I'm going through my first SDI claim too and this thread has been incredibly informative! Just wanted to add my experience so far - I filed for a wrist fracture last week and the initial approval process was much faster than I expected compared to UI. One thing I noticed is that the SDI online portal is way more user-friendly than the UI system. The status updates are clearer and it's easier to find information about your claim. I haven't done my first certification yet (still waiting for the notification) but based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should expect payment pretty quickly once I do. The reduced benefit amount is definitely an adjustment - it's about 65% of what I was making, but knowing that payments process so much faster than UI makes the budgeting easier. At least I won't be sitting around wondering when money will show up! Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips. Feeling much more confident about navigating this process now. Fingers crossed my recovery stays on track!

I'm currently on my second week of SDI for carpal tunnel surgery and can confirm what everyone's saying about the faster payment processing! I certified last Friday and had the money in my account by Saturday afternoon - way better than the UI delays I experienced before. One tip I wish I'd known earlier: download the EDD mobile app if you haven't already. It makes checking your claim status and certification dates much easier than logging into the website every time. I get push notifications when there's any activity on my account, which has been super helpful for staying on top of everything. Also, if you're like me and stress about money timing, I found it helpful to take a screenshot of your payment history once you get a few payments under your belt. It really helped me see the pattern and feel more confident about when to expect funds. My payments have been consistently 24-48 hours after certification, just like others mentioned. The recovery process is tough enough without worrying about benefit timing, so it's nice to know SDI is generally more reliable than UI in that regard. Hope your surgery and recovery go smoothly!

Just a heads up, make sure you keep copies of all your correspondence with EDD. It's saved my butt more than once when dealing with them.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - they scheduled me for an exam 4 hours away in Fresno when I'm in San Diego. From what I've researched, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation for location if the distance creates an undue hardship. I'd suggest mentioning in your email that the 12-hour round trip creates both financial and logistical hardship, especially if you're dealing with a disability. Also, reference the Americans with Disabilities Act - they're supposed to make reasonable accommodations. I'm planning to send my request certified mail so there's a paper trail. Keep us posted on how it goes!

Just wanted to share my recent experience to give you all some hope! I was in the exact same situation 2 months ago - submitted my SDI extension for chronic pain management and it sat in "processing" for 5.5 weeks. I was absolutely panicking because my bills were piling up and I had no savings left. What finally worked was calling EDD at exactly 7:30 AM on a Wednesday morning - got through after only 15 minutes on hold! The rep told me my extension had actually been approved 3 days earlier but the system hadn't updated yet. She manually pushed it through and I received my first payment within 48 hours, plus all the backpay for the gap weeks. The key things that helped: 1) Keep certifying every week even during the gap, 2) Call early morning mid-week, 3) Don't panic - they do process them, just very slowly. Hang in there everyone, it will get resolved!

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare right now! Filed my extension 5 weeks ago for recovery from ankle surgery and it's STILL showing "processing" - my current claim literally ends in 3 days and I'm freaking out about having zero income. I've been calling EDD every single day for the past 2 weeks and either get disconnected or sit on hold for hours before giving up. The financial stress is making my recovery so much worse. Really considering trying that Claimyr service at this point since nothing else is working. It's honestly ridiculous that disabled people have to jump through these hoops while we're supposed to be focusing on healing. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines - at least I know I'm not alone in this mess!

As a newcomer to this community and someone who will likely be dealing with EDD medical certifications soon, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly thorough discussion! Reading through all these responses has been like getting a crash course from experienced professionals. I'm particularly grateful for the specific step-by-step instructions, the insider tips about timing and documentation requirements, and all the practical workflow suggestions. It's clear that while the EDD system has a steep learning curve, having access to this kind of collective wisdom makes it much more manageable. I'm definitely going to implement the tracking system idea and bookmark the medical provider handbook that was mentioned. This is exactly the kind of supportive community resource that makes challenging administrative tasks less overwhelming for healthcare providers!

As another newcomer to this community, I want to echo everyone's appreciation for this incredibly helpful thread! I'm a family practice physician who's been avoiding the electronic EDD system and still using paper forms, but reading through all these detailed explanations has convinced me it's time to make the switch. The step-by-step guidance from experienced providers, especially the tips about using the Medical Provider Services section and verifying claim types upfront, gives me confidence that I can navigate this successfully. I'm particularly impressed by how this community supports each other through these administrative challenges - it's exactly what healthcare providers need when dealing with complex government systems. Planning to set up my SDI Online account this week and implement the tracking spreadsheet idea right from the start. Thank you all for sharing your expertise so generously!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Mailed my SDI claim 6 days ago and have been refreshing my phone constantly waiting for that confirmation text that apparently never comes reliably anyway. This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had NO idea paper claims took 4-6 weeks vs 1-2 weeks online. EDD's website definitely makes it sound like they're processed the same way. Just tried @Charlie Yang's registration trick and got the "no existing claim" error too, so mine definitely hasn't been entered into their system yet. At least now I have a way to check progress without having to call and wait on hold for hours! Really kicking myself for not just waiting for my internet to come back online, but what's done is done. Planning to call at exactly 8am next week if I still don't see any movement. It's somewhat comforting to know I'm not alone in this - seems like a lot of us made the same mistake of choosing mail when our internet/computers failed us at the worst possible time! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and especially the practical tips. This community is a lifesaver during such a stressful process.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! Mailed my SDI claim 4 days ago when my laptop died unexpectedly, and I've been anxiously waiting for any kind of confirmation. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and concerning - reassuring that this wait is totally normal for paper claims, but concerning about how much longer it actually takes compared to what EDD's website suggests. Just tried @Charlie Yang's registration trick and got the "no existing claim" error as well, so mine definitely isn't in their system yet either. That's actually such a helpful way to monitor progress without dealing with their notorious phone hold times! It's crazy how many of us are in this same boat right now - seems like technology failures at the worst possible moment are more common than we'd think. I'm definitely planning to try the 8am calling strategy once I hit the 10-day mark that several people have recommended. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences, especially @Amara Torres for the professional insight and @Natasha Volkova and @Lincoln Ramiro for the encouraging success stories. Knowing that the backpay covers everything from the start date makes this wait feel a bit more manageable. We'll all get through this together!