Attorneys for social security disability, what they say
Q: How long do you have to be out of work before you can apply for social security disability benefits? A: You should submit an application for disability benefits as soon as you become injured. Should your application receive approval, you cannot actually collect your first payment until you are into the sixth month of your injury (social security will determine an "onset" date for your injury). The date of onset is when you had to stop working because of the injury. The evaluation time for the average initial claim, however, is 3 or 4 months. If you delay submitting your application, you add more time to how long you have to wait to receive your benefits even though you may be eligible.