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.

I've been struggling with these same E316 and E318 errors for about two weeks now and finding this thread feels like striking gold! 🙌 Reading through everyone's solutions has been incredibly helpful - this community has basically become the unofficial EDD technical support team! I wanted to add one approach that's been working for me: using the mobile app (thanks Anna!) but with a specific twist - I turn off WiFi completely and use only cellular data, then I clear the app's cache through my phone settings before each login attempt. It's like giving the app a mini fresh start each time. This combo has worked about 80% of the time for me when I try it during the 6-7 AM window that everyone's mentioned. Also discovered something weird - if I get the E316 error on the mobile app, switching to my tablet (still using cellular hotspot) sometimes works immediately. It's like their system gets confused about device tracking? The fact that we're already dealing with disabilities and then have to become amateur IT specialists just to access our own benefits is completely backwards and frankly discriminatory. But I'm so grateful for communities like this where we can share workarounds and support each other through this broken system. Keep the solutions coming everyone - we're literally doing EDD's job better than they are! 💪

I've been dealing with these exact same E316 and E318 errors for the past month! 😤 This thread has been absolutely incredible - you all have created the most comprehensive troubleshooting guide I've ever seen, way better than anything on EDD's official site! After trying almost everything mentioned here, I finally found my winning combination: mobile app + 6:15 AM login + completely restarting my phone beforehand + using cellular data instead of WiFi. The phone restart seems to clear any background session issues, and the cellular connection bypasses whatever server problems cause E318. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're using an iPhone, try going into Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings before your login attempt. It forces a completely fresh network connection and has helped me get through when other methods failed. You'll have to re-enter your WiFi passwords, but it's worth it to actually access your account! It's absolutely infuriating that we have to become IT specialists just to check our disability benefits, especially when we're already dealing with health challenges. But seeing how this community has come together to solve what EDD's own developers apparently can't is both inspiring and maddening! Thank you all for sharing your hard-won solutions - we've basically reverse-engineered their broken system better than their own support team! Keep the tips coming! 🙏💪

I completely understand how overwhelming this situation can be - being injured, dealing with financial stress, and trying to navigate multiple systems at once is incredibly difficult. Based on what everyone has shared here, it sounds like you have a solid plan forming. A few additional tips from someone who's helped others through similar situations: 1) When you apply for SDI online, save screenshots of every page as you complete it. Sometimes the system glitches and you'll want proof of what you submitted. 2) Ask your doctor's office to give you a copy of the medical certification they submit to EDD. This way you can see exactly what they wrote and follow up if needed. 3) Consider setting up direct deposit for your SDI benefits if possible - it's faster than waiting for checks in the mail. 4) Keep a simple calendar marking when you applied, when your doctor submitted paperwork, and any other key dates. This helps if you need to call EDD later. The fact that you already have an attorney for the workers comp case puts you ahead of many people in this situation. They should be able to coordinate the eventual repayment to EDD once your workers comp is resolved. Hang in there - this process is tough but you're taking all the right steps!

I went through almost the exact same situation about 8 months ago - warehouse injury, workers comp stalling, desperate for income. Here's what I wish someone had told me from the start: Apply for SDI immediately, don't wait any longer. The 7-day waiting period starts from when your disability began (your injury date), not when you apply. So you're already past that hurdle. When I applied, EDD asked a few standard questions about the workers comp case: the claim number, insurance company name, date of injury, and whether benefits had been paid or denied. Just answer honestly - they're used to this situation. One thing that helped me was calling my doctor's office before applying to make sure they could submit the medical certification within 24-48 hours. Some offices are really slow with this, and it can delay your whole claim. Also, when workers comp finally did approve my case 4 months later, the repayment process to EDD was actually pretty straightforward. My attorney handled most of it, and I just had to sign some paperwork. The key is that you get to keep any difference if your workers comp benefit is less than what SDI paid you. You're doing everything right by getting an attorney and exploring SDI. Don't let the workers comp company's delays keep you from getting the help you need right now. Good luck!