Can I get my SDI benefit amount adjusted if my recent wages were much higher than previous quarters?

Unfortunately, this is one of the most frustrating parts of SDI that catches many people by surprise. EDD uses a specific base period for calculating your benefit amount, which is generally 5-18 months before your disability claim starts. So the wages you earned right before your disability aren't considered at all. There is a form called DE 2545WS (Wage Adjustment/Protest) that you can submit, but it only helps if there were actual errors in the wages reported during your base period. It won't help just because you're earning more now than you were during the base period - that's just how the system is designed. What quarter did your disability begin in? I can break down exactly which months they're looking at for your calculation.

yea ur stuck with what they calculated. happened to my cousin too, she got promoted right b4 maternity leave and it didnt matter. the base period is like set in stone or whatever

I went through something similar when I filed for SDI last year. For a February 2025 claim, they're looking at your wages from October 2023 through September 2024, so your December 2024 promotion isn't counted at all. I tried everything to get mine adjusted - called multiple times, submitted the wage protest form, even talked to a supervisor eventually. But they all said the same thing - the base period calculation is fixed by law and there are no exceptions just because you earned more recently. The only silver lining is that if you need to file a new disability claim in the future, your higher wages would be included in that calculation. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Ugh I HATE THIS SO MUCH. Same thing happened to me last year and I nearly lost my apartment because of it!!! The whole EDD system is designed to screw people over. I spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone and when I finally did they were like "sorry, nothing we can do" in the rudest way possible.

I know exactly what you're going through! I was in the same boat last year when I had to go on disability right after getting a big raise. I couldn't get through to EDD for weeks despite calling constantly. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual EDD representative in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd The rep confirmed what others here are saying - they can't adjust based on recent wages, only if there's an error in the reported wages for the base period. However, talking to them directly helped me understand exactly which quarters they were using and confirm they had the correct wage information. Having certainty at least helped me plan my finances better during disability.

Since you're dealing with an immediate financial hardship because of this, I'd recommend a few practical steps: 1. Double-check that EDD has your correct wage information for the base period quarters. Request a wage verification from them to confirm. 2. If you have any optional deductions that could be paused (like retirement contributions), consider adjusting those temporarily. 3. Check if you have any short-term disability insurance through your employer that might supplement the state SDI benefits. 4. For many injuries, you might be eligible for both SDI and workers' compensation if the injury happened at work. I know it's frustrating, but understanding exactly how they calculated your benefit amount at least helps you know what you're dealing with.

why dont they use the alternate base period for this? isnt that for ppl who's wages changed?

After reading through this whole thread again, I wanted to add one more thing - make sure you're getting the maximum weekly benefit amount based on the quarters they ARE using. The max SDI benefit is now $1,620 per week in 2025. So even if they're using your older, lower wages, if those wages were still high enough to qualify you for the maximum benefit, you should be getting that. Also, double-check that your "$1,600 per month" figure isn't actually $1,600 per week, which would be close to the maximum. The SDI benefit calculator can be confusing about whether it's showing weekly or monthly amounts.

I'm glad you caught that! $1,620 weekly is actually the maximum SDI benefit in 2025, so you're getting the highest amount possible. That works out to about $7,020 per month, which is still less than your new salary but much better than $1,600 monthly. This is a really common misunderstanding with SDI benefits. Even though they're using your older wages from the base period, if those wages were high enough to qualify you for the maximum benefit (which they apparently were), you'll get the maximum regardless of how much higher your recent wages became.