Hey OP, just a heads up - sometimes they'll try to rush you off the phone. Don't let them! Make sure all your questions are answered before hanging up. And always get the name of who you talked to, just in case you need to reference the call later.

Also, if you're calling about an extension, try calling early in the morning (like right when they open) or later in the afternoon. I've found the wait times are usually shorter then. And if you get disconnected, don't give up! It happened to me twice before I finally got through. The whole process took about 15 minutes once I actually got someone on the line, so it's not as bad as it seems once you're talking to a real person.

How did they extend your SDI if you exhausted all your benefits? Meaning there's no more money from your claim. Help!

I'm going through this process right now too! One thing I learned is to make copies of everything before you send it in - apparently documents sometimes get "lost" in their system. Also, if your doctor is slow with paperwork like mine, give them the forms ASAP because that seems to be the biggest bottleneck. Thanks for posting this question, really helpful to see everyone's experiences!

This might sound crazy, but have you tried going to their office in person? I did that last year when I was having issues and actually got help pretty quick.

I went through something similar last month! Two things that helped me: 1) I contacted my state assembly member's office - they have caseworkers who can actually get through to EDD and check on your case status. It's free and they got back to me within a few days. 2) Make sure you're checking your EDD inbox online regularly - sometimes they send requests for additional info that you might miss. Also, if your doctor submitted electronically, double-check that it went through properly on their end. The whole system is a mess right now, but don't give up! Keep us posted on how it goes.

One more important thing: make sure your doctor understands how to properly complete the medical certification form. Some doctors don't fill these out regularly and might put incorrect information. The specific date they list as the beginning of your disability is CRUCIAL. If you're planning to apply for SDI after your UI ends, make sure they put a date that's after your last UI payment. Also, your weekly benefit amount might be slightly different between UI and SDI because they use different calculation periods.

I went through this exact situation 3 years ago! The transition is definitely possible but timing is everything. Here's what worked for me: I let my UI benefits run out completely first (didn't want any overlap issues), then immediately applied for SDI once my doctor certified my pregnancy complications made me unable to work. The gap was about 10 days total including the SDI waiting period, which was tough financially but avoided any fraud concerns. My SDI weekly amount ended up being about $50 less than my UI because of the different base period calculation, but it was still substantial help. Make sure your doctor is very specific about your disability start date on the DE 2501 form - mine had to resubmit because they initially put a date that was too vague. Also keep all your UI correspondence showing your last payment date as proof there was no overlap. The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to first SDI payment. Hang in there - it's stressful but totally doable!

Not to be that guy, but have you considered lawyering up? If they're seriously dragging their feet, it might be time to get some legal muscle involved. Just a thought.

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed my claim about 6 weeks ago and radio silence ever since. The waiting is honestly the worst part because you don't know if something's wrong with your paperwork or if it's just taking forever. I've been calling every few days but keep getting the runaround with automated messages. Really hoping some of these suggestions work because I'm starting to stress about my job security too. Hang in there! 🤞