
California Disability
CommunityGovernment Services


Ask the community...
Hey everyone, I'm having trouble with my SDI account. I completed the ID.me verification process, including the video call and providing all the evidence they asked for. They approved me, but now when I try to file a claim, I keep getting an error message saying 'Something went wrong.' It won't let me proceed at all. Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas on how to fix it?
I'm scheduled for carpal tunnel release surgery next month (March 15th) and meeting with my hospital's disability coordinator tomorrow. As a first-timer with California disability, I'm completely lost about the application timeline. Should I submit my SDI claim BEFORE my surgery happens? Or am I supposed to wait until after the procedure to start the whole process? My surgeon estimates 6-8 weeks recovery where I can't use my dominant hand (I'm a dental hygienist so pretty much can't work at all). Also, will the disability coordinator handle the paperwork or do I need to call EDD directly? Any guidance on the right steps and timing would be super helpful!
One other important tip: Once your claim is approved, you still need to complete "continued claim certification" forms every two weeks. These will either come by mail or you can do them online. Many people miss this step and wonder why their payments stop! Also, when you're ready to return to work, you need to notify EDD. If you return earlier than your claim end date, make sure to report the exact date so you don't end up with an overpayment that you'll have to repay later.
As someone who just went through this process for wrist surgery 6 months ago, I can't stress enough how much easier it is to apply BEFORE your surgery! Here are a few additional tips from my experience: 1. Take screenshots of your application confirmation and save all reference numbers - you'll need these if there are any issues 2. Ask your surgeon's office if they've worked with EDD before - some offices are super familiar with the SDI forms and can expedite the medical certification 3. Set up direct deposit in your SDI Online account ASAP - paper checks take much longer 4. If you're planning to use FMLA through your employer too, coordinate the dates so they align with your SDI claim The whole process took about 3 weeks from surgery to first payment for me, but that was with everything submitted beforehand. Good luck with your surgery - carpal tunnel release recovery is usually pretty smooth!
I'm so frustrated with EDD Short Term Disability right now. They asked me to complete the 4365DI Request for Eligibility form, but there's no way to upload it online and I can't find the form anywhere. I just got a letter in the mail telling me to give my doctor the form to send back, but my doctor already submitted everything electronically. I verified through ID.me too, so why are they asking for all this again? It feels like these requests might be auto-generated or something. Has anyone else dealt with this? What should I do?
I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation! Just joined this community after spending hours searching for answers about the 4365DI form request. Like you, my doctor already submitted everything electronically weeks ago and I've completed ID.me verification, but I still got that confusing letter asking for the form that I can't even find online. Reading through all these responses has been a huge relief - I was starting to think I had somehow messed up the process, but it's clearly a widespread system issue where EDD's databases aren't communicating properly. The advice about asking for "technical specialists" and specifically requesting them to check "provider portal submissions" is incredibly valuable. I'm planning to call first thing tomorrow morning armed with these strategies. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to become experts in EDD's broken internal systems just to get our legitimate benefits, but at least now I know there's a path forward. Thanks for posting this - you've helped more people than you probably realize! ๐
Welcome to the community! It's amazing how this thread has become such a lifeline for so many of us dealing with the same EDD nightmare. I just joined recently too after hitting the same wall with the mysterious 4365DI form request. What really gets me is how we're all having the EXACT same experience - electronic submissions completed, ID.me verified, but still getting these automated letters that make no sense. It really drives home how systemic this problem is. I'm so grateful everyone has been sharing these insider tips about technical specialists and provider portal submissions. It feels like we've crowdsourced a solution to EDD's broken system! Planning to call tomorrow too - maybe we should all report back on how these strategies work out. Here's hoping we can finally get this resolved! ๐ค
This thread is incredibly helpful and reassuring! I'm a newcomer here and just went through this exact nightmare myself. Got the 4365DI form request letter last week despite my doctor submitting everything electronically AND completing ID.me verification. I was convinced I had done something wrong until I found this discussion. The detailed advice about asking for "technical specialists" and requesting them to check "provider portal submissions" is pure gold - I never would have known those were specific things to ask for! It's mind-blowing that in 2025 we're dealing with government systems where multiple databases can't communicate with each other properly. I called yesterday morning using these strategies and SUCCESS! The technical specialist found my doctor's electronic submission immediately and cleared the 4365DI requirement on the spot. The whole call took 20 minutes once I got through to the right person. For anyone still struggling with this - these tips really work! Don't give up and don't let them make you redo paperwork that's already been submitted correctly. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions! ๐
This is so encouraging to hear! I'm brand new to this community and have been struggling with the exact same issue for weeks. Your success story gives me hope that there's actually a way through this bureaucratic maze. I've been feeling so frustrated and defeated, thinking I must have missed some crucial step, but reading everyone's experiences here makes it clear this is EDD's problem, not ours. The fact that you got it resolved in just 20 minutes once you reached the right person is amazing! I'm definitely going to try calling tomorrow and specifically ask for a technical specialist to check the provider portal submissions. Thank you for coming back to share your success - it means so much to those of us still fighting this battle. Stories like yours prove these strategies actually work! ๐
After a nightmare of back-and-forth with EDD, my SDI claim was finally approved on Monday (filed back on Feb 10th, so it took nearly 4 weeks). The rep I spoke with said everything is processed, but couldn't tell me exactly when I'll get my Bank of America EDD card. This is my first time on disability and I'm getting anxious since rent is coming up. Does anyone know how long it typically takes for the card to arrive after approval? The website just says "7-10 business days" but I've heard horror stories about mail delays. Should I be calling BofA directly or just keep waiting? Anyone receive their card recently that can share their timeline?
Hey Evan! I'm in almost the exact same situation - my SDI claim was approved this past Tuesday and I'm also anxiously waiting for my card to arrive. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful and reassuring. It sounds like most people get their cards within 7-10 business days, so we should both see ours next week hopefully. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for that plain envelope someone mentioned - I would have totally thrown that away thinking it was junk mail! Thanks for posting this question, it's exactly what I needed to see right now.
Just wanted to share my recent experience to help ease your anxiety! I got approved for SDI on March 14th and my card arrived yesterday (March 27th) - so that was exactly 9 business days. Like others mentioned, the envelope really is super plain and generic looking. I almost missed it because it just looked like random mail! One thing I learned that might help you: if you create an account on the BofA EDD website (prepaid.bankofamerica.com/eddcard), you can actually see when your card has been issued even before it arrives in the mail. It won't show shipping tracking, but at least you'll know it's been produced and sent out. That helped me stop obsessively checking my mailbox every few hours! Hang in there - based on your Monday approval, you should definitely see it by early next week. The waiting is the worst part, but it does come!
This is super helpful Jessica! I had no idea you could check the BofA EDD website to see if the card has been issued. I'm definitely going to try creating an account there tomorrow to see if there's any status update. It's reassuring to hear your timeline - 9 business days from approval sounds pretty standard based on what everyone's been sharing. I'm trying to stay patient but it's tough when you're in that financial limbo waiting for the funds to become accessible. Thanks for the tip about the website, that'll definitely help me feel more in control of the situation!
I've been trying to access my SDI Online account for THREE DAYS and I'm at my wits end! The system keeps saying my account is locked after too many login attempts (I only tried twice!). I tried the reset password option but never receive the reset email even though I triple-checked my email address. I've called the customer service number at least 20 times but either get disconnected or it says 'due to high call volume...' blah blah blah. I'm supposed to certify for my disability benefits by Friday or my payments will be delayed. Does anyone know a direct number to reach a REAL person? Or some magic trick to get through the phone system? Is there maybe a specific time of day when it's easier to get through? At this point I'd drive to an office in person if that's even possible!
UPDATE: I got in!! The BPO reset worked, but I had to wait about 3 hours for the email to come through. Then I cleared my cache like someone suggested and was able to set a new password. Thanks everyone for your help! For anyone else with this problem, here's what worked: 1. Go to Benefits Programs Online (not SDI directly) 2. Use the "Forgot Password" there instead of through SDI 3. Clear browser cache and cookies before trying the new password 4. Be patient - the reset email took hours to arrive
Wow, so glad you got it working Maya! This thread is going to be so helpful for other people dealing with the same issue. I've been having random login problems with SDI too (not locked out yet thankfully) but good to know about the BPO reset trick. Bookmarking this post for future reference. The EDD system really needs a major overhaul - it's ridiculous that people have to jump through so many hoops just to access their own benefits.
Sienna Gomez
I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Got through the ID.me verification last week (what a process that was) but now I'm stuck on this "Something went wrong" error too. It's so frustrating because you feel like you're making progress and then hit another brick wall. I'm going to try all the suggestions here - the Firefox browser switch, early morning filing, and clearing cookies. Never would have thought the browser choice could make such a difference! Has anyone had luck contacting their state assembly member's office? I heard they sometimes have dedicated staff who can help with EDD/SDI issues when you're really stuck. Might be worth a shot if the technical fixes don't work. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least we know we're not going crazy and this is a real systemic issue! ๐ช
0 coins
AstroAce
Yes! I actually did contact my assembly member's office about 3 months ago when I was stuck in EDD limbo, and it was a game changer. They have caseworkers who specialize in these issues and can actually get through to the right people at EDD/SDI. It took about 2 weeks, but they were able to get my case escalated and resolved. Definitely worth trying if the browser/timing tricks don't work - you shouldn't have to pay $20 just to talk to someone about benefits you're entitled to! The assembly office route is free and they're surprisingly responsive. Good luck with the Firefox early morning approach first though! ๐ค
0 coins
Diego Mendoza
I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Just went through the whole ID.me verification process (including that awkward video call where they made me turn my head left and right like I was at the DMV ๐ ) and now I'm stuck on the "Something went wrong" error when trying to file my claim. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and terrifying - reassuring because I'm not alone in this mess, but terrifying because it sounds like this could take weeks to resolve! I'm definitely going to try the Firefox + early morning combo that @CosmicCruiser suggested first. If that doesn't work, I might have to bite the bullet and contact my assembly member's office since @AstroAce had success with that route. It's honestly wild that in 2025 we're still dealing with government websites that barely function. You'd think after all the issues during the pandemic they would have fixed these systems by now, but apparently not! ๐คฆโโ๏ธ Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this community is honestly more helpful than EDD's actual customer service!
0 coins