You qualify for Social Security Disability benefits by earning Social Security credits when you work in a job and pay Social Security taxes. The number of credits you need for disability benefits depends on your age at the time you become disabled.
If you become disabled before age 24, you generally need 1.5 years of work (six credits) in the three years before you became disabled.
If you become disabled when you are age 24 through 30, you generally need credits for half of the time between age 21 and the time you became disabled.
If you are disabled at age 31 or older, you generally need at least 20 credits in the 10 years immediately before you became disabled.