I'm currently on SDI for a work-related wrist injury (tendonitis) and just got medical clearance to return to work next week with ergonomic accommodations. This thread has been such a lifesaver! I was literally panicking about that return-to-work form last night - the wording is so confusing and made me feel like I was somehow cheating the system by not being "fully" recovered but still going back. Reading through everyone's experiences and seeing that multiple EDD agents have confirmed the "No" recovery/"Yes" return to work approach across so many different injury types has given me huge confidence. My wrist definitely still bothers me and I'll need special keyboard/mouse setups, but I can absolutely do my job with those accommodations. It's amazing how universal this partial recovery situation is! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially those who took the time to call EDD directly. This community is incredible for helping navigate these confusing government processes. I'm definitely going to follow the consensus here and call EDD myself to confirm my return date.

Hi, I might have the same question. I had to fill out the Disability Claim Status Check Continuing Eligibility Questionnaire and it confused me. Im still disabled and not able to return to work. It asked for my recovery date and didnt know what to put so I just entered the date when they issues me the claim. But i also put my actual return to work date. Will they stop my benefits for making that mistake?

I went through this exact situation last year when I had shoulder surgery! You can absolutely do your part online while your doctor submits paper forms - it's actually really common and works perfectly fine. Here's what worked for me: After I submitted my online application, I immediately printed out the physician certification form that had my claim number pre-filled on it. This is KEY - don't let your doctor use their own blank form because then the claim numbers might not match up properly. I took that printed form directly to my doctor's office and asked them to fax it instead of mail it once completed. The faxing made a huge difference - my claim was processed in about a week instead of the 3-4 weeks it usually takes with mailed forms. One tip that really helped: I wrote my receipt number on a sticky note and attached it to the form for extra visibility. Sometimes those pre-printed numbers can be hard to read after the form gets handled by multiple people. Also make sure your doctor fills out ALL sections completely and uses black ink only - I learned this can cause scanning issues if they use blue ink or leave sections blank. The hybrid approach works great, you just need to stay on top of the paper portion to make sure it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Good luck with your surgery - the carpal tunnel relief will be amazing!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! My doctor's office just told me they only do paper forms for SDI too, and I was really stressed about whether I could still apply online. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - it's clear this mixed approach is totally normal and manageable. The consistent advice about printing that pre-filled physician form from your SDI Online account seems absolutely critical. That receipt number being the key to matching everything up makes so much sense. I'm definitely going to follow the roadmap everyone's outlined: submit online first, print the pre-filled form, hand-deliver it to my doctor's office, ask about faxing instead of mailing, and stay proactive with follow-up. The insider tips about black ink only, specific disability dates, and that brilliant sticky note idea are exactly the kind of details I never would have thought of but could prevent major headaches. It's amazing how this one question has brought together so much helpful advice from people who've actually been through this process! Thanks for asking this - you've created such a valuable resource for anyone dealing with old-school medical offices. Good luck with your carpal tunnel surgery! From everything everyone's shared, the relief will be so worth it and the SDI process will work out smoothly if you follow all this great advice.

I'm new to this community but currently in a very similar situation - my pregnancy disability is ending next week and I've been experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression. This thread has been absolutely incredible and so educational! Based on all the detailed experiences shared here, it sounds like since your pregnancy claim already ended on 3/18, you'll definitely need to file a NEW claim rather than extend. The comprehensive step-by-step guidance from everyone, especially about the F53.0 diagnosis code, backdating to 3/19, and the dual submission approach, has been invaluable. One thing I wanted to add that my OB mentioned - when your therapist completes the DE 2501 form, they should also include any impact the PPD has on your ability to care for your baby, as this demonstrates the functional impairment extends beyond just work capacity. This can help strengthen the medical justification for the claim. Also, since you mentioned group therapy specifically, that's actually excellent evidence of structured, ongoing treatment. My therapist said EDD views group therapy very favorably because it shows you're engaged in evidence-based care and committed to recovery. The waiting period waiver information has been such a relief to learn about - I had no idea that was possible for seamless transitions! It's so reassuring to know there are protections in place for this exact situation. Thank you for asking this question and creating such a helpful discussion. The community knowledge here is going to help so many new parents navigate this confusing system. You've got great advice and a clear plan now - best of luck with your new claim processing!

This thread is amazing and so helpful. After my gyno refused to extend my leave for postpartum depression, I got EDD extension at Lifeline Walk-In Clinic in Torrance. Hope this helps someone, because it was a nightmare finding anyone who cared

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I'm currently 28 weeks and planning to file my pregnancy disability claim in the next couple weeks, so this thread is absolutely invaluable! Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and workarounds - I'm bookmarking this immediately. The future date validation issue is such a frustrating design flaw. It's like the EDD system wasn't built with the reality in mind that pregnant women need to plan ahead and file before their actual last day of work. The fact that we all have to use workarounds and tricks just to access benefits we're entitled to is honestly infuriating. I'm definitely going to use the manual date entry method with yesterday's date when I file, and I'll make sure to document everything for when I call to update the correct date later. The tip about asking them to add a note to the file about the website error is brilliant - that kind of documentation could prevent headaches down the road. It's both reassuring and depressing to see how many of us have dealt with these exact same technical glitches. We shouldn't have to crowdsource solutions to basic government website functionality, but I'm so grateful this community exists to help each other navigate these broken systems. Pregnancy is stressful enough without adding EDD bureaucracy nightmares on top of it! Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions. You're all lifesavers! 💕

I'm 26 weeks and was just about to start researching the EDD pregnancy disability filing process, so finding this thread is like striking gold! Reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and honestly pretty alarming - I had no idea the EDD website had so many technical issues. The future date validation problem makes absolutely zero sense from a user experience standpoint. Of course pregnant women need to file in advance of their last day worked - that's literally the responsible thing to do! It's mind-boggling that their system wasn't designed with this basic reality in mind. I'm definitely saving all these workarounds: manual date entry instead of calendar picker, using yesterday's date temporarily, trying incognito mode, clearing cache, using tab navigation instead of mouse clicks. It's ridiculous that we need this many backup plans just to file a claim, but I'm so grateful everyone shared their solutions! The tip about documenting everything and asking EDD to note the website error in your file when you call to update the date is really smart too. I'm already starting a folder to keep track of all my paperwork and screenshots. Thank you to everyone who turned their frustrating experiences into helpful advice for the rest of us. This community support is amazing, and it's making what seemed like a daunting process feel much more manageable. I'll definitely report back with my experience when I file in a few weeks!