Sorry but this is why our system is so broken. People work for 5 minutes and expect full benefits???? I paid into SDI for YEARS before I ever needed to use it. Now premiums keep going up because everyone uses it like an ATM machine. Just saying. 😒

As someone who's navigated the ABP system, I want to emphasize something important that might help your employee: when they file their PFL claim, they should be prepared with documentation from ALL their previous employers in the base period, not just your company. The EDD will need wage records to calculate their benefit amount properly. Also, since they're dealing with a family emergency, remind them that they can file the claim online at edd.ca.gov, which is often faster than calling. The online system will automatically prompt them about the ABP if they don't qualify under the standard base period. One more tip: if their parent is hospitalized, they should get a letter from the hospital or doctor as soon as possible. The EDD requires medical certification for PFL claims, and having this ready will speed up the process significantly.

I just went through this exact same ordeal a few weeks ago and it was absolutely maddening! The EDD system seems to have chronic issues with displaying receipt numbers even when claims are submitted successfully. I filed my disability claim online and never saw a confirmation page - just got stuck on a loading screen that eventually timed out. No email confirmation either, despite checking spam folders repeatedly. Spent three full days calling different EDD numbers and getting transferred between departments where nobody could help. Each person acted like they'd never encountered this problem before, which is clearly not true based on how widespread this issue is! What finally saved me was using Claimyr (mentioned by several people above). I was hesitant to pay for something that should be free government service, but I was desperate after days of phone frustration. Got connected to an actual EDD disability specialist in about 25 minutes who was able to pull up my receipt number and confirm my claim had been processing normally the entire time - it was just their website display that was broken. Cost about $20 but absolutely worth it for the peace of mind and to avoid more days of phone transfer hell. Don't assume your claim wasn't filed just because you can't see the receipt number - EDD's backend systems usually work even when their website display doesn't!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and finding this thread has been such a relief! Filed my disability claim online 5 days ago and the confirmation page never fully loaded - just kept spinning until I eventually gave up and closed the browser. Of course no confirmation email either, and my SDI Online account is completely blank like I never filed anything. I've already wasted 2 full days calling their phone lines and getting bounced around between departments that clearly can't access the right information. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm going to skip wasting more time with their broken phone system and try Claimyr right away. It's absolutely insane that EDD's website is this unreliable for something as critical as disability benefits, but at least now I know it's a widespread system issue and not something I did wrong. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - this community is providing the actual help that EDD should be giving us!

I'm dealing with the exact same error right now! It's so frustrating when you're already stressed about needing disability benefits and then the system won't even let you apply. I've been reading through all these suggestions and they're super helpful - I had no idea there were so many potential fixes to try. The VPN and different network suggestions are really interesting since I hadn't considered that it might be an ISP or regional server issue. I'm going to start with the simpler solutions like clearing all browser data and trying incognito mode, then work my way up to the more technical fixes. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this struggle and that there are ways to get around EDD's broken system! 🙏

I've been struggling with this exact same issue for the past two weeks! After reading through all these amazing suggestions, I wanted to share what finally worked for me yesterday. I tried the combination of using Chrome in incognito mode + disabling all browser extensions + switching to my phone's mobile hotspot instead of my home WiFi. That trio of changes finally got me through to the application! I think my home internet was definitely part of the problem. Also, I accessed the site at around 6:30 AM like someone suggested, which probably helped with server load. Don't give up - this community has some seriously good troubleshooting advice! The EDD system is a mess but we can outsmart it with persistence. Good luck everyone! 🍀

Thanks everyone for the explanations! I understand what happened now. The 7 days is basically a deductible period that I don't get paid for, and since I only had 4 additional days of disability after that, AND I used sick pay for the first 6 days, I basically didn't qualify for any benefit payment. Seems like SDI only makes sense for longer disability periods. I'll know better for next time, though hopefully I won't need surgery again! I may still try calling EDD just to confirm this understanding.

This is such a common misunderstanding! I went through something similar with my maternity leave last year. The key thing to remember is that SDI is really designed as income replacement for when you have NO other income coming in due to disability. Since your employer covered those first 6 days with sick pay, SDI views that as you already having income replacement for that period. It's frustrating because you're paying into SDI through payroll deductions, but the system assumes your employer benefits come first. For future reference, some people choose to save their sick days and go unpaid earlier to maximize their SDI benefits, but that obviously depends on your financial situation and employer policies.

I'm new to this community but wanted to reach out because your situation sounds incredibly similar to what my family just went through. My brother-in-law had a serious back injury from a construction accident in December, and we also had to navigate the DE 5005 form with mixed W2/1099 income. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - this community really knows what they're talking about! I wanted to add a couple things that worked for us that might help: 1. If your husband has any old text message threads with clients (even from months ago), don't delete them! Screenshots of conversations about scheduling work or discussing payment can be really valuable supporting documentation. 2. We discovered that many local hardware stores keep customer purchase histories if your husband had an account or used a credit card regularly. These receipts for job materials helped us establish dates and show legitimate business expenses. 3. One thing our EDD caseworker specifically mentioned - if there are any gaps in documentation, write a brief explanation letter for each gap rather than leaving it blank. Something simple like "Client paid cash, no receipt available" shows you're being thorough and honest. The whole process took us about 8 weeks total, but we were approved and the back-pay covered everything from the injury date. The system really does work, even when the documentation isn't perfect. You're doing an amazing job advocating for your husband during such a difficult time. The fact that you're being so organized and asking the right questions shows you're on the right track. Wishing him a smooth recovery and hoping your claim gets processed quickly!

I'm new here but wanted to reach out because I'm currently going through something very similar with my husband who was injured in a workplace fall last month (fractured wrist and concussion). He also has mixed W2/1099 income from the base period - worked as a W2 employee at a warehouse until he was laid off in May, then did various gig work including food delivery and some under-the-table landscaping jobs. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring! When we first got the DE 5005 form, I honestly felt like giving up because his gig work documentation was so scattered. But seeing how many people have successfully navigated this process with similar situations gives me hope. One thing I wanted to add that might help - if your husband did any delivery work (DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.), those apps actually keep pretty detailed records that you can request. We were able to get a full earnings summary from DoorDash that showed dates, times, and payment amounts which really helped fill in some gaps in our timeline. Also, I learned that if he ever posted services on neighborhood apps like Ring Neighbors or local Facebook community pages, those posts can serve as evidence that he was actively seeking self-employment work during that period. The organization tips everyone shared here are gold - we're definitely going to use the chronological folder system approach. It's amazing how much less overwhelming this feels when you have a clear plan and know that others have succeeded with imperfect documentation. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences. This community is such a lifeline during what feels like an impossible situation. Wishing your husband a speedy recovery - you're clearly doing everything right in advocating for him!