Did you wait till you were out to get your disability rating? If so, how long before you made your first claim?

17 years and was granted zero percent. 45 years later I reopened it and was granted 100%

I waited 18 years before I made my first claim.

30 years :-/

I was not aware of any benefits existing after military life. So in my case, I found about these benefits through a county job office when I was applying for jobs. I must have made my first claim around 6 years after I left the military.

About 45 years after Honorable Discharge I found out by accident when filing for a AO disability (which I did not get), that I was diagnosed with a condition , that had I known at the time I would have applied for disability When I did find out I filed with the VA and was given a 0 disability rating, but no financial compensation, however, that I would receive treatment To this day I have no idea how this "condition" has and had effected me in the Navy, or civilian life. I saw a VA shrink and was told there is nothing wrong with me...... Now, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but how can I have a confirmed condition, which I would be treated for, do not know what the symptoms are, yet there is nothing wrong with me! (I have been told that when disability claims are filed, some clerk with no medical knowledge simple stamps them rejected and the filer either gives up or is forced to jump through the hoops of appeals)....

I went to the VA within a month of discharge without any idea what the process would be for a disability rating for my gunshot wound to my leg. Luckily, I connected to a DAV counselor and he guided me through the process. Not only did we complete the necessary work for disability but I went back to him after the claim was determined. He then established a Vocational Rehabilitation plan for my education. He suggested I put an MBA as my objective as opposed to just a BA. Voc. Rehab. paid 100% of tuition and books plus a stipend. I had to pay for my final semester in graduate school. He also went over the VA benefit for buying a house which I did a couple years later.
I have been a life member of DAV since then. Great organization and a terrific guy. I wish I knew his name. There are resources available to help navigate the bureaucracy. Take advantage of them.

Length of time to receive VA Disability Benefits has a lot to do with number of Veterans in each state.

I waiting until after I was retired.
Since I was an AGR and my care was by local civilian doctors (mostly) I got a complete copy of those records ( with a DVD of MRI and other imaging done ) along with my military records.
Submitted through the Veterans Service Officer with the county, she helped with the filing.

I started my claim before I got out and got my rating back like 6 months after I was separated.

I started the process 6months out. HD everything ready to go before I went on terminal leave. After I separated the determination came in 30 days later.