I'm going through the exact same thing! My SDI claim was approved 8 days ago showing a weekly benefit amount of $1,034, but still no payment date anywhere. This thread has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that 2-3 week delays for first payments were so common! It's really frustrating that EDD doesn't communicate this timeline upfront. I've been checking my account multiple times a day thinking something was wrong. @NebulaNova your success story with Claimyr gives me hope that if there's some hidden flag, it can be resolved quickly. I'm going to try waiting through this weekend to see if anything processes with the Sunday/Tuesday payment batches, and if not, I might give them a try early next week. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know we're all going through this together and that payments do eventually come through!

I'm experiencing the exact same situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! My SDI claim was approved 6 days ago with a weekly benefit amount of $1,245 showing, but no payment date yet. I was starting to panic thinking something was wrong, but reading everyone's experiences here shows this 2-3 week delay for first payments is actually pretty normal - just incredibly frustrating that EDD doesn't communicate this upfront! The information about payment batches running on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays is really helpful too. @NebulaNova I'm so glad you got your issue resolved with Claimyr - that gives me hope that if there is some hidden flag, it can be cleared up quickly. I think I'll wait through next week's payment cycles and if nothing shows up, I'll definitely give them a try. It's such a relief to know we're all going through this together and that the payments do eventually come through. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences during this stressful process!

Hola CosmicCrusader! Entiendo perfectamente tu preocupación - la espera puede ser muy estresante, especialmente cuando dependes de estos beneficios. Basado en mi experiencia y lo que he visto en este foro, 3-4 semanas es bastante normal ahora para recibir la primera notificación del EDD. Desde que presentaste tu solicitud el 26 de diciembre, apenas han pasado unas 3 semanas, así que estás dentro del rango normal. Mi recomendación es que sigas revisando tu cuenta online del EDD cada 2-3 días - las actualizaciones aparecen ahí antes que lleguen por correo. También asegúrate de tener listos todos tus documentos por si te los piden: ID, últimos comprobantes de pago, W-2s, y cualquier carta de terminación si la tienes. Sé que es frustrante, pero ten paciencia un poco más. Si después de 5-6 semanas no has recibido nada, entonces considera intentar llamar. ¡Ánimo, vas por buen camino!

¡Hola CosmicCrusader! Me uno al coro de voces aquí - estoy en una situación muy similar. Presenté mi solicitud el 2 de enero y también estoy esperando ansiosamente alguna notificación. Después de leer todos estos comentarios, me siento mucho más tranquilo sabiendo que 3-4 semanas es el tiempo normal ahora. Lo que me ha funcionado para mantener la calma es crear una rutina: reviso mi cuenta online del EDD cada martes y viernes, tengo una carpeta con todos mis documentos organizados (ID, últimos 3 talones de pago, W-2 del año pasado, y mi carta de separación), y trato de no obsesionarme revisando todos los días. Una cosa que he notado es que muchas personas aquí eventualmente reciben respuesta, así que hay luz al final del túnel. Si te sirve de algo, podemos actualizarnos mutuamente cuando recibamos noticias - a veces ayuda tener a alguien pasando por lo mismo. ¡Mantente fuerte, casi estás en la marca de las 3 semanas!

I've been lurking on this thread for a while now and finally decided to join because I'm going through the exact same nightmare! Been trying to reach EDD for about 2 weeks now and it's absolutely soul-crushing. Every single strategy you all have shared resonates with me - the busy signals, the maximum capacity hang-ups, the endless redialing until your thumb goes numb. Reading through everyone's experiences is both comforting (knowing I'm not alone) and terrifying (realizing how widespread this problem is). I'm definitely going to try the combo approach that @Sebastian Scott shared - the 8:01 AM timing with multiple phones, that alternate number (1-833-978-2511), and the Wednesday strategy. The redial app suggestion is brilliant too, downloading one right now! It's honestly insane that we've had to create our own underground intelligence network just to access basic unemployment services. This thread has become like a war room for EDD phone battles 😅 But seriously, thank you all for sharing your strategies and keeping each other sane through this mess. At least we're all suffering together and helping each other out. Going to gear up for battle tomorrow morning - wish me luck! 🤞

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been trying for over 3 weeks and it's driving me absolutely insane. The automated system hanging up on you instead of putting you in a queue is probably the most infuriating part - like, just let me wait even if it's 4 hours! I've been taking notes on all the strategies shared here and I'm blown away by how much collective wisdom we've built up. It's both amazing and deeply sad that we've had to become expert tacticians just to access basic services. The alternate number @Sebastian Scott mentioned (1-833-978-2511) is going straight into my arsenal, along with the Wednesday morning strategy and that redial app idea. Has anyone tried the "call your assembly member" approach yet? I keep seeing people mention contacting local representatives but haven't seen any follow-up on whether that actually works. At this point I'm considering every possible angle - phones, apps, social media, politicians, carrier pigeons, smoke signals, you name it! This thread has honestly been a lifeline knowing I'm not going crazy alone. We've basically created our own EDD Phone Warriors Support Group and I'm here for it! 💪

I just want to thank everyone in this thread for sharing such detailed and practical advice! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where my bank is giving me the runaround on my EDD disability check, and reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring. It's frustrating that accessing our rightful benefits has become such an obstacle course, but knowing there are specific steps to take (like the "known payee verification" approach and having multiple forms of documentation) makes me feel much more prepared to advocate for myself. The community bank suggestion and assembly member contact option are particularly valuable backup plans I never would have known about otherwise. This is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes all the difference when you're stuck in bureaucratic limbo!

This thread is such a lifesaver! I'm currently waiting for my first EDD disability check to arrive and had no idea these banking issues were so widespread. The fact that legitimate disability recipients are getting caught up in fraud prevention measures is incredibly frustrating, especially when people are already dealing with health issues and financial stress. I'm definitely going to take everyone's advice here and prepare multiple forms of documentation before I even try to cash my first check. The "known payee verification" terminology and assembly member contact option are particularly valuable tips I never would have known about. It's sad that we need a whole playbook just to access benefits we're entitled to, but I'm really grateful for this community sharing such detailed, practical solutions!

I'm new here but unfortunately dealing with a very similar situation. Got hurt at my manufacturing job back in December and I'm also caught in this workers comp/SDI limbo. Reading through all these responses has been both helpful and frustrating - helpful because there seem to be more options than I realized, frustrating because it confirms how unnecessarily complicated the system is. A few things I've learned from my own research that might help: 1. Make sure you're reporting your workers comp correctly on your SDI certification. I found out I was supposed to report it as "other income" rather than just mentioning it in the comments section. 2. If you're still within the appeal window, consider requesting an "expedited review" due to financial hardship. I'm not sure if it actually speeds things up, but it's worth mentioning your family's situation. 3. Check if your county has any emergency assistance programs for injured workers. Mine has a small fund that can help with utilities while you're waiting for benefits to sort out. The wage gap calculation that @Freya Johansen mentioned sounds promising - definitely going to look into that angle for my own case. It makes sense that SDI should be able to cover the difference when workers comp is clearly inadequate. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. It helps knowing we're not alone in this mess!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation right now - work injury in September, reduced to part-time hours due to restrictions, getting minimal workers comp, and EDD initially approved then denied my SDI claim. The financial stress is overwhelming when you're trying to support a family on such reduced income. What really helped me was getting very specific about the timeline and documentation. I created a detailed spreadsheet showing my normal weekly earnings vs. current earnings (reduced wages + workers comp) to clearly demonstrate the substantial income gap. This was crucial for my appeal because it shows that even with both sources, I'm still significantly below my normal disability benefit calculation. I also learned that the timing of when you report things to EDD matters a lot. If you reported the workers comp payments AFTER they processed your initial approval, that might explain why you got approved first then denied. The system doesn't handle changes well. One thing that's worked for others in our situation - have your doctor be very specific about whether your work restrictions are due to the same injury covered by workers comp or if there are additional limitations. Sometimes there's wiggle room if your disability prevents you from working your normal schedule beyond what workers comp is covering. Keep fighting the appeal - I know March seems impossibly far away, but document everything and don't give up. The system is definitely stacked against injured workers, but there are people who win these cases when the income gap is as significant as yours.