Final answer:
To be eligible for Social Security benefits, a participant needs to earn credits by working and paying Social Security taxes. They generally need 40 credits, which is equivalent to 10 years of work.
Step-by-step explanation:
To be eligible for Social Security benefits, a participant needs to earn credits by working and paying Social Security taxes.
The number of credits required depends on the participant's age at the time they become eligible. In general, a person needs 40 credits to qualify for Social Security benefits.
This means that they need to have worked and paid Social Security taxes for a total of 10 years.