One more tip - if you're worried about the tax impact, you might want to start setting aside a small percentage of each SDI payment now for taxes. Since SDI benefits are taxable at your regular income tax rate, putting away 10-15% of each payment can help you avoid any surprises come tax time. I learned this the hard way my first year on disability and ended up owing more than I expected!

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm what others have said - you'll definitely get a 1099G form for your SDI pregnancy benefits and they are federally taxable. What I wish I had known earlier is that you can actually call EDD and request the DE 4450 form to have taxes withheld even if you're already receiving benefits. I was able to submit it halfway through my claim and they started withholding 10% from my remaining payments. It saved me from a big surprise at tax time! Also, definitely check your EDD online account around late January/early February for the 1099G - mine was available online before the paper copy arrived in the mail.

Have you tried creating a new ID.me account? Sometimes starting fresh can bypass weird glitches in their system.

I went through something similar a few months ago! ID.me suspended my account right when I needed to file my claim too. What finally worked for me was emailing their executive escalation team directly - try reaching out to support@id.me with "URGENT: Account Suspension Blocking Disability Benefits" in the subject line. Also mention that you're unable to access essential government services. They seem to prioritize these cases differently than regular support tickets. In the meantime, definitely try calling EDD early in the morning like others suggested. The combination of both approaches got my issue resolved in about a week. Don't lose hope!

This thread has been such a goldmine of information! I'm actually dealing with a slightly different situation - I started my claim online but then my doctor had to mail in some additional medical certification forms. Now I'm worried about whether that will mess up my online access or create any conflicts in the system. Has anyone dealt with mixing online and paper submissions like this? I'm hoping it won't cause the same kind of delays that starting with paper seems to create. The online system has been so convenient for my initial certifications, so I really don't want to lose that functionality.

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! I mailed my DE 2501 forms about two weeks ago and have been checking my mailbox daily hoping to hear something back from EDD. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that I needed to wait for the Notice of Computation before trying to set up online access. I was actually planning to attempt creating an SDI Online account this week, but now I understand I could accidentally create a duplicate claim if I try too early. It's so frustrating that the EDD website doesn't clearly explain this transition process anywhere! The timeline everyone is sharing (2-3 weeks for paper processing) is really helpful to manage expectations. I'm definitely going to be patient and wait for that official notice in the mail before making any moves toward online access. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real-world experiences - this kind of practical advice is exactly what you need when dealing with EDD but can never find in their official documentation!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm currently helping my disabled uncle with his SDI claim and we've been stuck on this exact same medical certification issue for over two weeks. His doctor also stopped using the online system due to technical problems. Reading through all these responses, I'm amazed at how many different solutions and workarounds people have discovered. The tip about calling EDD right at 8:00 AM to have them email the DE 2501B form directly sounds like our best bet - I had no idea that was even possible! I'm also definitely going to try the assembly member contact suggestion if we hit more roadblocks. As someone mentioned, it's ridiculous that we have to become experts in navigating government bureaucracy just to help family members access benefits they've already paid into, but this community has created an incredible resource here. One question for those who've been through this - when the doctor completes the form, is it better to have them fax it directly to EDD or should we hand-deliver it to an EDD office? My uncle lives about 45 minutes from the nearest EDD location, so I want to make sure we choose the most reliable submission method. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive, informative discussion. My uncle doesn't know how to use computers, so having advocates like all of you sharing practical solutions makes all the difference for families like ours!

I've been through this exact situation with my father's SDI claim just last month! After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I wanted to add one more tip that saved us a lot of time. If you're still having trouble getting the DE 2501B form, try calling EDD's Technical Support line instead of the main claims line. I found their number buried on the website (it's different from the regular customer service number), and they were able to email me the form within 5 minutes. The tech support staff seemed much more familiar with the actual forms and less overwhelmed than the regular claims agents. Also, when you do get the form to your aunt's doctor, ask them to include their office's direct phone number on the form somewhere. This helped us when EDD had questions about my father's medical certification - instead of the whole thing getting delayed, EDD was able to call the doctor directly for clarification. The assembly member tip is absolutely brilliant - I wish I had known about that option! And definitely follow the advice about calling right at 8:00 AM. I tried calling at various times and the difference in wait times is incredible. Your persistence in helping your aunt navigate this system is really admirable. The bureaucracy is unnecessarily complex, but with all the great advice in this thread, you should be able to get her claim moving again soon. Keep us posted on how it goes!

I'm also completely new to this whole disability process and currently going through the exact same nightmare! My doctor is equally stubborn about technology and refuses to even look at the SDI Online system. I just mailed my DE 2501 form last week using certified mail (thankfully I read that tip somewhere) and I'm already obsessively checking both my mailbox and SDI Online account daily. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly helpful and honestly terrifying - seeing timelines range anywhere from 2 weeks to 2+ months is so anxiety-inducing when you're already stressed about bills piling up and unable to work. I really appreciate all the practical advice being shared here about keeping detailed records, the 3-week call timeline, and that Claimyr service for getting through to EDD faster. It's absolutely ridiculous that in 2025 we're essentially penalized with longer processing times just because our healthcare providers refuse to modernize! The financial stress while waiting is overwhelming enough without having to become experts in navigating bureaucracy when we should be focusing on recovery. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding what to realistically expect rather than just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Sending solidarity to everyone stuck in this paper submission waiting game - we shouldn't have to deal with this extra stress on top of our medical issues! 🤞

I'm also completely new to this disability process and dealing with the exact same frustrating situation! My doctor is equally old-school and refuses to touch anything digital - it's so maddening that in 2025 we're still dealing with paper delays. I haven't even submitted my forms yet but I'm already dreading the waiting period after reading everyone's experiences here. The timeline seems so unpredictable - some lucky people get processed in 2-3 weeks while others wait 6-8 weeks or even longer. I'm definitely taking notes on all the great advice here about sending certified mail for tracking, creating the SDI Online account beforehand, keeping detailed records, and that 3-week call timeline. It's really unfair that we're essentially penalized with longer processing times just because our healthcare providers won't adapt to modern technology. The financial anxiety while being unable to work is already overwhelming without adding weeks of bureaucratic uncertainty on top! This community has been so helpful for understanding what to realistically expect rather than just hoping for the best. Really grateful for everyone sharing their specific timelines and practical tips. Sending support to all of you currently stuck in the paper submission waiting game - we shouldn't have to stress about this bureaucracy when we should be focusing on our health! 🤞