Yes you have to be unemployed for 1 year in order to be eligible for disability benefits. Actually getting the disability benefits in and of itself takes a long time - they usually turn people down a total of 2 or 3 times, before accepting, if at all. After being rejected the second time, you will be able to get in front of a judge to review your case (finally). I think the first couple of times they just review your paperwork automatically. You only have to pay your disability lawyer if you win, though. So take into consideration the year you'll need to not work at all, and the time it takes to actually win a case (could take a total of 1 year or 2 years or longer, there's really no way of knowing).