As someone completely new to both this community and the disability claim process, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed, practical advice! I'm currently preparing to file my first claim for a shoulder injury and was feeling really overwhelmed by all the unknowns. Reading through Chris's journey from initial confusion to successful resolution has been incredibly reassuring and educational. The key takeaway for me is that being proactive is absolutely essential - don't just file and wait, but immediately call your doctor's office to make sure they know what to expect and have them check all their inboxes including spam. I'm also going to ask upfront if they have a specific person who handles disability paperwork, which seems like it could save a lot of time and confusion. It's amazing how this one thread has given me more actionable guidance than all the official EDD resources combined. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where people actually share the real tips that make all the difference!

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been. I'm facing my first disability claim situation due to a knee injury and was honestly feeling pretty lost about the whole process until I found this thread. Chris's experience and everyone's advice has been like a step-by-step guide for what I need to do. I especially appreciate all the practical tips about immediately calling your doctor's office after filing, asking them to check spam folders, and finding out if they have a dedicated disability coordinator. It's clear that the key is being proactive rather than just assuming everything will work automatically. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where people share real experiences and actionable advice - it makes facing this process so much less intimidating for newcomers like me!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now and this thread has been a total game-changer! I've been stuck on the "driver's license already registered" error for almost two weeks and was starting to panic about missing deadlines. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear this is a major system flaw on EDD's end, not something we're doing wrong. The strategy that's emerged from this community is brilliant: 1. Try account recovery first to find any phantom accounts (genius tip from Zara!) 2. Call technical support at 1-800-480-3287 at 8 AM Tuesday (Freya's timing strategy) 3. Have all docs ready - SSN, license number, exact legal name formatting Emma's success story really restored my faith that this is solvable! It's absolutely ridiculous that accessing our own benefits requires this level of detective work, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their solutions. This community support is honestly more helpful than anything EDD provides officially. I'm going to try this approach tomorrow and will definitely report back with results. Thank you all for turning this frustrating nightmare into an actionable plan! 🙏

I'm going through this exact same frustrating issue right now! Been trying to create my SDI account for over a week and keep hitting that "driver's license already registered" wall. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to know this is a widespread EDD system problem and not just me being tech-challenged! Based on everyone's shared experiences, I'm planning to follow the winning strategy that's emerged: 1. Check account recovery first to look for any forgotten old accounts 2. Call that technical support line (1-800-480-3287) at exactly 8 AM on Tuesday 3. Have all my info ready - SSN, license number, and exact name formatting Emma's success story really gives me hope that there's light at the end of this tunnel! It's absolutely wild that we need to become EDD system experts just to access basic benefits, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions. The fact that this thread has become like a master class in navigating EDD's broken system says everything about how poorly designed their website is. Going to try the Tuesday morning call approach and will definitely report back with results. Thank you to everyone who took the time to document what worked - you're saving so many people from weeks of frustration! 🙏

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My SDI claim was approved 5 days ago and I've been staring at that "qualification" status wondering what the heck it means. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I was genuinely starting to panic that something was wrong. Just called that Bank of America EDD number (1-866-692-9374) that literally everyone has recommended and WOW - they were actually helpful! Confirmed my card was ordered 2 days ago and should arrive within 7-10 business days. The rep was way more knowledgeable about the EDD process than I expected. Definitely beats trying to get through to EDD directly. Also just signed up for USPS Informed Delivery after seeing it mentioned so many times in this thread. Can't believe I didn't know about this service before - seems like it'll help a lot with tracking that mysterious plain envelope everyone keeps warning about. It's honestly mind-boggling how EDD just leaves us all in the dark about their own processes. Adding a simple explanation like "qualification = payment approved, card being processed" next to the status would save so much unnecessary stress. Instead we're all here trying to decode their cryptic updates like we're solving puzzles! Thank you to everyone who shared their timelines and tips. This community is seriously a lifesaver when you're trying to navigate EDD's confusing system for the first time. The waiting is brutal when you need the money, but knowing this is completely normal helps keep the anxiety in check.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! My disability claim was approved 8 days ago and I've been seeing that "qualification" status ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - I was starting to worry that something was stuck in the system. I called that Bank of America EDD number (1-866-692-9374) that so many people mentioned and they confirmed my card was mailed 3 days ago. The customer service rep was really helpful and said to expect it within their standard 7-10 business day window. Much better experience than trying to reach EDD directly! One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I asked the BofA rep if there was any way to expedite the first card and she said unfortunately no, but she did mention that if you ever need a replacement card in the future, those CAN be expedited for a small fee. Good to know for down the road. Also set up USPS Informed Delivery after seeing it recommended here multiple times. Already helped me spot a few pieces of mail I would have missed otherwise. Hopefully it'll catch that plain envelope when it arrives! The lack of communication from EDD about what these statuses mean is really frustrating. When you're dealing with a disability and depending on these payments, the last thing you need is mysterious status updates with no explanation. This community has been so helpful for understanding what's actually normal vs when to worry. Thanks to everyone sharing their timelines - it really helps manage the anxiety while waiting!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just noticed the 'qualification' status on my account this morning and immediately started panicking thinking I'd somehow messed up my application. After reading through all these comments though, I'm feeling so much more relieved - it sounds like this is actually just their standard review process and not a red flag at all! The fact that you have a new payment issued is definitely encouraging from what everyone's saying. I'm going to follow the advice here about checking my spam folder thoroughly and taking screenshots of everything. Thanks so much for posting this question - it's such a relief to know we're not alone in trying to figure out EDD's confusing system! Really hoping both of our situations get resolved quickly 🤞

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! My claim has been showing 'qualification' for about 4 days and I was getting super worried thinking I did something wrong with my application. After reading through all these comments though, it's really reassuring to see that this seems to be a normal part of EDD's review process. The fact that you have a new payment issued is definitely a good sign - sounds like they've already processed it and are just doing final verification. I'm going to try some of the suggestions here like checking my spam folder and maybe contacting my assembly member if it drags on too long. Thanks for posting this @Ethan Brown - it's so helpful to know we're all trying to navigate this confusing system together! Hopefully we both get our payments sorted out soon 🤞

I'm sorry you're going through this - it sounds incredibly stressful to deal with an injury AND confusing bureaucracy at the same time. Based on what everyone else has shared, it really does sound like your employer dropped the ball here. A work-related back injury from lifting inventory should definitely have been handled as workers comp from the beginning. I'd echo what others have said about filing both claims immediately, but I also want to mention that you might want to keep records of any lost wages or medical expenses you've incurred during this delay. If it turns out your employer was supposed to handle this through workers comp all along, you may be entitled to compensation for the time and financial stress caused by their mistake. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions when you're filing - both the EDD and workers comp offices deal with confused situations like this regularly. You're not the first person whose employer has mishandled an injury claim, and you won't be the last. The important thing is that you're taking action now to protect yourself. Hang in there - it sounds like you have a strong case either way, especially with documentation of your employer's conflicting guidance.

I went through almost the exact same thing two years ago when I hurt my shoulder at my warehouse job. My employer kept bouncing me between their private insurance and telling me to file with the state, and I ended up going almost 2 months without any income while they figured it out. Here's what I learned from that experience: 1. File BOTH claims immediately - don't wait for your employer to clarify anything else 2. When you file the SDI claim, be very specific about the employer misinformation in your explanation for late filing 3. Keep calling/emailing HR for the DWC-1 form - if they don't provide it within a few days, you can file directly with the state 4. Get everything in writing from now on - follow up phone conversations with emails summarizing what was discussed The good news is that "good cause" for late filing covers situations exactly like yours. The EDD understands that employers sometimes give wrong information, and they won't penalize you for following bad guidance from your company. Also, if this does end up being a workers comp case (which it sounds like it should be), workers comp typically pays more than SDI and covers your medical expenses too. Don't let your employer's confusion cost you the benefits you're entitled to! You've got this - just start filing those claims and protect yourself. The system is designed to help people in situations like yours, even when employers mess up the process.