I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - filed my SDI claim 5 weeks ago and still nothing but "processing" status. It's incredibly stressful when you're already dealing with a disability and then have to worry about finances on top of it. I've been following some of the advice here, especially the early morning calling strategy. One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all my attempts to contact them - date, time, method, outcome. It's helping me stay organized and I think it'll be useful if I need to escalate this further. Sending good vibes your way, we'll get through this! 💪

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the waiting is absolutely brutal when you're already dealing with health issues and financial stress. I went through something similar about 8 months ago and ended up having success with a combination of strategies. First, I called right at 8:00 AM sharp (not 8:01, but literally at 8:00) and got through after about 15 tries over a week. When I finally got someone, they told me my claim was held up because they needed additional medical documentation that I had no idea was missing - nothing showed up in my online account about it! Also, I highly recommend reaching out to your local state assembly member's office. They have constituent services that can actually inquire about your case directly with EDD. It's free and they were able to get me an update within 48 hours. Just google "[your area] assembly member constituent services" and call them. Don't feel bad about using this resource - you pay taxes and this is literally what they're there for! Hang in there, and definitely document everything like others have suggested. You shouldn't have to jump through all these hoops, but unfortunately that's the reality right now. Rooting for you! 🤞

Update: My doctor's office submitted the extension paperwork yesterday! They said they included detailed notes about why I can't return to construction work yet. Now I'm just waiting to see if/when it gets approved. Thanks everyone for your help - I would have been completely lost without your advice!

Great to hear you got the paperwork submitted! Just a heads up - you might want to call EDD's SDI customer service line in about a week if you don't see any updates in your online account. Sometimes extension requests get stuck in the system and a phone call can help move things along. I know the wait times are brutal, but it's worth it to avoid any potential gaps in your benefits. Also, make sure you continue doing your bi-weekly certifications even while the extension is pending - you don't want to miss any certification periods. Keep us posted on how it goes!

I'm new to this community but in almost the exact same situation! I have a lumbar fusion surgery scheduled in about 7 weeks and left my job about 2 weeks ago for completely unrelated reasons. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly quite relieving - I had no idea that you could potentially qualify for SDI even without current employment. The key insight about establishing your disability start date based on when your doctor determines you're unable to work (rather than waiting for surgery) is something I never would have known without this thread. My lower back condition has been progressively deteriorating over the past few months - I'm now having constant pain that makes it nearly impossible to sit at a desk for more than 30 minutes or lift anything over 15 pounds. Based on all the success stories shared here, especially @Joshua Hellan's experience with disc surgery and @Asher Levin's situation, I'm planning to call my spine surgeon first thing Monday morning to schedule an appointment specifically to document these current functional limitations. The recovery period they've quoted me is 4-5 months, so getting this documentation right is crucial. Thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed experiences - this community is an absolute goldmine for navigating these complex situations! I'll definitely update with my progress as I go through the process.

I'm new to this community but also dealing with a very similar situation! I have carpal tunnel surgery scheduled in about 5 weeks and recently left my job about 10 days ago (completely unrelated to my medical condition). Reading through all these detailed experiences has been incredibly helpful and gives me so much hope that I might qualify for SDI during my recovery period. What really stands out from everyone's stories is the importance of getting medical documentation of current limitations before the surgery date, not just waiting for the procedure. My carpal tunnel has been progressively worsening over the past several months - I'm already experiencing numbness and pain that makes it difficult to type for extended periods or grip things properly, which would definitely impact most office jobs I'm qualified for. Based on all the success stories shared here, especially @Joshua Hellan's experience with his disc surgery and @Asher Levin's situation with abdominal surgery while unemployed, I'm planning to contact my hand surgeon this week to document these current functional limitations. The recovery timeline my surgeon mentioned is about 6-8 weeks, but I want to make sure I establish the disability start date based on when my condition became limiting rather than the surgery date. Thank you everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread has been an absolute lifesaver for understanding how to navigate this complex situation! I'll definitely update with my progress as I go through the process.

Hi! I'm completely new to this community and just went through something very similar. I submitted my SDI application about a month ago and accidentally wrote my doctor's name as "Dr. Martinez" instead of "Dr. Martínez" (missing the accent). I was absolutely panicking about it potentially delaying my benefits since I'm recovering from wrist surgery and can't work. But I'm happy to report that my claim was approved last week without any issues! Reading through this thread now, it's clear that these spelling variations are incredibly common and the EDD system is well-equipped to handle them as long as the license number is correct. It's such a relief to see a whole community of people who've had similar worries and positive outcomes. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this kind of real-world information is so much more helpful than trying to find answers on official websites!

Hi! I'm new to this community and just wanted to share my recent experience to hopefully help ease some anxiety for others dealing with similar issues. I submitted my SDI application about 5 weeks ago and made a spelling error with my doctor's name - I wrote "Dr. Patricia Wilson" instead of "Dr. Patricia Willson" (missed one 'l'). I was so stressed about it potentially delaying my benefits since I'm recovering from shoulder surgery and really need the income support. After reading through all these helpful responses and seeing how common these spelling mistakes are, I decided to wait it out rather than stress about calling EDD. I'm happy to report that my claim was approved just yesterday without any issues at all! The license number being correct really does seem to be the crucial factor, just like everyone mentioned. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding that these minor typos are way more common than we think and that the EDD system is designed to handle them. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so reassuring for newcomers like me who are navigating this process for the first time and worried about every little detail!

I'm new to this community and currently on SDI for a knee surgery I had in January. This entire thread has been absolutely incredible - I learned so much from everyone's real experiences! I had a somewhat similar situation where my previous employer sent me a sales commission check about 6 weeks into my disability leave. The commission was for sales I closed back in December, before I even scheduled my surgery. I was completely panicking about whether to report it because the amount was pretty significant and I didn't want to jeopardize my benefits. Reading through all these stories about bonuses, profit-sharing, retention payments, and other pre-disability compensation has made me realize that my situation follows the exact same principle. Since the actual sales work that earned the commission happened in December (before my disability period), I shouldn't report it on my certifications. The way everyone explained that EDD is asking about work PERFORMED during the certification period really clarified everything for me. Thank you so much to this amazing community for sharing your knowledge and experiences - you've turned what felt like a terrifying decision into something I can handle with confidence!

I'm currently on SDI for a work-related ankle injury and this thread has been such a lifesaver! I received an unexpected overtime bonus last week from my previous employer for extra shifts I worked back in September, well before I went on disability in December. I was completely stressed about whether I needed to report it because I've never dealt with anything like this before and didn't want to mess up my claim. After reading through everyone's detailed experiences with bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing, retention payments, and sales commissions, I finally understand the key principle - it's all about WHEN the work was actually performed, not when you receive the payment. Since my overtime work was completed months before my disability period began, I won't be reporting it on my certifications. What really helped me was seeing how consistent everyone's experiences have been across so many different payment types. This community has been absolutely incredible at breaking down these confusing EDD rules in ways that actually make sense! Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world stories - you've helped me turn what felt like an impossible decision into something I can handle with confidence.