Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same situation about 8 weeks ago! The DE 429D with "additional approvals" definitely sounds scary at first, but after reading through this thread and seeing everyone's experiences, it's clear this is pretty much a standard part of the process now. In my case, they needed me to verify my identity through ID.me (which was actually pretty straightforward once I got started) and provide some additional wage statements from a job I had earlier in the year. The whole thing took about 5 weeks from start to finish, but like others have mentioned, I did get all my retroactive payments once everything was approved. The best advice I can give is what everyone else has already said - check your UI Online account religiously! I set up a phone reminder for 9am every day and it saved me from missing a document request that had a tight deadline. Also, when uploading documents, take your time to make sure they're crystal clear - better to spend an extra few minutes getting a good scan than having to resubmit later. Hang in there @Liam Fitzgerald - this community has been amazing for navigating all the EDD confusion, and it sounds like you're getting great advice from everyone here! 🙌

Just wanted to add my recent experience to help ease some worries! I received my DE 429D notice about 6 weeks ago and was completely overwhelmed by the "additional approvals" part. After reading through similar threads here, I learned it's actually a pretty routine verification step that EDD does now. In my case, they needed me to complete ID.me verification and submit additional documentation for a seasonal job I had worked earlier in the year. The whole process took about 4 weeks total, and I did receive all my back payments once everything was approved. The key things that helped me: 1) Checking UI Online daily (I set an alarm for 8am), 2) Responding to requests within 24 hours, and 3) Making sure all uploaded documents were high-quality PDFs rather than blurry phone photos. I know the waiting is stressful, but based on what I've seen in this community, most people do get through the approval process successfully. Don't hesitate to ask questions here - everyone's been super helpful sharing their experiences! You've got this! 💪

I'm dealing with a similar nightmare right now! My doctor put the wrong end date on my extension form - off by a whole month. I called EDD yesterday and they said it could take 2-4 weeks to process the correction, which is absolutely ridiculous. In the meantime, I'm stressed about whether my benefits will be affected. Has anyone had luck escalating these issues to a supervisor? I feel like the front-line reps don't really understand the urgency of these situations when people are depending on these payments to survive.

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! My doctor accidentally wrote 2023 instead of 2024 on my disability extension paperwork and I've been waiting almost 2 weeks for them to process the correction. It's so stressful not knowing if my benefits will be affected. I've called twice already but just keep getting told to "wait for it to be reviewed." Reading these responses is really helpful - I think I'm going to try the three-way call approach with my doctor's office that someone mentioned. Has anyone had success getting a timeline estimate from EDD when they call, or do they always just say "we'll review it"?

JUST BE AWARE that even though you CAN get up to 52 weeks, EDD has been getting really strict about extensions lately! They denied my extension after 4 months even though my doctor said I needed more time, and I had to appeal. The whole process was a nightmare and I almost lost my apartment waiting for them to approve the extension. Make sure your doctor is SUPER detailed about why you can't work. I wish I'd known how hard they'd make it!

I'm going through something similar right now! I've been on SDI for about 3 months after a back injury and was getting worried about the same thing. What I learned from my case worker is that you should start the extension process about 3-4 weeks BEFORE your current certification expires, not when your claim balance gets low. The balance will automatically adjust once the extension is approved. Also, if you're worried about the process, you can ask your doctor's office to fax the supplementary form directly to EDD rather than mailing it - it's faster and you get a confirmation. Don't stress too much about the balance number you see online, it's just their initial estimate!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to this community and dealing with a similar situation. My manager told me the exact same thing - that my doctor could file my SDI claim for me. I was so confused because when I called my doctor's office, they said I needed to start the process first. Reading everyone's responses here confirms what my doctor's office told me. It's really concerning how many employers seem to misunderstand this process and potentially cause delays for employees who need these benefits. I'm going to file my claim online today and then notify my doctor. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this cleared up so much confusion for me!

This is exactly the kind of confusion that trips up so many people! I work in HR and see this misunderstanding constantly. What often happens is that employers see doctors completing the medical certification part of SDI claims and assume they can handle the whole process. But you're absolutely right to question this - the employee MUST initiate the claim first. One tip I always give people: when you file online through SDI Online, make sure to print or save your confirmation number. Then when you contact your doctor's office, give them that confirmation info along with your claim number. This helps them quickly locate your case in their SDI system and ensures there's no delay in completing their medical certification. Also, since you mentioned severe back issues with a herniated disc, make sure your doctor provides detailed information about your functional limitations and expected recovery timeline. The more specific they are about how your condition affects your ability to work, the smoother your approval process will be. Hope your back heals up and your claim gets processed quickly!

Just wanted to add another tip that helped me recently - if you're having trouble with any of the online methods, try clearing your browser cache and cookies before accessing the SDI Online portal or Contact EDD feature. I was getting weird error messages when trying to log in, and it turned out to be a browser issue. Also, make sure you're using a supported browser (Chrome or Firefox work best in my experience). Sometimes the simplest tech fixes can save you hours of frustration! And definitely bookmark this thread - so much good info here from everyone's experiences. This community is awesome! 💪

Just adding to all the great advice here - I recently discovered that if you're already receiving disability benefits, the DE 2525XX form is also sometimes automatically included with your benefit payment stub or mailed separately around the time your claim period is about to end. I almost went through the whole request process before I realized it was sitting in a stack of mail I hadn't opened yet! 🤦‍♀️ So maybe check any recent EDD mail you might have received before going through all the request steps. Could save you some time and hassle. But if you don't have it, definitely follow all the excellent advice everyone's shared here - this thread is like a master guide for getting EDD forms!