I'm dealing with a similar situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me - when you submit your surgeon's letter, try to make sure it's on official letterhead and includes your doctor's license number if possible. Some EDD agents are more receptive to documentation that looks "official." Also, if you end up needing to extend your dates later (hopefully not!), don't wait until the last minute to get an updated letter from your surgeon. The sooner you can submit any changes, the smoother the process goes. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so reassuring to know others have successfully navigated this process! 🙌

I just went through this exact same process a few weeks ago and can definitely help! For your situation, you should absolutely use May 14th as your return-to-work date since that's what your surgeon specifically stated in the letter. For the recovery date, if your surgeon didn't give you a separate "full recovery" date, it's totally fine to use May 14th for both - it just means that's when you'll be recovered enough to safely return to work. Here's what I learned from my experience: Make sure to upload that surgeon's letter to your EDD portal and keep the confirmation number they give you. When filling out the forms, be really specific - write something like "Return to work date: May 14th per surgeon's letter dated [insert date of letter]" so it's crystal clear where this information is coming from. Also, definitely try to call them to confirm they received everything. I had the best luck getting through right at 8:00 AM when they open. Ask the agent to verify they can see the surgeon's letter in your file and request they add a note about it. Having that verbal confirmation really helps! One last tip - keep copies of absolutely everything you submit. You'll want them for your records, and sometimes documents get lost in their system. The surgeon's letter is your strongest piece of evidence, so you're already in a good position. Good luck with your claim! 🍀

Update: I was able to access my 1099-G through the website that @helpfultaxpro mentioned! It's different from the SDI Online portal, but once I created an account, I could see my tax form was already available. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's awesome that you found it online! For anyone else reading this thread, I just want to add that even though Oliver found his form, it's still worth double-checking the taxability issue that Kevin mentioned earlier. I made the mistake of assuming my SDI benefits were taxable when they actually weren't since I paid the premiums myself. Ended up having to file an amended return. If you paid SDI through payroll deductions (which most CA employees do), your benefits are likely not taxable income, but you should still report receiving the 1099-G. Definitely worth consulting a tax pro if you're unsure!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress, Isaiah! Payment delays are unfortunately way too common with EDD. From my experience, here's what I'd recommend: First, log into your EDD portal and check EVERY section - History, Inbox, Notifications, Claim Summary - not just the main dashboard. I missed a pending ID verification request for weeks because it was buried in the History section. Second, verify your banking info is still correct - sometimes banks update account details without us realizing. Third, check your email spam folder for any EDD notices you might have missed. If you still can't find the issue, try the secure messaging system through your portal instead of calling - it's slower but you'll get an actual response. And if it's been over a week, definitely contact your assembly member's office like others mentioned - they have EDD specialists who can often resolve these issues much faster than normal channels. I know waiting when you need money for bills is absolutely terrible, but most of these delays do get sorted out eventually. Keep us updated on what you find! 🤞

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now - my payment is 6 days late and I'm starting to panic about rent! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful though. I had no idea there were so many sections to check in the EDD portal beyond just the main dashboard. I've been guilty of just refreshing that same page over and over getting more anxious. Going to log in tonight and do a thorough check of the History, Inbox, and Notifications sections like everyone suggested. It's both frustrating and comforting to see how common this problem is - the system really needs to be fixed, but at least we're not alone in dealing with it. Thanks for asking this question Isaiah, and thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice! Definitely going to try the assembly member route if I can't figure it out through the normal channels. 🙏

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now! My extension was approved 10 days ago and shows correctly in my SDI Online account, but there's absolutely no continued claim certification form anywhere - not in my inbox, Forms tab, or physical mail. I've been checking obsessively and my anxiety is through the roof as bills keep piling up. This thread has been such a godsend - I had absolutely no clue about the DE 2502 form or that extensions required this separate certification step. It's completely insane that EDD sends that "extension approved" text but conveniently leaves out the crucial detail that you need to complete ANOTHER form to actually get your money! Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear this is a massive systematic failure on EDD's part. The fact that so many of us are dealing with the identical issue - extension approved, benefit period updated, but no certification form generated - shows there's something seriously broken in their system. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy tomorrow based on all the success stories here. I've written down the key questions: - Ask specifically about the DE 2502 Continued Claim Certification form - Check for "system flags" or data entry errors on my account - Ask about any pending actions blocking the form from generating - Verify all my personal info is correct in their system It's absolutely ridiculous that we've all had to become EDD system analysts just to get benefits we've already paid into, but I'm so grateful for this community helping each other survive their bureaucratic maze. This thread has more useful information than anything EDD has ever provided! Will definitely update tomorrow after my call - hopefully with good news that can help others going through this same nightmare. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and keeping each other sane through this mess! 🙏

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My extension was approved 3 days ago and I can see the updated benefit period in my SDI Online account, but there's absolutely no continued claim certification form anywhere - not in my inbox, Forms tab, or physical mail. I've been checking constantly and starting to panic about my upcoming bills. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the DE 2502 form or that extensions required this separate certification step. It's absolutely ridiculous that EDD sends that "extension approved" text but doesn't mention the crucial detail that you need to complete another form to actually receive payments! Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy tomorrow. I've written down all the key questions to ask: - Specifically ask about the DE 2502 Continued Claim Certification form - Check for any "system flags" or data entry errors on my account - Ask about pending actions that might be preventing the form from generating - Verify that all my personal information is entered correctly in their system It's honestly shameful that we're all here troubleshooting EDD's broken system for each other because they can't provide basic instructions or make their process work properly. But this community support has been a lifesaver when you're already dealing with medical issues and financial stress! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this collective knowledge is more helpful than anything EDD has provided! I'll definitely update after my call tomorrow in case it helps others going through this same bureaucratic nightmare. We're all in this together! 🤞

I went through this same transition last year! Just wanted to add a few things that helped me avoid issues: 1. Keep ALL your paperwork from both UI and SDI - I had to reference my UI claim dates when there was a question about my SDI timeline 2. Take screenshots of your last UI certification and the date you stop certifying - this saved me when EDD questioned whether I had properly ended my UI claim 3. Ask your doctor to put the START DATE of your disability on the medical form, not just sign it - mine initially just signed without specifying when my disability began and it caused a delay 4. If you have any saved sick/vacation time from your old job, that might affect your SDI calculation, so mention it when you file The pregnancy-induced hypertension should definitely qualify you for early disability before the standard 36-week mark. Wishing you a healthy rest of your pregnancy and hoping your claim goes smoothly! The EDD process is stressful enough without pregnancy complications on top of it.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who also transitioned from UI to pregnancy disability! I was laid off in January and found out I was pregnant in March while still on unemployment. When I developed gestational diabetes at 26 weeks, my doctor put me on disability immediately. A few things that really helped me: - I called EDD the day before I planned to stop certifying for UI to confirm the exact process. The rep walked me through everything and noted my account that I was transitioning to SDI - Make sure your doctor dates your disability to start on a Sunday if possible - EDD processes benefit weeks Sunday to Saturday, so this helps avoid any weird partial week calculations - I kept a simple spreadsheet tracking my last UI certification date, my disability start date, and all the key dates. Sounds nerdy but it helped when I had to reference things later The transition was actually smoother than I expected once I got all the dates straight. Your pregnancy-induced hypertension should definitely qualify you for early disability - that's a legit medical condition that prevents you from working, not just normal pregnancy discomfort. Hang in there! The paperwork stress is the worst part, but once it's processed you'll have one less thing to worry about. Focus on your health and your baby! ❤️