Life · Chapter 12 · Coverage & Eligibility
The 20/40 Rule (Disability)
Definition
To qualify for disability benefits, a worker age 31 or older must have earned 20 quarters of coverage within the 40 quarters (10 years) ending when the disability begins. Workers under 31 face less restrictive requirements.
In plain English
Half of the last decade must be on the books — old work credits alone don't buy disability coverage.
Easy to confuse with
These are what this term gets tested against — if you can't tell them apart cold, drill the contrast.
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