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Quick question - does anyone know if theres a difference between calling the main EDD number vs the SDI specific number? I've been trying both with no luck
I've been dealing with this same issue for weeks now! What finally worked for me was calling the SDI-specific number (1-800-480-3287) right at 8 AM when they open. I literally had my phone ready and dialed the second the clock hit 8:00. Still took about 45 minutes to get through, but I finally talked to someone. Also, try pressing 1-2-4 when you get to the menu options - that seemed to get me to the right queue faster. Don't give up, @d0ee615c27d1! The system is broken but persistence does pay off eventually.
Thank you so much for this tip! I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM approach tomorrow. I've been calling randomly throughout the day which clearly isn't working. The 1-2-4 menu trick is something I haven't heard before - really appreciate you sharing that! It's so frustrating that we have to strategize like this just to access our own benefits, but I'm grateful for people like you sharing what actually works 🙏
Welcome to the community! I'm also relatively new here but have found everyone to be incredibly helpful and supportive. The first time going through the SDI process is definitely stressful - I remember feeling so lost with all the paperwork and waiting periods. One thing I learned that might help while you're waiting for your determination: make sure to keep copies of everything you submit and note down any reference numbers. If you need to follow up later, having all that info organized will save you so much time and stress. This thread is a perfect example of how valuable this community is - seeing real experiences with payment timelines takes away so much of the uncertainty. Hope your claim gets approved quickly and smoothly! Feel free to ask questions along the way - everyone here really does want to help each other navigate this system.
Thanks for the warm welcome and great advice! I'm definitely learning that documentation is key with this whole process. I've started a folder with copies of everything I've submitted and screenshots of confirmation pages - your tip about noting reference numbers is spot on. It's amazing how much anxiety gets reduced just by reading through real experiences like this thread. Before finding this community, I was just googling "how long does SDI take" and getting vague official timelines that didn't really help with the day-to-day stress of waiting. Hearing from people who've actually been through it makes such a difference. Really appreciate everyone being so welcoming to newcomers! Looking forward to hopefully being able to pay it forward and help others once I get through my own process.
This thread has been so helpful! I'm also waiting on my first SDI payment (authorized yesterday) and the anxiety is real. It's reassuring to see that 3 business days seems to be the standard timeline for most people. One thing I wanted to add that helped me while waiting - I called my bank's customer service line and they were able to confirm my direct deposit information was set up correctly for government payments. It only took 2 minutes and gave me peace of mind that there wouldn't be any routing issues when the payment comes through. Also, for anyone else in this boat - I found it helpful to screenshot the "payment authorized" notification from EDD just in case I need it for reference later. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is such a lifeline when you're navigating SDI for the first time! 🙏
That's such a smart idea to call your bank and verify the direct deposit setup! I wish I had thought of that - would have saved me some worry. The screenshot tip is great too, especially since sometimes those EDD notifications can be hard to find again later in their system. It's so nice to see more people finding this community helpful. When you're going through SDI for the first time, it really does feel like you're navigating in the dark without real experiences from others who've been there. The official timelines never capture the day-to-day anxiety of waiting for that money to actually show up! Hope your payment hits soon - sounds like you're well-prepared with all the right documentation. 💪
Hey OP, quick question - did your doctor backdate the form at all? That can sometimes affect the start date of the claim. Might be worth double-checking with your doc's office.
I went through something similar a few months ago! When you call, definitely ask them to walk you through exactly how they calculated your claim start date. In my case, they were using the wrong date from my doctor's form. Also, ask if you can submit any additional documentation that might support an earlier start date - like appointment records, prescription dates, or even a letter from your doctor clarifying when your condition actually began affecting your ability to work. Don't be afraid to ask for a supervisor if the first person can't give you clear answers. Document everything they tell you too!
I'm so sorry you're going through this - payment delays are incredibly stressful when you're counting on that income. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like there might be a few different issues that could be causing the delay. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is checking if your supplemental certificate was actually received and processed. Sometimes documents get lost in the mail or there are processing backlogs that aren't immediately obvious. If you submitted it by mail, you might want to call and specifically ask them to confirm they have your supplemental certificate on file and when it was processed. Also, I'd recommend keeping a close eye on your online account (if you have one) - sometimes there are messages or requests for additional information that you might miss if you're only checking occasionally. The advice about calling early in the morning is solid, but I'd also suggest trying to call on different days of the week. Mondays and Fridays tend to be busier, so Tuesday-Thursday might give you better luck getting through. Keep pushing and don't give up. These situations are frustrating but they do get resolved. Wishing you the best of luck!
This is really helpful advice! I hadn't thought about specifically asking them to confirm they received my supplemental certificate. That's probably the first thing I should verify before anything else. The tip about checking different days of the week is great too - I've been calling mostly on Mondays which probably explains why I can never get through. I'm going to try calling tomorrow (Tuesday) morning right when they open and ask specifically about my certificate. Thanks for the encouragement - I really needed to hear that these situations do get resolved!
I've been in a similar situation and know how stressful it can be when you're waiting for disability payments. One thing that really helped me was creating a timeline of all my submissions and communications. Sometimes there are processing delays that happen after they receive your supplemental certificate - it's not always about whether they got it, but where it is in their review process. If you haven't already, try asking specifically about the processing timeline when you do get through to someone. They can often tell you what stage your claim is in and give you a more realistic timeframe. Also, if you submitted any medical records or other supporting documents along with your supplemental certificate, make sure they received those too - sometimes one piece goes missing and holds up the whole process. Another tip: if you're really struggling financially while waiting, look into local emergency assistance programs. Many counties have funds specifically for people waiting on disability payments. Your local 211 helpline can point you toward resources. Hang in there - the wait is awful but once these get sorted out, they usually backdate your payments to when you were supposed to receive them.
This is really solid advice, especially about asking for the processing timeline! I never thought about the fact that receiving the certificate and actually processing it are two different steps. The tip about local emergency assistance programs is also really valuable - I didn't know that 211 could help with resources for people waiting on disability payments. That could be a lifesaver for folks who are really struggling while waiting. Thanks for mentioning the backdating too - it's good to know that when it does get resolved, you don't lose out on the payments you should have received during the delay period.
Lily Young
So glad you got it resolved! That's exactly what happened to me too - a tiny difference in the medical coding that created a system flag. It's frustrating that these technical glitches can hold up payments for weeks, but at least now you know what to watch for if you need to submit another continuous cert in the future. The ICD code thing seems to be a common issue - might be worth mentioning to others who are stuck in pending status to have their doctors double-check that the codes match exactly from the original certification.
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Chad Winthrope
•This is such valuable information! I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation - my continuous cert has been pending for over a week now. I had no idea that even small differences in medical coding could cause these delays. I'm going to call my doctor's office today to make sure they used the exact same ICD codes as my original certification. It's crazy that such tiny technical details can hold up people's disability payments when they're already dealing with health issues and financial stress. Thanks for sharing this insight - it could save others weeks of waiting!
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Julian Paolo
I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of waiting for disability payments while dealing with medical issues is just awful. I went through something similar last year when my continuous certification got stuck for almost 3 weeks. One thing that might help while you're waiting: if you're facing immediate financial hardship like rent or utilities being due, some counties have emergency assistance programs that can provide bridge funding while you wait for EDD to sort things out. You can usually find these through 211 (dial 2-1-1) or your county's social services website. They often have specific programs for people waiting on disability payments. Also, document everything - dates you called, reference numbers if they give you any, when you submitted forms, etc. If this drags on much longer, having that timeline will be really helpful when you finally get through to someone. Hang in there, and I really hope your payment processes soon!
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