The reality seems to be more complex than that: If you’ve been eligible before (and don’t apply within a specific time frame!) you can forfeit the entire time:
If you apply once you become eligible, this shouldn’t matter - however, there are situations where - despite having 5 continuous years with 183+ days at the time of application, one might be ineligible.
Not sure about the exact background of your question, just keep that detail in mind!