203.Fully Insured Status Defined

203.1When are you fully insured?

You are fully insured if:

1. You have at least one credit for each calendar year after 1950; or

2. If you turn 21 after 1950, you have at least one credit for each calendar year after you turned 21 and the earliest of the following:

   1. The year before you turn 62;

   2. The year before you die; or

   3. The year before you become disabled.

You can obtain covered credits and count them in any year. (See §201.2 for additional requirements if you are an alien worker and you were assigned an original Social Security number on or after January 1, 2004.)

203.2Are there any exceptions to determining fully insured status (as above)?

The following individuals are also fully insured:

1. Males born before January 2, 1911, need one credit for each year after 1950 up to the year before the year below that occurs first:

   1. They turn 65;

   2. They die; or

   3. They become disabled; and

2. Males born from January 2, 1911, through January 1, 1913, need one credit for each year after 1950 up to the year before the year below that occurs first:

   1. 1975;

   2. They die; or

   3. They become disabled.

203.3Are years included in a period of disability counted to determine credits?

In determining the number of years to be used in computing your credits, any year (all or part of a year) that was included in a period of disability is not counted. (For exception, see § 209.2.)

203.4Do you need a minimum number of credits in order to be fully insured?

In order to be considered for fully insured status, you need at least six credits. No more than 40 credits are required, regardless of your date of birth.