Every year, the Social Security Administration sends me a sort of a yearly summary of my benefits. I signed up for it online and it's free. You get an overview of your earnings, how much money you get if you get disabled, if you're qualified for medicare and other pertinent information. It's a good idea for you to get a copy since you'll be able to see for yourself if you're qualified to receive benefits or if you need more work credits, it'll show you how many you need to qualify. Go to http://www.ssa.gov/ to sign up for it. You can also apply for benefits online or put in a disability appeal.