I've been on disability twice (back injury) and both times the checks came pretty consistently 5 business days after showing as authorized. I've never had one take longer than 7 business days. The USPS informed delivery service is really helpful - you can sign up free and they email you pictures of the mail that's coming to you each day. That way you'll know exactly when it's arriving.

Based on my experience with CA disability payments, you should realistically expect your check to arrive within 5-7 business days from today's authorization date. I've been through this process a few times and found that while EDD says 7-10 business days, most checks actually arrive faster than that. Since today is a Saturday and your payment was authorized today, the check likely won't be processed/mailed until Monday or Tuesday, then add 3-5 days for postal delivery. So you're probably looking at receiving it sometime between Thursday and the following Tuesday. For your rent situation - definitely reach out to your landlord ASAP to let them know about the slight delay. Most landlords are understanding if you communicate early rather than waiting until after rent is due. You might also want to check if your state/county has any emergency rental assistance programs available while you wait for your check to arrive. Good luck, and hopefully it arrives on the earlier side of that timeline!

Update: I finally got through to EDD this morning! The representative explained that when there's a discrepancy between the IME date and my doctor's return-to-work date, I need to have my doctor submit additional documentation explaining why I couldn't return on the earlier date. I'm going to ask my doctor to submit that paperwork tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

This is exactly why I always recommend keeping detailed records of everything! I learned the hard way that EDD will try to use any excuse to cut benefits short. For future reference, if you ever have to do another IME, make sure to bring a copy of your treating doctor's most recent assessment and ask the EDD examiner to review it during your appointment. Sometimes they don't have all the current medical information when they do their evaluation. Also, don't be afraid to speak up during the exam about your limitations - they're making decisions based on what they observe in that short visit. Glad you got through to someone and are getting it sorted out!

Any advice would be helpful

Hi Raman! "Qualification" status typically means EDD is still reviewing your claim to determine if you meet all the eligibility requirements for disability benefits. This can include verifying your medical condition, work history, and ensuring all required documentation has been submitted. It doesn't necessarily mean you're denied - just that the review process is still ongoing. The qualification phase can take several weeks depending on the complexity of your case. Make sure you've submitted all requested medical records and forms, and consider calling EDD if it's been longer than expected. Hang in there!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a new member here and currently going through the SDI application process myself. Reading about everyone's experiences with the base period calculations has me worried that I might face the same issue since I switched jobs about 10 months ago with a significant pay increase. @Oliver Becker - your explanation about the standard vs alternate base period was really eye-opening. I had no idea there were two different calculation methods! @Emma Bianchi - thanks for that step-by-step breakdown. I'm bookmarking this for reference in case I run into problems with my benefit amount. For those who successfully got their benefits recalculated, about how long did it take from when you first contacted EDD to when you saw the corrected payment? I'm trying to plan financially and wondering if I should expect weeks or months of back-and-forth before this gets resolved if needed. Also, is there any way to proactively check what base period they'll be using BEFORE filing the claim, or do you only find out after they process it and send the first payment?

Just want to add my experience to this thread - I went through something very similar last year and it was absolutely worth fighting for the correct calculation! The thing that really helped me was being super organized when I finally got through to EDD. I had a spreadsheet with all my pay dates, amounts, and SDI deductions from both jobs, plus I calculated what my benefit SHOULD be based on my higher wages. When the rep could see exactly what I was talking about with specific numbers and dates, they were much more helpful. One thing I don't think anyone mentioned yet - if you do get the alternate base period approved, make sure to ask them to email or mail you confirmation of the change. I didn't do this initially and then had to call back again when there was confusion about which calculation they were supposed to be using. @Paolo Marino definitely don't give up on this! The difference between benefits calculated on your old job vs new job wages could literally be thousands of dollars over the course of your disability claim. It's absolutely worth the hassle of getting it fixed properly. The Claimyr service really is a game changer for actually reaching someone. I probably would have given up without it because the regular phone lines are just impossible.

As someone who's completely new to this community and the SDI system, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I had no idea how the base period calculations worked or that there was such a significant difference between weekly and monthly benefit amounts. @Chloe Taylor I'm so relieved you figured out you're getting $1,620 weekly instead of monthly - what a massive difference that makes! I can totally understand the initial panic when you thought you were only getting $1,600 per month. The stress of dealing with an injury while trying to navigate unfamiliar government paperwork would make anyone prone to misreading those details. It's really enlightening to learn that you're actually receiving the maximum SDI benefit amount, which means your wages during the base period quarters (Oct 2023 - Sep 2024) were already high enough to qualify you for the top tier. While it's still frustrating that your December 2024 promotion can't be factored in, at least the system worked out better than you initially thought. This whole discussion has taught me so much about how SDI works - from base periods to alternate base periods to the specific quarters they use for different claim dates. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference. The community support here is amazing, and I hope your back injury heals quickly so you can get back to your full salary soon!

As someone who just joined this community, this entire thread has been such an eye-opening experience! @Chloe Taylor I'm so glad you discovered that weekly vs monthly mix-up - what an incredible relief that must have been! I can completely understand how you'd misread those details initially when you're already stressed about your injury and trying to make sense of all that government paperwork. Learning that you're actually receiving $1,620 weekly (the maximum SDI benefit!) instead of $1,600 monthly completely changes everything. While it's still frustrating that your December promotion couldn't be factored into the calculation, at least your pre-promotion wages were solid enough to qualify you for the highest benefit tier available. This whole discussion has been like a crash course in SDI for me - I had no clue about base periods, how they determine which quarters to use, or why recent wage increases can't be considered. The community knowledge here is incredible! Everyone's detailed explanations and practical advice (like the Claimyr service for getting through to EDD) have been so helpful. I'm definitely saving this thread as a reference in case I ever need to navigate the SDI system myself. It's amazing how this community rallied together to help you understand what was really happening with your benefits. Hope your back injury heals quickly so you can get back to enjoying that well-deserved promotion salary!