Can I get EDD SDI for pregnancy while having UI overpayments? Will my benefits be affected?

Disability Insurance (SDI) and Unemployment Insurance (UI) are different programs within EDD, but they do share some systems. The good news is you can absolutely still qualify for pregnancy disability even with UI overpayments. The bad news is they might withhold some of your SDI payments to recover the overpayment. When I had UI overpayments, they took 25% of my disability payments until it was paid off. You should still apply though - even partial payments are better than nothing.

they mite take all of it tbh. my cousin had this happen and edd took her whole check each week. depends on if they filed against you for fraud or just regular overpayment

Let me clear up some confusion here. Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) through the EDD SDI program is completely separate from Unemployment Insurance in terms of qualification. You definitely CAN receive disability benefits for pregnancy while having UI overpayments. However, EDD can and likely will recoup some of the overpayment by withholding a portion of your SDI payments. The standard withholding is 25% of your weekly benefit amount for non-fraud overpayments. If your overpayment was classified as fraud, they could potentially take up to 100% until the debt is paid. You can check if your overpayment was classified as fraud by logging into your UI Online account and reviewing your overpayment notices, or by calling EDD directly. Most reporting errors are not classified as fraud unless EDD determined you intentionally misreported.

I WENT THROUGH EXACTLY THIS LAST YEAR!!! Seriously, almost identical situation except my overpayment was about $3,200. Here's what happened: I applied for pregnancy disability at 36 weeks, got approved, and they took 25% of each payment to go toward my UI overpayment. It was annoying but manageable. The most important thing is to make sure your doctor fills out the medical certification form (DE 2501) completely - any missing info will delay your claim! Also, don't forget you'll need to do a separate claim for Paid Family Leave after the baby is born if you want bonding time.

EDD is the worst!!! They screwed up my payments, said I owed them money I DIDNT, and then took forever to fix it. Good luck getting anyone on the phone too - I spent WEEKS trying!!!

Just adding some clarity here - when you file for SDI for your pregnancy, you'll complete a DE 2501 form where your doctor certifies your condition. This form doesn't ask about UI overpayments, so you don't need to mention it there. EDD's internal systems will connect the dots automatically. The maximum weekly benefit amount for SDI in 2025 is $1,620, based on your highest quarter earnings in the base period (roughly 5-17 months before your claim). If they withhold 25%, you'd still receive up to $1,215 weekly, depending on your income. You should also know that pregnancy typically qualifies for 4 weeks before your due date and 6-8 weeks after delivery (8 weeks for C-section), though your doctor can certify more time if medically necessary for your high-risk pregnancy.

im on pregnancy disabilty right now and lemme tell u DONT call the regular EDD number for disability stuff! they have a special SDI number (its different). i wasted so much time calling the wrong place!!!

Thank you all SO much for the helpful information! I feel much less panicked now. So it sounds like: 1. I can still get pregnancy disability benefits even with the UI overpayment 2. They'll likely take 25% of my payments (unless it was fraud, which I don't think it was) 3. I need to make sure my doctor fills out the DE 2501 form completely 4. I should call the SDI-specific number if I have questions I'm going to check my UI account to see if there's any mention of fraud, and then talk to my doctor at my next appointment about the disability paperwork. I'll also start setting aside a little money each paycheck to prepare for the reduced benefits. Thanks again to everyone who responded!

I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation - I have about $2,800 in UI overpayments and I'm 12 weeks pregnant. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! I've been putting off looking into this because I was scared they'd deny me completely. It's such a relief to know that SDI and UI are separate programs and I can still qualify for pregnancy disability. I'm definitely going to check my UI account this week to see if my overpayment is classified as fraud or not. Does anyone know if there's a way to appeal the overpayment determination if you think it was classified incorrectly? I'm pretty sure mine was just confusion about reporting part-time work, not intentional fraud.