Two time-based parameters define when benefits start and when they end.
Elimination period (waiting period): the period of continuous disability that must pass before any benefit is payable. Common periods are 30, 60, 90, 120, or 180 days. The elimination period functions like a deductible expressed in time rather than dollars: longer elimination periods lower premiums. For a group plan integrated with Employment Insurance sickness benefits (maximum 15 weeks), a 119-day elimination period on the long-term disability plan ensures no gap in coverage.
Benefit period: the maximum duration for which benefits are paid after the elimination period is satisfied. Common benefit periods are 2 years, 5 years, to age 65, or (less commonly) lifetime. A 2-year or 5-year benefit period is appropriate for clients who have other resources by that time (e.g., a pension plan). "To age 65" is the standard long-term target because it bridges the disability to retirement.
Advisor judgment: a client with six months of savings and a mortgage should generally have a shorter elimination period (90 days) even though it costs more. A client with stable emergency savings and a strong group STD plan can accept a longer elimination period on an individual top-up policy to control premium.