Social Security Isn't Just for Retirees. Are You Eligible?
Nearly 13.5 million Americans under 65 receive a Social Security paycheck every month. Some of these are seniors who choose to start their benefits soon after they become eligible, but many of them aren't close to retirement age at all. They qualify for Social Security benefits for one of the lesser-known reasons discussed below.
Social Security pays benefits to those who are unable to work due to a disability that's expected to last at least one year or until death. In order to qualify for these benefits, you must have earned a certain number of credits. A single credit is defined as $1,410 in earnings in 2020 and you can earn up to four credits per year. How many credits you need to qualify for disability benefits depends on your age at the time of disability, but it will never be more than 40 credits.
Image source: Getty Images.
Source Fool.com