Veterans lawyers Discussion of the basics
Social security benefits: Your Questions about Social Security Credits Q: Social Security tells me that I don't have enough credits to qualify for benefits. How do these credits work, and how is it possible for me to not have enough when I have worked for years and paid taxes the whole time? A: When you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn credits that are used to qualify you for social security benefits. The Social Security service bases the number of credits a person receives on the amount of money they earn and the amount of time they have worked. With each year that passes, the amount of money you need to make in order to earn social security credits rises; in 2008, it is one credit for $1,050 of earnings. These credits are also called quarters, as you can earn a maximum of four of them a year; any social security "quarters" that you earn during your working career will remain on your record even during times of unemployment.