The Social Security Administration (SSA) oversees both disability and retirement benefits funded by payroll contributions. Hard-working professionals who develop debilitating medical conditions can rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if they qualify.
Full-time workers are often confident about their ability to apply for SSDI benefits if they can no longer work. Part-time and seasonal employees may feel more anxious. While they may not work as much as full-time employees, their income can still be critical to their personal financial stability or the annual budget for their households.
Do workers with part-time or seasonal jobs still have access to SSDI benefits?
Credits determine eligibility
The SSA does not look directly at hours worked when reviewing eligibility for SSDI benefits. Professionals working for the SSA look at the impact of the medical condition and the number of credits that employees have accrued by working.
The SSA can award professionals up to four credits per year. In 2025, an employee accrues one credit for every $1,810 they earn. Regardless of how much an employee makes, they generally cannot earn more than four credits annually. A part-time or seasonal worker whose pay for the year was $7,240 or more likely earned all four of the available credits for the year.
They can request benefits just like a full-time employee. Typically, adults over the age of 31 must have 40 credits overall and at least 20 credits from within the last 10 years. Most part-time or seasonal workers can meet those standards.
Discussing recent employment history and medical challenges with a skilled legal team can help professionals explore their options if they want to file SSDI benefit claims. Workers dealing with catastrophic medical challenges often need support as they apply for SSDI benefits, and that’s okay.