I'm new to this community and wanted to share my perspective as someone who recently went through this exact process. I was on CA SDI for about 12 weeks after a workplace injury and successfully applied for my employer's LTD benefits. Reading through this thread, I see a lot of great advice that matches my experience. Here's what actually happened in my case: SDI was paying me about $2,750/month (roughly 61% of my salary), and my employer's LTD plan covered up to 67% total. The private insurer paid me an additional $270/month to bring me up to that 67% level. A few things I'd add to the excellent advice already shared: **Document everything from day one** - I wish I had started keeping detailed records of all my medical appointments, treatments, and communications with both EDD and the LTD carrier from the beginning. It became really helpful when filling out those monthly LTD reports. **Ask about online portals** - When you call for that benefit estimate, also ask if they have online systems for submitting monthly reports. My LTD carrier had a portal that made the ongoing reporting much easier than paper forms. **Consider the timing of medical appointments** - The LTD carrier wanted much more frequent updates from my doctor than EDD required. I learned to schedule follow-up appointments strategically to align with their reporting timeline. The paperwork was definitely intensive compared to SDI, but even that modest increase in benefits made a real difference during recovery. Plus, having the LTD claim established gave me peace of mind about longer-term coverage if my recovery had taken longer than expected. Hope this helps, and wishing you a smooth recovery process! This community has been incredibly valuable for navigating these complex benefit systems.

I'm new to this community and currently navigating almost the exact same situation! I've been on CA SDI for about 8 weeks following a work-related back injury (L5-S1 disc herniation) and I'm just approaching my 90-day LTD eligibility period. This entire thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea how these benefits actually coordinate before reading everyone's real experiences. Like many others initially thought, I was hoping for close to 100% salary replacement, but now I understand the offset structure much better. Even an additional 5-15% of salary would make a meaningful difference with all the physical therapy copays and prescription costs adding up. Based on everything I've learned here, I'm definitely going to: 1. Call my LTD carrier this week for a benefit estimate before starting any paperwork 2. Start gathering all my detailed medical records since the documentation requirements sound much more intensive than SDI 3. Prepare for more demanding monthly reporting vs. SDI's bi-weekly certifications One quick question for those who've been through this: Did anyone experience any issues with the timing of when LTD benefits actually start? I'm wondering if there's typically a gap between hitting the 90-day mark and when you receive your first LTD payment, and how that might affect budgeting during the transition. Thanks to everyone who shared their actual numbers and experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex systems! Really hoping the application process goes smoothly.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually in a similar boat - left my job last month due to severe workplace stress that was causing migraines and anxiety attacks. My doctor had been treating me for stress-related symptoms while I was still employed, which I'm now realizing was crucial documentation. One thing I learned during my application process that might help others: EDD has a specific form (DE 2501) that your doctor needs to fill out for the medical certification. Make sure your doctor is familiar with this form and knows to be very detailed about how your specific symptoms prevent you from performing work duties. Also, if anyone is dealing with delays or needs to speak with EDD directly, I found that calling right at 8 AM when they open gives you the best chance of getting through. The phone lines get completely jammed later in the day. @Darren Brooks - sounds like you're doing everything right with the medical documentation and backdating! The fact that you sought medical care while still employed is going to work in your favor. Best of luck with your application tomorrow!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently dealing with work-related stress that's causing physical symptoms, and reading everyone's experiences has really opened my eyes to how important proper documentation is. A few things that really stood out to me: 1. The timing of medical visits while still employed seems crucial 2. Having your doctor be very specific about functional limitations 3. The DE 2501 form that @Yuki Yamamoto mentioned - I had no idea this existed! 4. The importance of proper separation reason coding @Darren Brooks - it sounds like you've got all the right pieces in place with your urgent care visits and doctor's willingness to backdate appropriately. That medical timeline is exactly what EDD needs to see. For anyone else reading this who might be in early stages of work-related health issues - start documenting with your doctor NOW while you're still employed. This thread makes it clear how much that medical paper trail matters for establishing your case later. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences so openly. This kind of real-world guidance is exactly what people need when navigating such a complex and stressful process. Wishing everyone here the best with their claims and recovery! 🙏

Welcome to the community! Your ankle injury situation sounds really tough, especially with the prolonged standing restrictions - that can be such a challenge depending on your work environment. It's so reassuring to see another person going through this exact same form confusion! I'm relatively new here myself, but reading through everyone's experiences has been such an education on how common these partial recovery situations really are. Your approach sounds perfect - the ankle restrictions you mentioned (supportive boot, elevator only, limited standing) are very reasonable accommodations that shouldn't interfere with most office work. It's amazing how this thread has helped so many of us realize that what felt like an impossible choice on that form is actually exactly the scenario EDD designed their system to handle. Good luck with your return on Monday and calling EDD to confirm - you've got this! Hope your ankle continues to heal well with the proper accommodations.

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.

This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - my employer uses Sedgwick and I had no idea these were two separate systems until reading all of your experiences. I've been out on medical leave for about 10 days already and thankfully I'm still within that 49-day window to file with EDD. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: when I called Sedgwick today after reading this thread, I specifically asked the representative "Does my company offer short-term disability benefits that you administer, or do I need to apply for California state disability separately?" This direct question got me a much clearer answer than the generic responses I was getting before. Turns out my company does NOT offer STD benefits, so EDD SDI is my only option for wage replacement. Also, for anyone worried about the doctor certification process - I was pleasantly surprised that when I mentioned I needed forms completed for "California State Disability Insurance," my doctor's office immediately knew what I was talking about and said they handle these regularly. They even told me they prefer the electronic submission through EDD's system because it's faster than paper forms. Miguel, I hope your sister got everything filed successfully! This community really came through with amazing advice.

This thread has been incredibly helpful and eye-opening! As someone who's never had to deal with medical leave before, I had no idea that Sedgwick and EDD were completely separate systems. The way everyone has broken this down - Sedgwick for job protection/leave approval and EDD for actual wage replacement - makes it so much clearer. I'm saving this entire conversation as a reference because I have a feeling this knowledge will come in handy someday, either for myself or to help family members navigate this confusing system. It's honestly shocking that employers and HR departments don't explain this distinction more clearly upfront. Miguel, your sister is so lucky to have you researching this for her! It sounds like she would have completely missed out on benefits she's entitled to if you hadn't asked these questions. The fact that so many people in this thread have similar stories really shows how broken the communication around this process is. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and practical tips - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that makes all the difference when you're dealing with a stressful medical situation.

Pro tip: document EVERYTHING. Every call, every letter, every online status update. You never know when you might need that info later.

I'm currently going through this too! Filed my claim about 10 days ago and the waiting is killing me. From what I've read online and heard from friends, it seems like the timeline really varies - some people get their first payment in 2-3 weeks if everything goes smoothly, but others wait much longer if there are any issues with documentation or if EDD needs additional info. One thing that's helped my anxiety is setting up text alerts through the EDD portal so I get notified of any status changes. Also, make sure you're certifying for benefits every two weeks once that option becomes available - that's super important! Fingers crossed we both hear something soon 🤞