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.

What a relief that you figured out the weekly vs monthly confusion! That's a huge difference and I'm so glad someone pointed that out. $1,620 weekly is actually really good for SDI - many people get much less. Just wanted to add that if you're still concerned about the income gap, you might want to check if your employer offers any supplemental disability insurance that could help bridge the difference. Some companies have voluntary short-term disability plans that work alongside state SDI. Also, since you mentioned a back injury, make sure you're working with a good physical therapist if possible - the sooner you can recover and return to work, the sooner you'll be back to your full salary. Hope your recovery goes smoothly!

What a relief reading through this whole thread! As someone new to this community, I learned so much about how SDI benefits actually work. @Chloe Taylor I'm so glad you figured out the weekly vs monthly confusion - that's such a huge difference and honestly something I probably would have misread too when dealing with all that paperwork stress. It's really helpful to see how the base period system works in practice, even though it seems counterintuitive at first. The fact that you're getting the maximum SDI benefit of $1,620 weekly shows that your pre-promotion wages were already pretty solid during those base period quarters. While it's still frustrating that your December promotion can't be factored in, at least you're getting the highest amount possible under the current system. This thread is such a great example of why community support matters when navigating these complex government programs. Everyone's detailed explanations about base periods, benefit calculations, and even tips for getting through to EDD have been incredibly valuable. I'm bookmarking this for future reference! Hope your back injury heals quickly so you can get back to that new higher salary.

As someone who's completely new to this community and the SDI system, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I had no idea how the base period calculations worked or that there was such a significant difference between weekly and monthly benefit amounts. @Chloe Taylor I'm so relieved you figured out you're getting $1,620 weekly instead of monthly - what a massive difference that makes! I can totally understand the initial panic when you thought you were only getting $1,600 per month. The stress of dealing with an injury while trying to navigate unfamiliar government paperwork would make anyone prone to misreading those details. It's really enlightening to learn that you're actually receiving the maximum SDI benefit amount, which means your wages during the base period quarters (Oct 2023 - Sep 2024) were already high enough to qualify you for the top tier. While it's still frustrating that your December 2024 promotion can't be factored in, at least the system worked out better than you initially thought. This whole discussion has taught me so much about how SDI works - from base periods to alternate base periods to the specific quarters they use for different claim dates. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference. The community support here is amazing, and I hope your back injury heals quickly so you can get back to your full salary soon!

As someone who just joined this community, this entire thread has been such an eye-opening experience! @Chloe Taylor I'm so glad you discovered that weekly vs monthly mix-up - what an incredible relief that must have been! I can completely understand how you'd misread those details initially when you're already stressed about your injury and trying to make sense of all that government paperwork. Learning that you're actually receiving $1,620 weekly (the maximum SDI benefit!) instead of $1,600 monthly completely changes everything. While it's still frustrating that your December promotion couldn't be factored into the calculation, at least your pre-promotion wages were solid enough to qualify you for the highest benefit tier available. This whole discussion has been like a crash course in SDI for me - I had no clue about base periods, how they determine which quarters to use, or why recent wage increases can't be considered. The community knowledge here is incredible! Everyone's detailed explanations and practical advice (like the Claimyr service for getting through to EDD) have been so helpful. I'm definitely saving this thread as a reference in case I ever need to navigate the SDI system myself. It's amazing how this community rallied together to help you understand what was really happening with your benefits. Hope your back injury heals quickly so you can get back to enjoying that well-deserved promotion salary!