applyfor BOTH!!! thats what my neigbor did when she got hurt and couldnt decide and she ended up getting aproved for disability even tho she applied for both. they just denied the UI part.

UPDATE: I wanted to thank everyone for their helpful advice! I submitted the SDI application online yesterday and made sure his doctor completed the medical certification part today. The doctor included detailed notes about the traumatic brain injury, cognitive impairment, and 8-week minimum recovery timeline. I did mention his current commission-based employment but focused on his previous work history for the base period as suggested. Now I'm just anxiously waiting to see if they approve it. The hospital bills are already coming in, and I'm trying to figure out how to handle all our regular expenses too. I'll update again when I hear something about the claim status. Fingers crossed it won't take too long!

Great news that you got through! This is very common with paper applications - there's almost always something missing or unclear. Once your doctor sends in the complete information, your claim should move forward. Make sure to follow up in about a week if you don't see any updates. And don't forget to ask your doctor to include your SSN on every page!

Will do! The agent said once they receive the complete information, it should only take about 7-10 days to process. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly from here.

Yeah this is normal. EDD systems actually do work correctly sometimes! Your doctor submitted the supplemental certification which triggered their system to send you the new forms starting from your new disability date. As long as you didn't certify for the days you worked (which you said you didn't), you're fine. One thing to watch for - sometimes the system has glitches where they might send you certification forms that overlap with your work period anyway. If that happens, just don't certify for days you worked and note it on the form. And make sure your employer didn't accidentally report you as still on leave during that 8-day period when you did work. That could cause confusion later.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This has been a huge relief. I'm going to certify for the period starting Feb 24th as requested and make sure I keep all my paperwork organized in case there are any questions later. The 15-day rule info was particularly helpful - I had no idea that was the cutoff for continuing a claim vs starting a new one. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their knowledge and experiences!

Make sure you're looking at the right benefit type too. I almost missed a payment because I was looking at my SDI history when the payment had been incorrectly processed under my PFL claim even though the dates were from my disability period. The EDD systems don't communicate with each other as well as they should.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get this resolved? I'm curious if any of the suggestions worked for you.

wait do u have to pay taxes on SDI? i remember UI had taxes but cant remember about disability

Based on everything in this thread, here's a summary of what you should do: 1. Call UI immediately (which sounds like you're planning to do) 2. Stop certifying for UI as of the date your disability began 3. Make sure your SDI application correctly shows the start date of your disability 4. Be prepared for a potential gap between your last UI payment and first SDI payment 5. Keep all documentation from both UI and SDI in case there are questions later Your situation is actually quite common, especially after job loss when the stress can trigger or worsen medical conditions. As long as you're proactive about informing both departments, you should be able to transition from UI to SDI without major issues.