Remember to take care of yourself during this process, OP. It can be really stressful. Don't forget to eat, sleep, and maybe do some meditation or something to stay calm.

Hey Darcy! I went through the EDD appeal process about 6 months ago and totally understand the stress you're feeling right now. One thing that really helped me was creating a timeline of events leading up to my termination - it made it easier to present my case clearly during the call. Also, don't be afraid to ask the hearing officer to repeat questions if you need clarification. They're actually pretty patient and want to make sure they get all the facts right. The whole process took about 3 weeks for me from appeal to decision, so try to be patient. You've got tons of great advice in this thread already - sounds like you're in good hands with this community! 🤞

One more important thing - make sure your doctor is very specific about your disability being due to pregnancy complications (high blood pressure and swelling) rather than just a normal pregnancy. Standard pregnancy disability usually only starts 4 weeks before your due date, but with complications properly documented, you can start earlier. Ask your doctor to be very clear about why you can't work now, otherwise EDD might deny your claim or only approve it starting at the standard 36-week mark.

I went through this same transition last year! Just wanted to add a few things that helped me avoid issues: 1. Keep ALL your paperwork from both UI and SDI - I had to reference my UI claim dates when there was a question about my SDI timeline 2. Take screenshots of your last UI certification and the date you stop certifying - this saved me when EDD questioned whether I had properly ended my UI claim 3. Ask your doctor to put the START DATE of your disability on the medical form, not just sign it - mine initially just signed without specifying when my disability began and it caused a delay 4. If you have any saved sick/vacation time from your old job, that might affect your SDI calculation, so mention it when you file The pregnancy-induced hypertension should definitely qualify you for early disability before the standard 36-week mark. Wishing you a healthy rest of your pregnancy and hoping your claim goes smoothly! The EDD process is stressful enough without pregnancy complications on top of it.

Just saw your update about finding the email in your spam folder - that's great! Make sure you respond with exactly what they're asking for, and be very specific. If they asked about employment dates, provide the precise dates with documentation if possible. Also, call them tomorrow after submitting the information to confirm they received it and ask how long until processing. Sometimes a follow-up call can move things along faster once you've provided the missing information.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - applied for SDI in early February and still stuck on "pending" status. One thing that helped me was setting up email notifications in the SDI Online portal if you haven't already done that. Go to your account settings and make sure all notification options are checked. Also, I've found that calling around 2-3 PM sometimes has better luck than the morning rush - fewer people seem to call during lunch hours. The wait times are still brutal but I've gotten through twice that way. Keep us posted on how it goes with the employment dates clarification!

Quick question - does anyone know if theres a difference between calling the main EDD number vs the SDI specific number? I've been trying both with no luck

I've been dealing with this same issue for weeks now! What finally worked for me was calling the SDI-specific number (1-800-480-3287) right at 8 AM when they open. I literally had my phone ready and dialed the second the clock hit 8:00. Still took about 45 minutes to get through, but I finally talked to someone. Also, try pressing 1-2-4 when you get to the menu options - that seemed to get me to the right queue faster. Don't give up, @d0ee615c27d1! The system is broken but persistence does pay off eventually.

To summarize for you since there's a lot of information here: 1. If this is a work injury, you need WORKERS' COMPENSATION first - talk to your employer 2. If workers' comp is denied or doesn't apply, then you can apply for SDI 3. For SDI, everything is done online at SDI Online - no need to visit an office 4. Your doctor provides the medical certification (DE 2501) for SDI claims 5. There is indeed a 7-day waiting period before SDI benefits begin Hope this helps clear things up!

I actually went to the EDD office in San Diego last year thinking the same thing! The office I found was at 303 A Street in downtown, but they just redirected me to do everything online. Waste of a trip and parking $$. Do what everyone else said and handle it online or through your employer for workers comp. Good luck with your injury!