One other important tip: Once your claim is approved, you still need to complete "continued claim certification" forms every two weeks. These will either come by mail or you can do them online. Many people miss this step and wonder why their payments stop! Also, when you're ready to return to work, you need to notify EDD. If you return earlier than your claim end date, make sure to report the exact date so you don't end up with an overpayment that you'll have to repay later.

As someone who just went through this process for wrist surgery 6 months ago, I can't stress enough how much easier it is to apply BEFORE your surgery! Here are a few additional tips from my experience: 1. Take screenshots of your application confirmation and save all reference numbers - you'll need these if there are any issues 2. Ask your surgeon's office if they've worked with EDD before - some offices are super familiar with the SDI forms and can expedite the medical certification 3. Set up direct deposit in your SDI Online account ASAP - paper checks take much longer 4. If you're planning to use FMLA through your employer too, coordinate the dates so they align with your SDI claim The whole process took about 3 weeks from surgery to first payment for me, but that was with everything submitted beforehand. Good luck with your surgery - carpal tunnel release recovery is usually pretty smooth!

I'm dealing with this exact same lockout issue right now! Been stuck for 4 days and it's incredibly stressful when you're depending on these benefits. Thank you to everyone who shared their strategies - I had no idea there were so many different approaches to try. The early morning calling strategy from @Luca Russo sounds promising, and I'm definitely going to test the browser cache clearing trick from @Mateo Gonzalez. The assemblymember option from @Aisha Mahmood is brilliant too - I never thought about reaching out to elected officials for help with this. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to become system-hacking experts just to access our own benefits, but this community is a lifesaver for sharing real solutions. Going to try multiple approaches tomorrow and will update if anything works! Stay strong everyone! 💪

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the EDD lockout situation is absolutely maddening! I've been following this thread and wanted to share another approach that worked for my sister last month. She contacted her local state senator's office (in addition to the assemblymember suggestion) and they actually have a dedicated EDD liaison who was able to unlock her account within 48 hours. You can find your state senator at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov. Also, if you're comfortable with it, try calling the EDD technical support line at 1-855-327-7057 - sometimes they can help with login issues even if it's not technically their department. The key is being super polite and explaining that you just need to access your benefits. Hang in there, and definitely try that early morning calling strategy - it really seems to be the most consistent method! 🤞

I'm so sorry your father is dealing with this unfair situation. Reading through all these responses really shows how broken the system is - taking SDI contributions for years but denying benefits due to SSN requirements is just wrong. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned is checking if your area has any mutual aid networks or community support groups. These are often organized through social media (Facebook groups, WhatsApp, etc.) where neighbors help each other during emergencies. They sometimes coordinate meal trains, small financial donations, or other practical support. Also, since your father has been such a long-term, reliable employee, his boss might be willing to write a letter of recommendation or reference that could help when applying for other assistance programs. Sometimes having that kind of employer endorsement can make a difference with community organizations or charitable funds. The fact that so many people here have shared similar experiences really highlights that this isn't just an individual problem - it's a policy issue affecting thousands of hardworking families. Your father sounds like exactly the kind of person these safety net programs should be designed to help. I hope his recovery continues to go well and that some combination of these community resources can provide the support your family deserves during this difficult time.

I'm really heartbroken reading about your father's situation. It's so unfair that he's paid into the SDI system for 7 years but can't access benefits when he needs them most. One resource I haven't seen mentioned yet is contacting your state legislators' offices - both your Assembly member and State Senator. Their constituent services staff often help navigate situations like this and can sometimes connect you with resources or programs that aren't widely known. They may also be interested in your father's case as an example of why the current policy needs to change. Additionally, some community colleges have emergency assistance funds for community members (not just students) facing financial hardship. It might be worth calling the financial aid offices at local colleges to ask if they have any emergency grant programs. Your father sounds like an incredibly dedicated worker who deserves so much better from the system he's been supporting. I hope his recovery goes smoothly and that some of these community resources can help ease the financial burden on your family during this challenging time.

I'm new here but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I've been dealing with my own SDI claim issue for about 3 weeks now - it's been stuck pending after I submitted paperwork for a back injury. Like so many others here, I've been calling randomly throughout the day with no success. Reading through all these detailed strategies, especially the 1-7-1-4 menu sequence and the 8:01am timing on Wednesday/Thursday, has given me the first real hope I've had in weeks. I had no idea that saying "payment status" instead of "claim questions" could route you differently - that's such a valuable insight! The financial stress while waiting is so overwhelming, especially when you're already dealing with pain and recovery. Jamal's success story really shows that most of these delays are fixable technical issues once you can actually reach a human. I'm going to try the proven strategy tomorrow morning (Thursday) and will definitely report back with my results. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community and sharing what actually works instead of just generic advice!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm dealing with my own SDI claim that's been pending for about 4 weeks now after a work-related stress leave, and I was starting to feel completely hopeless about ever getting through to someone. Seeing Jamal's success story and all the detailed strategies everyone has shared has given me the roadmap I desperately needed. I had no idea about the 1-7-1-4 menu sequence or that calling at exactly 8:01am on Wednesday/Thursday could make such a difference. I've been calling at random times and always selecting "claim questions" which apparently routes you to the wrong place! The tip about saying "payment status" instead is genius. I'm going to try the proven approach tomorrow morning (it's Tuesday, so perfect timing for Wednesday) and will have all my documentation ready - claim number, SSN, doctor info, everything organized. The financial anxiety while waiting for benefits is crushing, especially when you're already dealing with mental health challenges. But this community has shown me that there's real hope and these delays are usually fixable once you reach the right person. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing what actually works - I'll definitely come back to update everyone on my results!

I had the exact same E324 error last week! What finally worked for me was using a different browser entirely (switched from Chrome to Firefox) and making sure I wasn't using any browser extensions or ad blockers. Also double-check that you're entering your SSN exactly as it appears on your card - no dashes or spaces. The EDD system is super picky about formatting. If all else fails, the phone number for SDI is 1-800-480-3287, but yeah, expect to wait on hold for hours. Hope this helps!

I've been dealing with E324 errors for the past two weeks and finally got through yesterday! Here's what worked for me: I disabled ALL browser extensions (especially privacy/security ones), used an incognito/private window, and made sure my browser was fully updated. Also, I noticed the system seems more stable between 6-8 AM PST. One thing that really helped was having all my documents ready as PDFs beforehand - the system times out if you take too long uploading files. Don't give up! It's frustrating but you'll get through eventually.