People ineligible for Social Security often lack sufficient work history (40 credits), aren't U.S. citizens or lawful residents, work in non-covered jobs (like some government roles), are fleeing prosecution, or die before collecting, with late-arriving immigrants, infrequent workers, and those in certain countries being key "never-beneficiary" groups.
Social Security denials can be broken down into two categories: Technical – an applicant does not meet the basic, non-medical criteria for disability. Working and earning too much money per month. Household has too much monthly income (Supplemental Security Income).
You can receive Social Security benefits based on your earnings record if you are age 62 or older, or a person with a disability or blindness and have enough work credits. Family members who qualify for benefits on your work record do not need work credits.
About 4 percent of the aged population never receives Social Security benefits. These never-beneficiaries include higher proportions of women, Hispanics, immigrants, the never-married, and the widowed than the beneficiary population; never-beneficiaries are also comparatively less educated.
The Decision to Exclude Agricultural and Domestic Workers from the 1935 Social Security Act. The Social Security Act of 1935 excluded from coverage about half the workers in the American economy. Among the excluded groups were agricultural and domestic workers—a large percentage of whom were African Americans.
The 4% rule suggests that retirees can safely withdraw 4% of their total portfolio balance in the first year of retirement and then adjust that amount annually for inflation. The idea is that this withdrawal rate should sustain a 30-year retirement without depleting your savings.
You must build 40 Social Security credits, pay taxes
As you work and pay taxes, you accumulate Social Security credits. You can earn up to four credits a year. Once you chalk up 40 credits after 10 years of work, you qualify for retirement benefits.
Most people who claim Social Security Benefits will fall into three different categories:
If the SSA denies your application, they will send you a letter advising you of the reasons for their decision. You have the right to request a reconsideration and have them review your entire file. Appeal. If your application is denied after you request a reconsideration, you can file an appeal and request a hearing.
You must earn at least 40 Social Security credits to be eligible for Social Security benefits. You earn credits when you work and pay Social Security taxes. The number of credits does not affect the amount of benefits you receive.
But even if you never worked and therefore don't have an earnings record, you're not necessarily out of luck. If you're married (or were married) to someone who's entitled to Social Security, you can collect spousal benefits equal to 50% of your husband or wife's benefits at full retirement age.
Below, we explore some of the most frequent reasons why disability claims are denied and how claimants can strengthen their cases.
In the United States, pain, depression, and anxiety are among the most common causes of years lived with disability (YLD).
People who have never worked may still be eligible for certain Social Security benefits, primarily through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI is a federal assistance program designed to provide financial aid to people who are over 65, blind, or disabled and have limited income and resources.
Based on their earnings record, a person can receive Social Security benefits if they have enough work credits, are age 62 or older, or are disabled or blind. Family members who are US citizens or legal immigrants may also qualify for benefits for the recipient's work record without needing their own work credits.
So we can observe that for men, for example, almost 54% of the them could expect to live to age 65 if they survived to age 21, and men who attained age 65 could expect to collect Social Security benefits for almost 13 years (and the numbers are even higher for women).
An ongoing concern among Social Security advocates is that the current formula to calculate the program's annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is insufficient to help seniors pay their bills.
In November 2025, the full retirement age (FRA) — the age at which individuals qualify to receive 100% of their Social Security benefits — increased to 66 years and 10 months for those born in 1959. FRA gradually rises month by month, so in November 2025, those born in January 1959 reached their FRA.