Which of the following is NOT required for a worker to maintain their currently insured status?

To maintain currently insured status, a worker must meet specific criteria established by Social Security. This status allows individuals to qualify for certain benefits, such as those related to disability or family survivors.

Earning a minimum wage throughout their working life is not a requirement for maintaining this status. Instead, what matters is the number of quarters of coverage a worker accrues by working and paying Social Security taxes. Each quarter is based on a certain amount of earnings, which can vary year to year, rather than a strict minimum wage. As long as a worker meets the earnings threshold to accrue the necessary quarters, they may qualify regardless of the specific wage amounts earned during their lifetime.

To maintain their currently insured status, workers must focus on accruing the required number of quarters of coverage, ensuring they have worked during specified periods, and having a qualifying event that allows them to access benefits. The criterion that earning a minimum wage is not necessary underscores that the system is designed to recognize contributions over specific periods rather than fixate on the wage level achieved.