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One important thing to note that I don't think others have mentioned: Even if you qualify based on labor market attachment and base period earnings, there's still the 7-day waiting period before benefits begin. So if your surgery is scheduled, plan for that week without benefits. Also, your weekly benefit amount will be based on your highest quarter of earnings during the base period, maxing out at around $1,560 per week in 2025 (though most people get less than the maximum). Make sure you understand what your financial situation will look like during recovery so you can plan accordingly.
Thank you for mentioning this! I hadn't even thought about the waiting period or calculating the actual benefit amount. Is there a way to estimate what I might receive before I apply? I should probably start budgeting now for the recovery period.
Yes, there's a calculator on the EDD website where you can input your highest quarter earnings. Generally, SDI pays about 60-70% of your regular wages up to the maximum. Just search "EDD SDI benefit calculator" and you should find it easily.
After reading all these responses, I think you should: 1) Talk to your doctor ASAP about documenting your current limitations (this establishes your disability start date), 2) File for SDI based on your doctor's assessment, not waiting until surgery, 3) Be prepared to show you were available for work when you became disabled (maybe start some job searching activity that you can document), 4) If you get denied, definitely appeal! Many claims are denied initially but approved on appeal. Good luck with your surgery and recovery!
Thank you! This is a great summary of action steps. I'll talk to my doctor this week and see what he says about my current limitations. I appreciate everyone's help!
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is there anyway to see the status of your claim when you do paper forms? i submitted mine 2 weeks ago and have no idea if they even received it.
Yes, you can check your claim status online even if you filed by paper. Create an SDI Online account at edd.ca.gov, and once your claim is in their system (usually 7-10 days after they receive it), you'll be able to see the status there. You can also call, but as others mentioned, getting through on the phone is extremely difficult.
UPDATE: I followed all your advice and wanted to share how it went! I made copies of everything, mailed the form with tracking, and set up my SDI Online account right away. It took exactly 19 days before my claim appeared in the system as "processing" and then another 5 days before it changed to "approved." The first payment was issued 2 days after approval. The whole process took about 26 days total from mailing to first payment. One thing I didn't expect - they initially calculated my benefit amount incorrectly based on wrong wage information. I had to call (used Claimyr after trying unsuccessfully for 2 days) to get it corrected. Really glad I kept pay stubs to prove my actual earnings! Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Thanks for coming back to update us. This will help others who find this thread later. And excellent point about keeping pay stubs - wage information errors are actually quite common with EDD.
congrats! glad it worked out 4 u!
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My wife's cousin's friend got SDI for anxiety after seeing a psycharist. Took like 5 weeks to get approved tho and they had to send in extra paperwork twice. Good luck!
Update: We took the advice here and my husband saw a psychiatrist yesterday. She diagnosed him with acute stress disorder and PTSD from the accident and said he definitely shouldn't be working right now. She's completing the medical certification forms today, and we're filing for SDI. I'll post again once we hear something about his claim. Thanks everyone for the help!
That's great news! Make sure he starts treatment right away while the claim is processing. SDI requires that claimants be under the care of a doctor and following recommended treatment to remain eligible. Wishing him a smooth recovery!
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After reading through this whole thread again, I wanted to add one more thing - make sure you're getting the maximum weekly benefit amount based on the quarters they ARE using. The max SDI benefit is now $1,620 per week in 2025. So even if they're using your older, lower wages, if those wages were still high enough to qualify you for the maximum benefit, you should be getting that. Also, double-check that your "$1,600 per month" figure isn't actually $1,600 per week, which would be close to the maximum. The SDI benefit calculator can be confusing about whether it's showing weekly or monthly amounts.
You're right - I should double check this. Looking at my award letter again, it does say $1,620 per week, not per month. That's a huge difference! I think I misread it initially because I was so stressed about everything. Thank you for pointing this out!
I'm glad you caught that! $1,620 weekly is actually the maximum SDI benefit in 2025, so you're getting the highest amount possible. That works out to about $7,020 per month, which is still less than your new salary but much better than $1,600 monthly. This is a really common misunderstanding with SDI benefits. Even though they're using your older wages from the base period, if those wages were high enough to qualify you for the maximum benefit (which they apparently were), you'll get the maximum regardless of how much higher your recent wages became.
Thank you everyone for your help! I feel so much better knowing I'm actually getting $1,620 weekly instead of monthly. It's still a pay cut from my new salary, but it's manageable. Really appreciate all the explanations about how the base period works too - at least now I understand the system better.
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It's complicated, but here's the simple version: SDI does pay about 60-70% of your wages, but they don't use your most recent wages. They look back at a specific 12-month period from the past (called the base period), find your highest-earning quarter during that time, and calculate your benefit from that.\n\nThe tricky part is that this base period has a gap - it ends several months before you file for disability. So if you recently started making more money, those higher wages might not be counted yet.\n\nThink of it like this: They're looking at a snapshot of your income from several months ago, not your current income situation.
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Everyone here is giving you conflicting information because the payment system is currently in transition. Here are the facts: 1. The EDD is phasing out Bank of America debit cards for NEW claims 2. SDI pregnancy claims filed after 7/14/2023 should get either direct deposit or paper checks (not debit cards) 3. BUT, if you didn't select a payment preference when you filed, the system defaults to the last payment method on record 4. If your last payment was to a BofA card in 2020, they MIGHT try to send it there first Your best option is to log into your SDI Online account, go to 'Payment Method' and verify what's showing. If you don't see a payment preference selected, call EDD immediately to update it, preferably to direct deposit for fastest payment. If the system is showing BofA as your payment method, then yes, you'll need to contact BofA for a replacement card at 1-866-692-9374.
^^^ this is correct. I work for a disability attorney and this matches what we're seeing with our clients. The transition has been very messy and confusing!
Thank you for this detailed breakdown! I just checked my SDI Online account and there's nothing showing under payment method that I can find. This is so frustrating. I'm going to try calling EDD first thing tomorrow morning.
UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD this morning! Turns out since I didn't select a payment preference when filing, they defaulted to a paper check for the first payment. The rep helped me set up direct deposit for future payments. She also said my claim has been approved and I should get my first check within 7-10 days. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great news! Glad you got it sorted out. Make sure you certify for your benefits on time for each period to avoid payment delays.
congrats!! paper checks r fine just take longer
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One important thing to note is that EDD bases your eligibility for SDI on your doctor's certification. Your doctor will certify when you become disabled due to pregnancy (either before birth or at birth) and how long your recovery period should be. EDD follows this medical determination, not your preference for when benefits start. If you try to file a claim with dates that don't match your medical certification, you'll likely face delays or denials. I recommend having an honest conversation with your doctor about your situation during your next prenatal visit.
That's a good point - I have an appointment next week and will definitely discuss this with my doctor. I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize my benefits or create complications with my claim.
Based on all the comments, it sounds like you now understand you can't postpone SDI after birth. But I wanted to add that it's worth comparing these two scenarios with actual numbers to see which is better financially: 1) Receiving SDI + company supplemental pay during recovery period, then PFL for bonding 2) Using company leave for part of your recovery time, then SDI for remaining recovery, then PFL In almost all cases, scenario #1 works out better because you don't risk losing any SDI benefits. Remember that SDI and PFL pay approximately 60-70% of your wages up to a maximum weekly benefit amount ($1,620 in 2025), so if your company is offering full salary, you're better off getting both simultaneously.
Thank you for this breakdown! I'll definitely run the numbers both ways. You're right that I'd probably get more total compensation by having them run concurrently rather than trying to delay one benefit. I appreciate everyone's help in understanding this complicated system!
Dmitry Volkov
This happened to me last month. Turns out they needed additional proof of income. Check your EDD inbox, they might have sent you a message requesting documents.
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Ava Thompson
•I had to send in a bunch of documents too. It was a hassle, but it got things moving.
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StardustSeeker
yall remember when edd actually worked? me neither 🤣
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Paolo Marino
•It feels like it's been ages since it ran smoothly.
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