[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 20, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 20CFR404.110]

[Page 62-63]
 
                      TITLE 20--EMPLOYEES' BENEFITS
 
               CHAPTER III--SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 404_FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950	 )
--Table of Contents
 
            Subpart B_Insured Status and Quarters of Coverage
 
Sec. 404.110  How we determine fully insured status.

    (a) General. We describe how we determine the number of quarters of 
coverage (QCs) you need to be fully insured in paragraphs (b), (c), and 
(d) of this section. The table in Sec. 404.115 may be used to determine 
the number of QCs you need to be fully insured under paragraph (b) of 
this section. We consider certain World War II veterans to have died 
fully insured (see Sec. 404.111). We also consider certain employees of 
private nonprofit organizations to be fully insured if they meet special 
requirements (see Sec. 404.112).
    (b) How many QCs you need to be fully insured. (1) You need at least 
6 QCs but not more than 40 QCs to be fully insured. A person who died 
before 1951 with at least 6 QCs is fully insured.
    (2) You are fully insured for old-age insurance benefits if you have 
one QC (whenever acquired) for each calendar year elapsing after 1950 
or, if later, after the year in which you became age 21, and before the 
year you reach retirement age, that is, before--
    (i) The year you become age 62, if you are a woman;
    (ii) The year you become age 62, if you are a man who becomes age 62 
after 1974;
    (iii) The year 1975, if you are a man who became age 62 in 1973 or 
1974; or
    (iv) The year you became age 65, if you are a man who became age 62 
before 1973.
    (3) A person who is otherwise eligible for survivor's benefits and 
who files an application will be entitled to benefits

[[Page 63]]

based on your earnings if you die fully insured. You will be fully 
insured if you had one QC (whenever acquired) for each calendar year 
elapsing after 1950 or, if later, after the year you became age 21, and 
before the earlier of the following years:
    (i) The year you die; or
    (ii) The year you reach retirement age as shown in paragraph (b)(2) 
of this section.
    (c) How a period of disability affects the number of QCs you need. 
In determining the number of elapsed years under paragraph (b) of this 
section, we do not count as an elapsed year any year which is wholly or 
partly in a period of disability we established for you. For example, if 
we established a period of disability for you from December 5, 1975 
through January 31, 1977, the three years, 1975, 1976 and 1977, would 
not be counted as elapsed years.
    (d) How we credit QCs for fully insured status based on your total 
wages before 1951--(1) General. For purposes of paragraph (b) of this 
section, we may use the following rules in crediting QCs based on your 
wages before 1951 instead of the rule in Sec. 404.141(b)(1).
    (i) We may consider you to have one QC for each $400 of your total 
wages before 1951, as defined in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, if 
you have at least 7 elapsed years as determined under paragraph (b)(2) 
or (b)(3) of this section; and the number of QCs determined under this 
paragraph plus the number of QCs credited to you for periods after 1950 
make you fully insured.
    (ii) If you file an application in June 1992 or later and you are 
not entitled to a benefit under Sec. 404.380 or section 227 of the Act 
in the month the application is made, we may consider you to have at 
least one QC before 1951 if you have $400 or more total wages before 
1951, as defined in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, provided that the 
number of QCs credited to you under this paragraph plus the number of 
QCs credited to you for periods after 1950 make you fully insured.
    (2) What are total wages before 1951. For purposes of paragraph 
(d)(1) of this section, your total wages before 1951 include--
    (i) Remuneration credited to you before 1951 on the records of the 
Secretary;
    (ii) Wages considered paid to you before 1951 under section 217 of 
the Act (relating to benefits in case of veterans);
    (iii) Compensation under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1937 before 
1951 that can be credited to you under title II of the Social Security 
Act; and
    (iv) Wages considered paid to you before 1951 under section 231 of 
the Act (relating to benefits in case of certain persons interned in the 
United States during World War II).
    (e) When your fully insured status begins. You are fully insured as 
of the first day of the calendar quarter in which you acquire the last 
needed QC (see Sec. 404.145).

[45 FR 25384, Apr. 15, 1980, as amended at 50 FR 36573, Sept. 9, 1985; 
57 FR 23156, June 2, 1992]