I went through this exact situation 8 months ago! Your doctor can definitely extend before the original end date - mine did it 2 weeks early when I developed gestational diabetes complications. The most important thing is timing and documentation. Here's what worked for me: I called my doctor's office and specifically asked to speak with someone who handles disability paperwork regularly (not just any nurse). I explained that I needed a Supplemental Certification form (DE 2525XX) submitted ASAP due to new complications. My doctor included very specific medical language like "insulin-dependent gestational diabetes requiring extended monitoring and modified activity restrictions" rather than just saying "needs more time." The form was processed within a week and showed up in my SDI Online account. No gap in benefits at all! Just make sure you keep doing your bi-weekly certifications during the extension period. One tip: ask your doctor's office to give you a copy of the completed form before they submit it, so you have it for your records. This saved me when EDD had questions later. You've got this - being proactive now is exactly the right move!

As someone who recently went through this process myself, I can confirm that your doctor can absolutely extend your pregnancy disability before the original end date! I had mine extended twice - once at 36 weeks due to severe morning sickness that wasn't improving, and again closer to delivery due to high blood pressure. The key things that helped me: 1. Don't wait - contact your doctor's office this week to discuss the extension 2. Be specific about your complications when talking to your doctor so they can document them properly on the DE 2525XX form 3. Ask your doctor to use detailed medical terminology rather than general phrases like "needs more recovery time" 4. Request a copy of the completed form for your records before they submit it I found that being proactive actually made the whole process smoother. My extensions showed up in SDI Online within about a week each time, and I never had any payment gaps. Your HR's 30-day notice request is really just for their planning purposes - the medical necessity is what matters for EDD. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: if you're planning to use Paid Family Leave after your pregnancy disability ends, start thinking about that transition now so there are no gaps between the two benefits. Feel free to ask if you have other questions - this community has been so helpful during my own journey!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Missing DE 2593 form, no payments for 3 weeks. What's really frustrating is that I can see in my payment history that everything was fine until this form was supposed to show up. I've been checking my UI Online account obsessively every day. Has anyone tried reaching out through social media? I saw some people saying EDD sometimes responds faster on Twitter when you @ them publicly. Might be worth a shot since the phone lines are basically useless. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - at least we know we're not alone in this mess!

I went through this exact situation last month! The DE 2593 form disappeared from my account too and I was panicking. Here's what finally worked for me: I sent a message through the UI Online "Contact EDD" feature explaining that my required form was missing and my payments were suspended. I included my claim number and the date I was supposed to receive the form. It took about 2 weeks, but they responded and regenerated the form in my account. Also, try logging out completely and logging back in - sometimes there's a glitch where forms don't display properly. I know the waiting is stressful when you need those benefits, but don't give up! The system is definitely broken but your benefits are still there waiting for you once this gets resolved.

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might be helpful for your situation. When I applied for SDI for work-related anxiety/depression in 2023, one thing that really strengthened my case was having my doctor include specific examples of how my symptoms made me unable to perform the essential functions of my job, not just that I had anxiety and depression. Since you're in tech, make sure your doctor understands and documents how your condition affects things like: sustained focus during coding sessions, ability to troubleshoot complex problems, participation in team collaborations, handling deadline pressure, and processing feedback during code reviews. These are core job functions that anxiety and depression can significantly impair. Also, the fact that you have 9 months of therapy documentation discussing work-related stress is huge for your case. That timeline clearly shows your condition was deteriorating while you were still employed, which directly contradicts any suggestion that you're just trying to get better benefits after a layoff. One practical tip: when you call EDD to withdraw your UI claim (if your doctor supports SDI), get the representative's name and a confirmation number. Document everything in writing. The transition between programs can get messy if there's any confusion about timing. You're doing the right thing by prioritizing your mental health. I was hesitant to apply for disability benefits at first because of stigma, but it gave me the time and financial stability I needed to properly address my condition. Now I'm back at work with better boundaries and coping strategies. Take care of yourself first - everything else will follow.

I wanted to add one more thing that might help with your case - make sure to discuss any physical symptoms you've been experiencing alongside the anxiety and depression. Many people don't realize that conditions like panic attacks, chronic fatigue from insomnia, headaches from stress, or gastrointestinal issues can all be documented as part of your disability claim when they're related to your mental health condition. I went through a similar situation in 2022, and my doctor was able to document how my work-related anxiety was causing physical symptoms like migraines and stomach issues that were making it impossible for me to sit at a computer for extended periods. This helped paint a fuller picture of how my condition was affecting my ability to do my tech job. Also, since you mentioned your medications cost $250/month without insurance - if you do get approved for SDI and qualify for Covered California with subsidies, many plans have much better mental health coverage than typical employer plans. My therapy copays went from $50/session to $10/session, and my medications became completely covered. The fact that you were already planning to discuss medical leave with your doctor before the layoff happened shows this isn't opportunistic - you were genuinely struggling and the layoff just accelerated a conversation that needed to happen anyway. Don't let anyone make you feel like seeking help is wrong. You've got this!

To summarize for anyone else finding this thread with a similar question: 1. What you're describing is called a claim reactivation (not "collecting a balance") 2. It's only available if: - You're disabled again with the same or related condition - You're within 90 days of your previous claim's end date - You didn't use all your maximum benefits during the initial claim 3. You need a Supplemental Certificate (DE 2525XX) from your doctor 4. Be proactive about getting this form - call if it doesn't appear in your SDI Online account 5. This is different from an extension (which is when you've used all benefits but still can't work) Hope you get this resolved quickly!

Glad to hear you got it sorted out! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - make sure your doctor fills out the DE 2525XX form completely and accurately. I've seen cases where forms get rejected because doctors accidentally check the wrong boxes or don't provide enough detail about how the condition prevents you from working. It's worth having a quick conversation with your doctor about what EDD is looking for before they submit it. Also keep copies of everything for your records!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - if you're worried about keeping track of everything, I'd recommend creating a simple calendar reminder for about a week before your initial 8-week certification period ends. That way you'll have time to touch base with your doctor about whether you need an extension before your current approval expires. I made this mistake on my first SDI claim - I assumed everything would just automatically continue and didn't realize I needed to be proactive about getting my doctor to submit new paperwork if my recovery took longer than expected. Ended up with a gap in payments that could have been avoided with better planning. Also, since you mentioned direct deposit is working well, just be aware that if you do need to extend your claim later, sometimes there can be processing delays that might temporarily switch you back to the EDD debit card until the system catches up. It's annoying but not uncommon, so don't panic if it happens! Glad to hear your first payment came through smoothly - that's always a relief when you're dealing with an injury and can't work. Take care of yourself and focus on healing!

This thread is so helpful! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation - just got approved for SDI after a work injury and was totally confused about whether I needed to do anything ongoing. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my experience: if you're getting SDI through a work injury (workers' comp), the process might be slightly different than regular SDI. In my case, I had to coordinate between EDD and my workers' comp insurance, and there were some additional forms to make sure I wasn't getting duplicate benefits. But for regular SDI like yours, @FireflyDreams, everyone's advice here is spot on - it's automatic once approved! The contrast with unemployment is so confusing at first. With UI you're basically proving you're actively looking for work every two weeks, but with SDI you're proving you CAN'T work, so the ongoing requirements are totally different. Really glad this community exists to help navigate all the bureaucracy. Hope your recovery goes smoothly!