How long must an individual be disabled before they can qualify for Social Security disability benefits?

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, an individual must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity due to a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months. However, there is a waiting period that determines when benefits actually begin. This waiting period is five consecutive months from the date the individual is found to be disabled. Therefore, while someone must be disabled for at least 12 months to qualify, they will only start receiving benefits after they have been disabled for a full five months. This is why the correct timeframe in this specific context is five months.