Hey Zainab! I'm glad to see you got your SDI application submitted - that's a huge step! I went through something similar when I had gallbladder surgery last year. Just wanted to share a couple things that helped me during the process: First, I actually called my doctor's office the same day I submitted my claim and spoke directly to the medical records person (not just the receptionist) to explain that I needed the EDD disability forms completed ASAP for financial reasons. They were much more responsive when I explained the urgency. Second, once your claim is approved, you can set up direct deposit through your SDI Online account which gets you paid faster than waiting for checks in the mail. The whole process took about 2 weeks for me from start to first payment. Hang in there - the financial stress is the worst part but you're doing everything right!

I'm so glad you found this community and got your SDI application submitted! As someone who's been through the CA disability process a couple times (once for my own surgery and once helping my elderly mom), I wanted to share a few additional tips that might help ease your stress. First, if you're really worried about timing, you can actually track your claim status online through the SDI portal - it will show when your doctor submits their portion and when your claim moves to "under review" status. Second, while you're waiting for approval, document everything - keep copies of all your medical records, receipts from doctor visits, and any correspondence with EDD. If there are any issues later, having good documentation makes everything much smoother. Finally, don't hesitate to reach out to your local State Disability Insurance office if you hit any roadblocks - sometimes talking to someone in person can resolve issues faster than the phone system. You've got this, and the financial relief will come soon!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Just joined this community because I've been searching everywhere for answers. Got approved for 12 days but only received payment for 8 days. It's so frustrating when you're already dealing with health issues and then have to chase down money you're legally entitled to. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful - sounds like the secure messaging approach through the online portal is the way to go. Going to try that first before attempting to call. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions, this gives me hope that it can actually get resolved!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! I had a very similar situation a few months ago - approved for 16 days but only got paid for 11. What ended up working for me was logging into my online account and going to the "History" section to compare what was actually approved versus what showed as paid. I found there was a discrepancy in their system where some of my weekend days weren't calculated properly. I sent a secure message through the portal with screenshots showing the difference and included my claim number and the exact date range from my doctor's note. It took about 8 business days, but they issued a correction payment for the missing 5 days. The key is being super detailed in your message - include your claim number, the exact dates you were approved for, what you actually received payment for, and reference your doctor's certification. Don't give up! You're entitled to those missing days and they will eventually make it right. The system is definitely frustrating but persistence pays off. Keep us updated on how it goes! 🙏

Wow, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently 6 weeks into my SDI claim for a work-related knee injury and had absolutely no idea about the certification form disappearing issue until I stumbled across Andre's post. After reading everyone's experiences, I immediately dug out my approval paperwork and discovered I'm cutting it close - only about 3 weeks left on my initial approval period! My orthopedic surgeon has been saying all along that my recovery will likely take 4-5 months total, but somehow that timeline disconnect with EDD's initial 12-week approval never clicked for me until now. I'm calling his office first thing tomorrow to get the extension process rolling. What really strikes me is how this thread has become like an unofficial EDD survival guide - from Norman's organization tips to the Claimyr service recommendation to all the detailed advice about doctor's office procedures. It's both amazing and frustrating that we as patients have had to crowdsource solutions to what should be basic system functionality. The calendar reminder system idea is genius and I'm implementing it tonight. It's honestly shocking that a state agency can't manage basic notifications in 2025, but at least this community has figured out workarounds. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - you probably just saved me from a major panic attack in a few weeks!

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! I'm currently 5 weeks into SDI for complications from gallbladder surgery and honestly had no clue about any of these timing issues until I found Andre's post. Reading through all these stories made me immediately panic-check my approval letter, and sure enough, I only have about 10 days left on my initial period! The crazy part is my surgeon told me from day one that recovery would likely be 12-16 weeks due to some complications I had, but somehow the disconnect between that timeline and EDD's initial 8-week approval never registered. I guess when you're dealing with pain and recovery, you just assume the system will work logically - clearly a mistake! I'm calling my surgeon's office tomorrow morning to request the DE 2525XX extension form. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm also going to ask them specifically about getting a longer approval period this time around to avoid having to repeat this process in another 2 months. The organizational tips from Norman and others are lifesavers - I'm setting up the multi-stage calendar reminder system tonight. It's honestly ridiculous that in 2025 we have to create elaborate tracking systems just to manage basic government benefits, but this community has clearly figured out how to beat the system at its own game. Andre - thanks for sharing your panic moment and then following up with the resolution. This thread probably just saved dozens of people from unnecessary stress and benefit interruptions!

Something else I just thought of - make SURE you certify for your UI correctly for the last period. If your SDI starts mid-week, you need to report that you were unable to work for those days on your UI certification. Don't claim availability for work on days your doctor has certified you as disabled. That's considered misrepresentation and can cause big problems.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you file your SDI claim online, there's a section where you can indicate that you were previously receiving other state benefits. Make sure to check that box and specify UI benefits. This creates a paper trail that shows you were transparent about the transition, which can help protect you if there are any questions later. Also, if you're planning to return to work after your pregnancy disability period ends, your UI claim should still be there waiting for you (assuming you still have benefit weeks remaining and meet eligibility requirements). You don't lose your UI claim by switching to SDI temporarily. Good luck with everything, and take care of yourself during this bedrest period! 💜

LPT: Llama temprano en la mañana, como a las 8:01 AM. He notado que hay menos espera y más probabilidad de conseguir un agente que hable español a esa hora.

También puedes intentar llamar el número principal y cuando te digan "Para continuar en inglés, presiona 1" simplemente espera sin presionar nada. A veces automáticamente te conectan con un agente bilingüe. Y si eso no funciona, di claramente "Necesito ayuda en español" - es la ley que te tienen que proporcionar servicios en tu idioma. ¡No te rindas!