Is it true than I need one more Social Security credit to receive benefits? If so, I'll have to go back to work.

By Alessandra Malito

'I was told that I would not receive monthly Social Security payments because I don't have 40 credits'

"Where is the offset for my government time under CSRS?" (Photo subject is a model.)

Dear Help Me Retire,

I retired from the federal government 10 years ago under the Civil Service Retirement System program. I applied for my Medicare before the three-month timeframe. I was told that I would not receive monthly Social Security payments because I don't have 40 credits.

This year, I turn 66, and with 10 months added, I believed that I would become fully qualified for Social Security monthly payments; only I won't receive a monthly payment as I have 39 credits.

'I won't be happy if I have to return to work for one credit, but I will do so if I have to.'

I was under the assumption that with the elimination of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) that retirees under Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) would be credited for time not paid into Social Security. I'm being told that under GPO, I would have had to retire under CSRS with 40 credits. Where is the offset for my government time under CSRS?

It doesn't make sense to me, especially being one credit from receiving SSA monthly payments, next year. Can you provide clarification for me? I won't be happy if I have to return to work for one credit, but I will do so if I have to.

If I do have to return to work again for one credit, how much would I need to earn to ensure I receive retirement status for the Social Security Administration?

Unsure of Fairness Act

Related: I'm a widow with $4.5 million. I spend $20,000 a month. Can I afford to retire?

Dear Unsure,

The Social Security Fairness Act, which eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset provision, was welcomed by many workers in similar situations to you - those who were told they would not be eligible for Social Security benefits, or would get a reduction of benefits because of the work they did.

As welcome as it was, it has not been without confusion. The Social Security Administration did create a FAQ page about the law to help retirees and their loved ones make sense of the new law, but the adjustments can still feel a bit convoluted.

To be clear, the Government Pension Offset provision you mentioned impacted spousal and widow/widower's benefits, while the Windfall Elimination Provision affected an individual's own benefits.

Serving Those Who Serve, a financial advisory firm focused on federal government employees, said that the 40 credit requirement holds true. "A CSRS retiree who earned the minimum number (40) of Social Security credits in outside employment to qualify for a Social Security monthly retirement benefit, will as a result of the SSFA passage, have an increase in his or her monthly benefit," the agency said on its website.

Do you have questions about retirement, Social Security, where to live or how to afford it at all? We want to hear from you. Join the conversation in our Facebook community: Retire Better with MarketWatch.

What you could get also depends on if you're married and your spouse's eligibility. "If a CSRS retiree is married to someone who earned a Social Security retirement benefit not subject to any Social Security offset, then the SSFA's passage removes the reduction to the CSRS retiree's Social Security spousal benefit caused by the GPO," the firm added. "If the spousal benefit without the GPO reduction is greater than the earned benefit without the WEP reduction, then the CSRS retiree's earned benefit will be increased to the amount of the spousal entitlement."

The advisory firm has plenty of more information on CSRS retirees and Social Security benefits here.

Government Executive, a site dedicated to federal government employees, echoed these rules. "CSRS and CSRS Offset employees and retirees must have earned at least 40 Social Security credits to be eligible for Social Security benefits. You earn credits when you work and pay Social Security taxes," it said.

CSRS retirees who are married to, divorced from or widowed from a non-federal spouse with Social Security eligibility will also benefit from the Social Security Fairness Act, it added. These individuals were the ones affected by the GPO. Government Executive gave an example: Jane, a CSRS retiree since 2015 with 35 years of service and a CSRS retirement benefit of $3,900. She only had 26 credits. She was married to her husband, who was receiving $1,800 in Social Security benefits at the time of his passing in 2019. In this example, Jane thought she was eligible for Social Security widow's benefits, which could be as much as 100% of his benefit, but she didn't qualify because of GPO. The Social Security Fairness Act changed that rule, allowing Jane to collect Social Security widow's benefits.

You earn one Social Security credit for every $1,180 in covered earnings each year, as of 2025.

So yes, if you're referring to qualifications based on your own work history, you may need that one more credit. Is it ideal? Maybe not - but it also shouldn't take you very long to acquire. You earn one Social Security credit for every $1,180 in covered earnings each year, as of 2025. The maximum number of credits a person can receive is four each year. The SSA uses the top 35 earning years to calculate benefits, as part of a more complex formula.

Be sure to actually file for benefits when you become eligible. People who never qualified for Social Security may not have applied for benefits prior to the Social Security Fairness Act, and as a result needed to do so in order to begin receiving payments after the law passed. Don't assume because you hit the 40 credit requirement that the SSA will take care of everything itself - it is best to always be on top of your own benefits.

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Have a question about your own retirement savings? Email us at HelpMeRetire@marketwatch.com

-Alessandra Malito

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09-20-25 0800ET