Veterans lawyers A review of the facts
You can receive a maximum of four credits annually (which is why credits are also called 'quarters'), and any credits you earn will remain on your record even during periods in which you're not working. In order to qualify for social security benefits, you need to reach a certain number of credits. The number of credits you need for social security is based on your current age, and is calculated by the number of years you have worked. If you're looking to be eligible for social security benefits for retirement (and are of more than 62 years of age), you will need to have 40 credits (the equivalent of 10 years of work). It does occur, however, that a person of retirement age who has worked for what seems to be the correct number of years does not have enough credits to qualify him or her for social security benefits.