Can I claim EDD SDI through my husband's employer plan if I waived mine?

Hi there. Unfortunately, there's some confusion in your understanding of how disability benefits work. Being a beneficiary on your husband's insurance typically only applies to life insurance, not disability benefits. Short-term disability insurance (whether through private employers or California's State Disability Insurance program) only covers the person who is enrolled in the plan. You have a few options though: 1. Double-check if you actually waived SDI - in California, most employees are required to participate in State Disability Insurance regardless of employer plans 2. If you're in California, you can file for SDI through the state even if you waived your employer's private plan 3. Check if your company offers any paid medical leave separate from disability insurance

i did this last yr... check ur paystub for "CA SDI" or something similar. most ppl in CA have to pay into state disability even if u opted out of ur company plan. its like a tiny % of ur paycheck. if u see that, ur good to go! u can apply online on EDD website

Just to add some clarity here - there are two different types of disability insurance that people often confuse: 1. California State Disability Insurance (SDI) - This is mandatory for most CA employees. Your employer deducts 1.1% of your wages (as of 2025) up to a certain limit. You cannot waive this unless you have a very specific exemption. 2. Private short-term disability insurance - This is what employers offer as a supplemental benefit that you can choose to accept or waive. Since you're seeing the SDI deduction on your paystub, you can definitely file a claim with EDD when your doctor certifies your disability. You'll receive approximately 60-70% of your wages while you're unable to work.

FMLA is completely separate from disability!! FMLA just protects ur job but doesnt pay u anything. SDI is what gives u money while ur off. u need both!

i thought the same thing as you when i first had to take medical leave!! the whole system is SO confusing. make sure your doctor fills out the right form for edd disability. they need to submit a medical certification. sometimes doctors offices are slow with this paperwork so stay on top of them or your claim will be delayed.

To apply for SDI, go to the EDD website and register for an SDI Online account if you don't already have one. You'll submit your claim there, and your doctor will need to complete the medical certification (Form DE 2501). The process usually works like this: 1. You file your claim online 2. Your doctor submits their certification (they can do this electronically too) 3. EDD processes the claim (typically 1-2 weeks) 4. If approved, you'll start receiving benefit payments via debit card or direct deposit Time it so you apply shortly before your medical procedure - no more than 49 days before your disability begins, but with enough lead time to get everything processed.

I went through something similar last year and wasted so much time trying to figure out if my employer plan was better than state SDI. Turns out I didn't even have a choice - still had to use state SDI! The waiting period was annoying though - you don't get paid for the first 7 days of your disability period. Just FYI so you can plan your finances accordingly.

It was about 60% of my regular pay which was tight but doable. The nice thing is SDI benefits aren't subject to payroll taxes so the actual take-home amount wasn't that far off from my regular paycheck after taxes. Just be prepared to really budget for a couple months!