I'm new to this community and wanted to share my perspective as someone who recently went through this exact process. I was on CA SDI for about 12 weeks after a workplace injury and successfully applied for my employer's LTD benefits. Reading through this thread, I see a lot of great advice that matches my experience. Here's what actually happened in my case: SDI was paying me about $2,750/month (roughly 61% of my salary), and my employer's LTD plan covered up to 67% total. The private insurer paid me an additional $270/month to bring me up to that 67% level. A few things I'd add to the excellent advice already shared: **Document everything from day one** - I wish I had started keeping detailed records of all my medical appointments, treatments, and communications with both EDD and the LTD carrier from the beginning. It became really helpful when filling out those monthly LTD reports. **Ask about online portals** - When you call for that benefit estimate, also ask if they have online systems for submitting monthly reports. My LTD carrier had a portal that made the ongoing reporting much easier than paper forms. **Consider the timing of medical appointments** - The LTD carrier wanted much more frequent updates from my doctor than EDD required. I learned to schedule follow-up appointments strategically to align with their reporting timeline. The paperwork was definitely intensive compared to SDI, but even that modest increase in benefits made a real difference during recovery. Plus, having the LTD claim established gave me peace of mind about longer-term coverage if my recovery had taken longer than expected. Hope this helps, and wishing you a smooth recovery process! This community has been incredibly valuable for navigating these complex benefit systems.

I'm new to this community and currently navigating almost the exact same situation! I've been on CA SDI for about 8 weeks following a work-related back injury (L5-S1 disc herniation) and I'm just approaching my 90-day LTD eligibility period. This entire thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea how these benefits actually coordinate before reading everyone's real experiences. Like many others initially thought, I was hoping for close to 100% salary replacement, but now I understand the offset structure much better. Even an additional 5-15% of salary would make a meaningful difference with all the physical therapy copays and prescription costs adding up. Based on everything I've learned here, I'm definitely going to: 1. Call my LTD carrier this week for a benefit estimate before starting any paperwork 2. Start gathering all my detailed medical records since the documentation requirements sound much more intensive than SDI 3. Prepare for more demanding monthly reporting vs. SDI's bi-weekly certifications One quick question for those who've been through this: Did anyone experience any issues with the timing of when LTD benefits actually start? I'm wondering if there's typically a gap between hitting the 90-day mark and when you receive your first LTD payment, and how that might affect budgeting during the transition. Thanks to everyone who shared their actual numbers and experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex systems! Really hoping the application process goes smoothly.

I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now! My SDI benefits stopped 6 days ago and that biweekly certification form just vanished like it never existed. I've been working a few shifts at a local cafe and reported everything honestly, but apparently their system can't handle basic income reporting without having a complete breakdown. The DE 2517-25 notice is absolutely maddening - it's like they hired someone to write the most cryptic instructions possible. "Complete required documentation" but WHAT documentation and WHERE?? No deadline, no specifics, nothing useful at all! After reading through all these comments, I tried the late-night login trick around midnight and found a "claim pending additional review" message that's completely hidden during regular hours. How is that even legal?? Why would they hide critical information when people are most likely to need it during business hours? I'm definitely going to try that employer services transfer strategy - calling their employer line and asking to be transferred to disability claims sounds way more promising than the endless busy signals on the main number. It's both reassuring and infuriating that so many of us are dealing with identical issues. At least we know this is a massive system-wide problem, not something we did wrong by being honest about our income! Thanks for starting this thread OP - sometimes just knowing you're not alone in bureaucratic hell makes it bearable. We've got this! 💪

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! I've been following this thread and it's clear that there's a major system-wide issue affecting tons of people right now. From what I've learned lurking in other EDD groups, here are a few additional strategies that might help: 1. Try the "Ask EDD" feature in your UI Online account if it's available - sometimes this gets faster responses than phone calls or regular messaging. 2. Check if your local One-Stop Career Center offers EDD assistance. Many have staff who specialize in helping people navigate these issues and can sometimes make calls on your behalf. 3. If you have any documentation about your vacation pay (pay stubs, employer letters, etc.), scan and save copies now. When you do get through to someone, having everything ready digitally can speed up the process. 4. Consider filing a complaint with the EDD ombudsman if other methods fail. They're supposed to help resolve complex cases that get stuck in the system. The fact that so many people are reporting identical issues with the certification form disappearing after income changes suggests this is definitely a system glitch, not user error. It's completely unacceptable that we have to become expert problem-solvers just to access benefits we've earned. Hang in there - based on what others have shared, most of these cases do eventually get resolved. The process is just unnecessarily painful. Keep documenting everything and don't give up! 🤞

Pro tip: document EVERYTHING. Every call, every letter, every online status update. You never know when you might need that info later.

I'm currently going through this too! Filed my claim about 10 days ago and the waiting is killing me. From what I've read online and heard from friends, it seems like the timeline really varies - some people get their first payment in 2-3 weeks if everything goes smoothly, but others wait much longer if there are any issues with documentation or if EDD needs additional info. One thing that's helped my anxiety is setting up text alerts through the EDD portal so I get notified of any status changes. Also, make sure you're certifying for benefits every two weeks once that option becomes available - that's super important! Fingers crossed we both hear something soon 🤞

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just got my first SDI payment last week and I'm also stressing about when the next one will come. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I had no idea about the text alerts or the calendar reminder system. I'm definitely going to set up those notifications in the SDI portal and start tracking everything in a spreadsheet like some of you suggested. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who found this confusing at first. The unpredictability is really tough when you're used to regular paychecks, but it sounds like most people figure out the rhythm after a few months. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find on the EDD website!

I've been on SDI for about 3 months now and I totally get the stress about unpredictable payment timing! One thing that really helped me was calling my bank to see if they offer any kind of "benefit bridge" or emergency assistance programs - turns out my credit union had a small short-term loan specifically for people waiting on government benefits. They let me borrow $500 at a really low rate to cover my rent while waiting for my second SDI payment, and I paid it back as soon as the payment hit. Also, pro tip: if you're really anxious about timing, you can sometimes get a general idea of processing delays by checking the EDD subreddit or calling the disability customer service line and asking about current processing times. They won't give you specifics about your claim, but they'll sometimes tell you if they're running behind due to high volume or holidays. The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part of this whole process, but it does get more manageable once you learn your own rhythm!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - just had knee surgery and my doctor also only does paper forms. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going to follow the advice about making copies and getting tracking. One question though - when you're filling out Part A, did you have any issues with the employment history section? My employer uses a temp agency for payroll so I'm not sure if I should put down the temp agency or my actual workplace. Anyone dealt with this before?

Just want to add one more tip from my recent experience - if you're dealing with a back surgery like OP mentioned, make sure your doctor includes specific functional limitations in Part B (like "cannot lift more than 10 lbs" or "cannot sit for more than 30 minutes"). I initially got a vague medical certification that just said "post-surgical recovery" and EDD requested additional documentation. My doctor had to submit a more detailed form explaining exactly what I couldn't do work-wise. This delayed my claim by about 10 days, so definitely discuss this with your doctor upfront to avoid the back-and-forth!