Accidentally marked YES instead of NO on SDI form - claim disqualified at 38 weeks pregnant
I'm completely panicking right now! I just checked my EDD SDI Online account and saw my claim status changed to DISQUALIFIED. I think I know what happened - there was a question about whether I was able to return to my regular work and I accidentally marked YES when I should have marked NO (I'm 38 weeks pregnant with complications and on doctor-ordered bed rest). Does anyone know if I can somehow fix this mistake? Do I need to wait for the official Notice of Determination in the mail before I can do anything? How long do appeals usually take to process? I'm due in 2 weeks and was counting on this income since my doctor pulled me from work early due to high blood pressure. I'm so stressed which is making my BP even worse according to my home monitor 😰 UPDATE: After 3 hours of calling, I finally reached someone at EDD! The agent was actually super helpful and fixed the error right away in their system. They said my claim should show as 'processing' again within 48 hours and I don't need to appeal! Sharing in case anyone else makes a silly mistake like mine.
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Hassan Khoury
You got SO lucky getting through to EDD! Most people I know (including me) spend days trying to reach an actual person. What number did you call and what time of day? Did you have to use any special tricks to get past the automated system?
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Alice Fleming
•I called the main disability number (1-800-480-3287) at exactly 8:00am when they opened. I still had to redial about 30 times before I didn't get the 'call volume too high' message. Then waited on hold for almost 2 hours! I was determined because I'm literally about to give birth and couldn't risk waiting for an appeal process.
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Victoria Stark
This exact thing happened to my sister last year! EDD's form questions can be so confusing especially when you're dealing with pregnancy brain (been there!). So happy you got it resolved without having to go through appeals. Those can take 3-5 weeks from what I've heard, which would have been awful timing with your baby coming.
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Alice Fleming
•Pregnancy brain is real! I triple-checked all my other answers but somehow missed that crucial one. I'm so relieved it's fixed - I was having nightmares about dealing with a newborn while fighting with EDD over paperwork.
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Benjamin Kim
omg im literally going through this exact same thing right now!! im 32 weeks and answered a question wrong (the one about looking for work - i said yes because i WAS looking before my doctor put me off work) and now im disqualified too!!! been calling for 2 days straight with no luck getting thru ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
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Hassan Khoury
•If you're struggling to get through to EDD, you might want to try Claimyr. It's a service that basically calls EDD for you and connects you directly to a rep when they answer. My cousin used it for her disability claim and said it saved her days of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd and the website is claimyr.com. Much better than stressing yourself out while pregnant!
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Benjamin Kim
•omg thank u!! never heard of this before. gonna try it today because im going crazy trying to get thru!!
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Samantha Howard
For future reference, if you do need to appeal, the process typically takes 30-45 days from when they receive your appeal form (DE 1000M). Given your pregnancy situation, you could request an expedited hearing based on financial hardship. Don't forget you'll need to submit supporting medical documentation showing why your answer should've been "No" rather than "Yes" - such as your doctor's certification of your inability to perform regular work duties. Glad you got it resolved without needing the appeal though!
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Alice Fleming
•Thank you for this information! I'm saving it just in case there are any other issues. I didn't know about requesting an expedited hearing - that's really good to know. The EDD representative I spoke with actually mentioned they're seeing a lot of errors on that specific question lately.
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Megan D'Acosta
wait im confused... ur on disability for being pregnant? i thought u had to be actually disabled to get SDI benefits not just pregnant?
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Samantha Howard
•California SDI covers pregnancy as a qualifying condition when a healthcare provider certifies that you're unable to perform your regular work duties due to your pregnancy. It's specifically called Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) but is processed through the same SDI system. Normal pregnancies typically qualify for 4 weeks before due date and 6-8 weeks after birth, but complications like the OP's high blood pressure and bed rest can qualify earlier in the pregnancy.
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Sarah Ali
This is EXACTLY why I hate the EDD system!!! One tiny mistake and they just DISQUALIFY you without even trying to contact you first to verify!! The whole system is designed to deny benefits and make people suffer. I had a similar issue with my claim (non-pregnancy related) and even after appealing it took TWELVE WEEKS to get resolved. By then I was already back at work and had maxed out all my credit cards just to survive. The system is BROKEN.
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Victoria Stark
•I understand your frustration but I think they handle thousands of claims daily so it would be impossible for them to individually contact everyone with form errors. That's why the appeal process exists. Still a nightmare though, I agree! 12 weeks is ridiculous.
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Sarah Ali
•They should at least have better error checking in their online forms! Like if someone is 8+ months pregnant and claims they CAN work, there should be a "are you sure about this?" popup. Would save everyone time and stress.
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Ryan Vasquez
One important thing to note: make sure you check your payment history once your claim is reactivated. Sometimes when they fix errors like this, the system doesn't automatically process your backpay for the time while it was disqualified. You might need to make another call to ensure you get all weeks paid that your doctor certified. Also, remember that after delivery, your doctor will need to complete another certification form to transition you from pregnancy disability to recovery disability. Congrats on your upcoming little one!
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Alice Fleming
•Thank you! I didn't even think about checking for backpay. I'll definitely monitor my payment history. And thanks for the reminder about the post-delivery certification - my doctor mentioned this but with everything happening I might have forgotten to follow up.
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Benjamin Kim
I just used that Claimyr service someone recommended above and IT WORKED!! Got through to EDD in 27 minutes (after trying for 2 days on my own)! They fixed my disqualification too! Thanks everyone for the advice!!!
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Alice Fleming
•That's awesome news! So glad you got your issue resolved too!
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Mateo Rodriguez
This is such great news! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - I'm 34 weeks and accidentally answered one of the form questions incorrectly too. Reading your update gives me so much hope! I've been calling for days with no luck getting through. Based on what others have shared here, I think I'm going to try that Claimyr service since the stress of constantly calling and getting busy signals is not good for me or the baby. Thank you for sharing your experience and the specific details about timing and persistence - it really helps to know what to expect!
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Steven Adams
•Definitely try Claimyr! I was skeptical at first about paying for a service to call EDD, but honestly it's worth every penny when you're pregnant and stressed. The constant busy signals and dropped calls were making my anxiety so much worse. Good luck with your claim and your pregnancy! It's such a relief when you finally get someone who can actually help fix these form errors quickly.
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