Maya, I just wanted to add my experience since I literally just went through this exact same situation last month! I filed my SDI claim online and my doctor only does paper forms too - I was SO stressed about it but it turned out to be completely fine. One thing that really helped me was asking my doctor's office to fax me a copy of the completed DE 2501 before they mailed it to EDD. That way I could see exactly what information they submitted and make sure all the dates matched what I put in my online application. It also gave me proof of what was sent in case there were any questions later. Also, I noticed you mentioned you're worried about running out of savings - have you looked into whether your employer offers any short-term disability benefits that might bridge the gap? Sometimes people forget to check if they have that coverage through work, and it can help while you're waiting for SDI to kick in. The timing really isn't as scary as it seems at first! Since you filed so quickly after your last day of work and you're staying on top of the doctor's paperwork, you should be in good shape. The 7-day waiting period starts from March 11th regardless of when your claim gets approved, which is actually in your favor. You're doing everything right by being proactive about this. Most delays happen when people wait too long to file or don't follow up with their doctors. Keep us posted on how it goes!

Maya, I just wanted to jump in and share my experience from filing SDI about 4 months ago! I had the exact same worry about doing the mixed submission (me online, doctor by mail), but it worked out perfectly fine. One thing that really helped reduce my stress was setting up a simple tracking system. I created a note in my phone with key dates: when I filed online, when I dropped off the DE 2501 to my doctor, when they promised to mail it, etc. It helped me stay organized and know exactly when to follow up without being pushy. Also, since you mentioned being worried about your savings - definitely check if your employer has any Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits. Some companies offer emergency financial assistance or can connect you with local resources while you're waiting for disability payments to start. It's worth a quick call to HR to ask! Your timing is actually really good - filing just a couple weeks after your last day of work puts you way ahead of most people. The fact that you're being so proactive about following up with your doctor shows you understand the importance of staying on top of the process. Wishing you a smooth surgery next week and hoping your claim processes quickly! This community has so many people who've been through this exact situation, so don't hesitate to ask if you run into any bumps along the way.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My extension was approved 5 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. 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" confirmation but doesn't mention you need to complete another form to actually receive payments! Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm going to try calling right at 8am tomorrow and ask specifically about: - The DE 2502 Continued Claim Certification form - Any "system flags" or data entry errors on my account - Pending actions that might be preventing the form from generating - Whether 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 bills piling up! @Andre Laurent I hope you were able to get this resolved by now! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - hopefully we can all get this nightmare sorted out soon. I'll update after my call tomorrow in case it helps others going through the same thing.

I'm going through this EXACT same nightmare right now! My extension was approved 7 days ago and shows correctly in my SDI Online account, but there's absolutely no continued claim certification form anywhere - not in my inbox, not under Forms, nothing in physical mail either. I've been checking obsessively multiple times a day and getting more panicked as bills pile up. This thread has been such a lifesaver! I had no idea about the DE 2502 form or that extensions required this separate certification step. It's absolutely mind-blowing that EDD sends that "extension approved" text but conveniently forgets to mention "oh by the way, you still need to complete another form to actually get your money!" Based on everyone's advice here, I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy tomorrow. I've written down all the key questions to ask: - Specifically mention the DE 2502 Continued Claim Certification form - Ask about any "system flags" or data entry errors on my account - Check for pending actions that might be blocking the form from generating - Verify that all my personal information is entered correctly in their system It's honestly ridiculous that we're all here doing EDD's job for them, troubleshooting their broken system and helping each other navigate what should be a straightforward process. But I'm so grateful for this community support when you're already stressed about medical issues and financial pressure! 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 dealing with this same bureaucratic nightmare. We're all in this together! 🤞

As someone brand new to both this community and the EDD SDI system, this entire thread has been incredibly enlightening and honestly pretty alarming! I just submitted my first disability claim last week for a knee injury and had no idea about these potential payment delays and random reviews with zero notification. Reading through everyone's experiences here - from @Aisha Khan's 2-week delay due to a random eligibility review to @Carmen Lopez's similar experience in January - it's clear that this is a systemic communication problem with EDD. The fact that they can hold payments without any automated notification to claimants is just mind-boggling in 2025. @Aisha Khan - so relieved you got your husband's payment resolved! The 8am calling strategy seems to be the consensus here. To all the other newcomers (@CosmicVoyager @Amara Okafor @Vince Eh @Malik Johnson) also dealing with delays - good luck with your calls! This community is already proving more valuable than any official EDD resource I've found. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences and creating a space where we can actually get useful information about navigating this broken system!

Just joining this community as a newcomer dealing with my own EDD nightmare! This thread has been absolutely invaluable - I'm currently on day 8 of waiting for my SDI payment after certification and was starting to think I was the only one experiencing this. Reading about @Aisha Khan's experience with the random eligibility review that EDD never bothered to notify her about is both reassuring and infuriating. It's 2025 and we're dealing with a system that operates like it's stuck in the stone age! The fact that 5% of claims get randomly selected for review with zero communication to claimants is just unacceptable. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy that worked for @Aisha Khan. To all the other newcomers dealing with similar delays (@CosmicVoyager @Amara Okafor @Vince Eh @Malik Johnson @Fatima Al-Qasimi @Nick Kravitz) - it's oddly comforting to know we're not alone in this broken system! Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and creating this supportive community. It's honestly more helpful than anything I've found on EDD's official website. Will definitely update once I manage to get through to them!

This is such a common issue and it's honestly maddening! I went through something similar last year where EDD kept asking for forms my doctor had already submitted electronically. What I discovered is that their system has multiple databases that don't communicate with each other properly. The electronic submissions from doctors go into one system, but the automated letter generation runs off a completely different database that doesn't check if the forms were already received electronically. When I finally got through to someone (took forever!), they were able to see my doctor's submission in their system and immediately cleared the requirement. The rep told me this happens ALL the time because their IT infrastructure is basically held together with digital duct tape. Keep pushing - don't let them make you redo work that's already been done!

I'm dealing with this EXACT same situation right now! Got the 4365DI form request letter yesterday even though my doctor submitted everything through their electronic portal two weeks ago AND I completed the ID.me verification. It's so frustrating to see that this is apparently a widespread issue with their system not recognizing electronic submissions properly. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about asking for "technical specialists" or checking the "provider portal submissions" specifically. I'm going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning and use these strategies. It's ridiculous that we have to become EDD system experts just to get our legitimate benefits processed, but at least now I know I'm not going crazy and this isn't my fault. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and actual solutions! 🙏

I'm going through the exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I mailed my disability application 5 weeks ago and have been stuck in phone hell ever since. After reading all these responses, I feel like I finally have a roadmap of what to do next. A few things that really stood out to me: - The explanation that mailed applications need to be manually entered before showing up online makes SO much sense - The assembly member liaison option sounds like the most promising solution based on everyone's experiences - The Ask EDD messaging feature seems to be more reliable than the phone system I'm going to start with sending detailed messages through Ask EDD today, then contact my assembly member's office if I don't get a response within a few days. It's frustrating that we have to become advocates for ourselves just to get basic information, but at least now I know there are actual people who can help cut through the bureaucracy. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - knowing that others have successfully navigated this broken system gives me hope that I'll eventually get answers too. I'll update this thread when I make progress in case it helps others in the same boat!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to EDD frustrations! I just wanted to say how incredibly valuable this thread has been - I've learned more about the disability claim process in the last 10 minutes than I did in weeks of trying to navigate their website and phone system. I'm currently at week 2 of waiting after mailing my application, and reading everyone's experiences has really helped set realistic expectations. The fact that so many people have eventually gotten through and received their benefits is encouraging, even though the process is clearly broken. A couple of questions for those who've successfully resolved their claims: 1. When you contacted your assembly member's office, did you need to provide specific documentation or just explain your situation? 2. For the Ask EDD messages, is there a particular format or information that seemed to get better responses? I'm going to start documenting everything from day one based on the advice here, and I'll definitely try the assembly member route if needed. Thanks to everyone for creating such a supportive resource for people dealing with this bureaucratic nightmare!