When will benefit payments begin for Ed, who is totally disabled and eligible for social security disability benefits?

Benefit payments for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) begin after a five-month waiting period following the onset of a disability. This means that even if an individual, like Ed, is determined to be totally disabled and eligible for SSDI, they must wait for five full months before benefits are payable. The five-month period starts from the first month in which they are deemed to be disabled and is put in place as a measure to ensure that the disability is severe and lasting.

The structure of this waiting period is designed to prevent potential short-term claims from affecting the Social Security program, thus providing a buffer before financial assistance is granted. After this waiting period, Ed would then begin receiving his disability benefits retroactively to the sixth month after the onset of his disability.