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EDD SDI vs Unemployment after hospitalization? Laid off then injured before making commission
I'm dealing with a confusing situation for my husband who's been through a roller coaster this year. He was working at a small manufacturing company until March 2025 when they downsized. After 3 months of searching, he started a new sales position that's 100% commission-based in July. He's been traveling extensively making connections (all out of pocket expenses) but hasn't actually received any commission checks yet. Last week, he was in a serious car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He's currently hospitalized and the doctors say recovery will take at least 6-8 weeks, with memory issues and cognitive therapy needed. Since he technically has an employer but hasn't earned any income yet, I'm completely confused about whether to apply for SDI disability or unemployment benefits? Does anyone know which program he qualifies for in this situation? The hospital social worker gave us conflicting information and I'm trying to get this filed ASAP since our savings are nearly gone from covering all those business trips.
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Filed SDI claim by mail after giving birth - no CA ID - how to check status?
I just had my baby 2 weeks ago (yay but exhausted!) and I'm trying to figure out what's going on with my SDI claim. Since I don't have a California ID, I couldn't file online and had to submit everything by mail. My doctor sent in the medical certification about 3 weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything from EDD. Do I just wait for something in the mail? Should I be calling them? I have no idea if my claim was even received or processed yet. I'm getting anxious since the bills are piling up and I need to know when I might start receiving benefits. Anyone else gone through the paper application process who can tell me what to expect?
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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!
EDD SDI confused me by sending certification forms after brief work return - potential overpayment?
I'm in a complicated situation with my EDD SDI claim and hoping someone can help me figure this out. I was on disability for a back injury and tried returning to work on February 15th, 2025. I only lasted about 8 days before I reaggravated my condition and had to stop working again on February 23rd. My doctor at Sutter Health submitted a supplemental medical certification for this new period of disability. Here's where I'm confused: EDD already paid me through February 14th based on my last certification. Then yesterday, I received a NEW certification form from EDD asking me to certify for February 24th through March 12th. I'm worried that there might be an overpayment issue because of the gap between my benefits ending (Feb 14) and my new disability period starting (Feb 24). But I never certified for those days I worked (Feb 15-23), so maybe it's all correct? Has anyone dealt with a similar situation where you briefly returned to work and then went back on disability? Did EDD handle the transition correctly? Am I overthinking this? Just nervous about doing something wrong and ending up with an overpayment notice months later.
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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.
i thought the whole point of EDD was to make things complicated lol. surprised to hear they actually got something right for once! i've been on SDI twice and both times were a complete nightmare with paperwork.
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!
Missing SDI payments after transitioning to PFL - how to get my 5 remaining days paid?
I just transitioned from SDI to Paid Family Leave on March 11th, and noticed that on March 18th my PFL payment came through for about 10 days. Great, except I'm still missing payment for the last 5 days of my SDI claim that should have been paid before the transition! I've checked my SDI Online account and it shows my SDI claim as 'closed' but there's nothing about these missing days. Do I need to file some special form to get paid for those remaining SDI days? Has anyone else dealt with this gap between SDI and PFL? My rent is due next week and I'm counting on that money. I tried calling EDD but after 2 hours on hold the call dropped. Help!
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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.
SUCCESS! I finally got through this morning using the Claimyr service someone recommended. The claim specialist found the issue right away - apparently when my doctor submitted the PFL paperwork, the dates overlapped with my SDI by 2 days, which confused the system. They're processing a gap payment for the 5 days and said I should see it deposited within 48 hours. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help!
Can I switch from UI to EDD SDI mid-claim? Doctor put me on disability after job loss
I'm in a weird situation and need advice. I was laid off unexpectedly on March 12th and immediately filed for unemployment (UI). Had my phone interview with EDD yesterday, but here's where it gets complicated - two weeks after losing my job, my doctor diagnosed me with severe anxiety and insomnia from the job loss stress and put me on disability. I filed for SDI right away (last Friday). Now I'm confused about what happens with these overlapping claims. Do I need to contact the UI department to let them know I'm now on disability? Will they automatically know? Can I even collect disability if I was already unemployed when the medical condition started? I've been looking at the EDD website but can't find clear answers for my situation. Has anyone dealt with switching from UI to disability?
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wait do u have to pay taxes on SDI? i remember UI had taxes but cant remember about disability
SDI benefits are not taxable at the federal level, unlike UI which is federally taxable. That's actually one advantage of being on SDI vs UI if you qualify for both! You won't receive a 1099-G for SDI benefits.
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.
Thank you so much for summarizing everything! I'll follow these steps exactly. Really grateful for all the help from everyone here - feeling much less anxious about the whole situation now.
Dmitry Petrov
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.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
This is actually incorrect advice and could cause problems. Filing for both UI and SDI simultaneously can trigger a review flag in EDD's system since the programs have contradictory eligibility requirements. UI requires you to certify you're able and available to work, while SDI requires certification that you cannot work due to disability. Making contradictory statements could lead to delays or even fraud investigations. It's much better to apply for the correct program (SDI in this case) from the start.
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Mei Zhang
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!
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Liam McConnell
good luck!! hope it goes thru fast for u guys!!
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