A five-month waiting period refers to the time frame of five months that a claimant must wait before receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits after being approved by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). The five month period begins on the claimant's established onset date (EOD) of disability.
This five-month waiting period was set by the SSA to discourage people who don't have a long-term disability from applying for Social Security Disability benefits. The waiting period applies only to claimants who apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and not for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Disability benefits under SSDI begin five months from the date that an individual became disabled irrespective of the date of approval.