirement benefits if she works part-time at minimum wage for 10 years total (getting those 40 credits). However, keep in mind that the AMOUNT of benefits she receives will be based on her lifetime earnings history, not just whether she qualifies. The SSA uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate your benefit amount. If she only works part-time at minimum wage, her eventual benefit amount will be relatively low. But qualifying is still important - it gets her into the system for retirement, potential disability, and provides survivor benefits protection.
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Emily Thompson
•Thanks so much for confirming! I did read something about the 35 years. So even if she qualifies with 10 years of work credits, they'll include 25 years of $0 earnings in her calculation? That seems a bit harsh, but at least she'll get something.
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Daniela Rossi
have u looked into SSI instead of waiting for retirement? if she has health issues that limit her work maybe she qualifies now. SSI is different than SSDI and retirement stuff.
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Emily Thompson
•I've heard of SSI but thought that was only for people who can't work at all? She can work, just not full-time hours because of her condition. But I'll definitely look into it more, thanks for the suggestion!
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Ryan Kim
Just wanted to say I'm in a similar boat with my son. His situation is slightly different (intellectual disability) but we've been tracking his credits too. It's surprisingly hard to get accurate information on all this stuff!
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Zoe Walker
•For both of you concerned parents, I'd strongly recommend getting personalized advice directly from SSA. The calculations can get complex depending on individual circumstances. I was stuck on hold for literally 3 hours last month trying to get information about a similar situation for my nephew. Eventually I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Completely changed my experience with SSA phone service. The agent I spoke with gave me detailed information about partial work histories that I couldn't find anywhere online.
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Elijah Brown
I don't mean to be negative, but your daughter should try to increase her earnings if possible. Yes, she'll qualify with minimum wage part-time work, but her benefit amount will be VERY low when she retires. I worked part-time most of my life due to similar issues, qualified for benefits, but my monthly payment is only $843!!! Can't live on that! The system really punishes people who can't work full-time careers.
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Emily Thompson
•That's really good to know. $843 definitely isn't enough to live on. We're helping her look into some work-from-home options that might allow her to work more hours on a flexible schedule. Thanks for sharing your real-world experience.
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Maria Gonzalez
Your calculation is correct for ELIGIBILITY purposes, but there's an important nuance here. The 40 credits (10 years) makes her eligible for benefits, but the AMOUNT of benefits is based on her average indexed monthly earnings over 35 years. Here's where it gets complicated: If she only works 10 years, SSA will average those earnings over 35 years, which means 25 years of $0 earnings will be included in the calculation. This significantly reduces the benefit amount. For a more specific estimate, create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and use the benefit calculator there with her actual earnings history.
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Natalie Chen
•This is absolutely right! I was going to say the same thing. My brother only worked about 15 years before becoming disabled (not enough for SSDI), and his benefit calculation was tiny because of all those zero years. The 40 credits is just the MINIMUM to get anything at all.
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Ryan Kim
Does anyone know if the credit amount ($1810) changes every year? Will it be higher by the time she gets to 10 years of work?
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Sophie Hernandez
•Yes, the amount needed for a work credit increases slightly most years with inflation. In 2023 it was $1,640, in 2024 it's $1,730, and for 2025 it's projected to be $1,810. However, minimum wage workers working part-time (25+ hours weekly) should still be able to earn all 4 credits each year even with these increases, unless there's a dramatic change to the formula.
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Elijah Brown
YOUR DAUGHTERS SITUATION IS EXACTLY WHY THE SYSTEM IS UNFAIR!!! People with health issues who can only work part-time get penalized TWICE - once by having lower earnings during working years and AGAIN when calculating benefits with all those zero years!!! The system should calculate based on ACTUAL working years not some arbitrary 35 year period!!
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Sophie Hernandez
•While I understand your frustration, there's some logic to the current system. Social Security was designed as a partial replacement of pre-retirement income, not as a full pension system. The 35-year calculation creates a consistent formula across all workers. That said, there is a progressive benefit formula that does give proportionally higher benefits to lower-income workers. Someone who earned minimum wage their entire career gets a higher percentage of their pre-retirement income replaced than someone who earned at the maximum taxable amount.
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Daniela Rossi
ur math looks good to me
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Maria Gonzalez
Something else to consider - if your daughter's health issues ever become severe enough that she cannot work, having those work credits could qualify her for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) instead of SSI. The key difference is that SSDI isn't means-tested like SSI, meaning she could have savings or receive help from family without losing benefits. To qualify for SSDI, she generally needs to have earned 20 credits in the last 10 years (the exact requirement varies by age). So continuing to work part-time not only builds toward retirement eligibility but also provides disability insurance protection.
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Emily Thompson
•This is really helpful information I hadn't considered! Her condition is generally stable but could worsen over time. I'll make sure she understands the importance of maintaining those credits for potential SSDI coverage. Thank you!
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Klaus Schmidt
Just wanted to add that if your daughter is consistently working part-time, she should also keep detailed records of her earnings and work history. Sometimes there are errors in SSA's records, and having your own documentation can help resolve discrepancies later. Also, encourage her to create a my Social Security account online once she has a few years of work history. She can track her credits in real-time and get benefit estimates as her situation evolves. It's much easier to spot and fix errors early rather than years down the road when she's ready to apply for benefits. The fact that you're planning ahead for her future shows great foresight - many people don't think about this until it's too late to make strategic decisions about work history.
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Monique Byrd
As someone who's navigated similar waters with a family member, I wanted to add that you might also want to look into your state's disability services and vocational rehabilitation programs. Many states offer job training, assistive technology, and workplace accommodations that could help your daughter increase her earning capacity while managing her health condition. These programs sometimes partner with employers who are specifically looking to hire people with disabilities, and they often provide ongoing support to both the employee and employer. It could be a pathway to higher wages or more stable employment, which would improve her future Social Security benefit calculations. Also, don't overlook that some part-time positions offer better hourly rates than minimum wage - remote customer service, data entry, or specialized skills she might develop could significantly boost those earnings within the same limited hours she can work.
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Christian Bierman
•This is excellent advice! I hadn't thought about vocational rehabilitation programs - I'll definitely look into what's available in our state. The idea of finding remote work that pays better than minimum wage is really appealing too, especially since it would let her work from home where she's more comfortable managing her health condition. Do you happen to know if there are any specific websites or resources that are good for finding disability-friendly remote employers?
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