It’s Getting Harder to Qualify for Social Security Benefits in Retirement. Here’s the Reason Why

One of the biggest Social Security myths out there is that everyone is entitled to a monthly benefit once they reach a certain age. But that’s not how the program works.

Generally speaking, the way to get Social Security benefits in retirement is to earn them by working and paying into the program. There can be exceptions for people who don’t work but are eligible for spousal benefits or survivors benefits. But if you want to guarantee yourself those benefits for your retirement, then it’s important to make sure you’ve earned enough work credits in your lifetime.

Specifically, Social Security requires a total of 40 work credits to be eligible for benefits. But the tricky thing is that you’re only allowed to earn up to four work credits per year. This means that you basically have to work in some capacity for at least 10 years to qualify for Social Security.

Meanwhile, the value of a work credit can change from one year to the next — and that’s precisely what’s happening in 2025.

On Oct. 10, the Social Security Administration announced a number of key changes to the program that are set to take effect in 2025. One major change is a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment. Another is a higher wage cap for Social Security tax purposes — $176,100, up from $168,600 in 2024.

An additional big change that’s coming in 2025 is the value of a single work credit. Currently, it takes $1,730 in earnings to earn one work credit. Next year, it will take $1,810. That’s something to keep in mind if you work part-time but want to make sure you’re able to get Social Security down the line.

However, you should know that if you work full-time, this change shouldn’t really affect you, even if you only earn minimum wage. If that’s the case, if you earn the minimum wage for 40 hours a week over 50 working weeks, that’s more than enough income to secure your four work credits for 2025.

Even though Social Security has been around for a long time, the program tends to undergo changes on a yearly basis. It pays to keep tabs on those, regardless of your age.

You might assume you don’t need to bother reading up on Social Security if you’re nowhere close to retirement. But if you don’t understand what it takes to get benefits, you might end up missing out on that key income source once you’re no longer able to work at all.

Of course, if you’re someone who works so part-time that you’re unable to accumulate 40 work credits in your lifetime, it may be that you have somebody else’s income to fall back on, like a spouse’s. You may be eligible for some type of Social Security benefit down the line based on their earnings record. But it’s best to know the rules so you know what to expect once you get older.