Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) Practice Test

Social Security disability benefits typically begin after a five-month waiting period following the determination of disability. This means that although the Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes the onset of a disability, benefits will not commence until this waiting period has elapsed. The rationale behind this waiting period is to ensure that the disability is ongoing and to manage the administration of benefits effectively.

While the onset date of disability is important for determining eligibility and calculating any retroactive benefits, actual payments do not start until the waiting period has concluded. This approach ensures that individuals are able to receive benefits while still accounting for the potential for recovery within that time frame.

In contrast, some of the other options do not accurately reflect how the benefit timeline works. For example, even if the disability lasts for 12 months, benefits will still require the waiting period to be in effect. Additionally, benefits can't start retroactively before the waiting period ends, and they do not begin immediately upon application approval. Thus, understanding the waiting period is crucial in grasping when benefits actually become accessible to those with disabilities.