Can I switch from EDD unemployment to disability after filing? Haven't been paid yet

Yes, you can apply for SDI even after filing for UI, especially if you haven't received any UI payments yet. The key is timing and documentation. Your therapist will need to complete the medical certification (Form DE 2501) confirming your condition prevents you from performing your regular work. Make sure they date the disability as starting BEFORE your UI claim was filed - this shows you were actually disabled when you lost your job, not just unemployed. Call EDD and explain you need to withdraw your UI claim because you've been diagnosed with a medical condition that prevents you from working. They'll flag your UI application so you don't have to certify. Then file your SDI claim right away through SDI Online. Just be prepared - they might question the timing, so having strong medical documentation from your therapist is crucial.

same thing happened to me!!! I filed UI then my doc wanted me on disability. UI is for when ur able to work but cant find a job. SDI is when ur unable to work due to medical condition. u cant get both at same time but you CAN switch before getting payments. your therapist needs to fill out that form saying when your condition started

Actually, this could be problematic. When you filed for unemployment, you certified that you were ABLE and AVAILABLE to work. Disability is for when you CANNOT work due to a medical condition. EDD might flag this as fraud if the disability claim overlaps with your unemployment application dates. They're very strict about this contradiction!!

I tried calling EDD for WEEKS about my disability claim and could never get through. Kept getting disconnected or put on hold forever. Finally I used a 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 I was able to explain my situation to the rep and got everything sorted out. Sometimes you really need to speak to an actual person to resolve these complicated situations, especially when switching between different benefit types.

Be aware that your mental health conditions MUST prevent you from performing your regular/customary work to qualify for SDI. Just having anxiety/depression isn't automatically qualifying - it has to be severe enough that you can't work. Your therapist needs to clearly document this on the medical certification form. Also, SDI has a 7-day unpaid waiting period before benefits start, and you'll need to have earned enough in your base period to qualify (similar to UI). If you earned enough in the previous 18 months, you should be fine qualification-wise. I switched from UI to SDI last year (for physical not mental health) and it worked out fine, but documentation is everything!

EDD makes EVERYTHING complicated on purpose!! Their whole system is designed to deny people benefits!! I went through this same exact situation in 2022 and they made my life HELL for 3 months before finally approving my claim. They kept sending me letters saying I was committing fraud, then they'd say no wait we made a mistake, then more letters about fraud!!!! The system is completely BROKEN!!!! 😡😡😡

I handle these situations frequently for clients. Here's what you need to know: 1. You can withdraw your UI claim if you haven't certified or received benefits yet. Call the UI line and request withdrawal. 2. Have your therapist complete the DE 2501 medical certification form with a disability start date that coincides with or precedes your job loss date. 3. Your withdrawal request should explicitly state you're unable to work due to your medical condition and were unable to work at the time of filing UI (you just didn't realize UI wasn't appropriate). 4. Keep copies of all communications with EDD. 5. Be prepared to explain in your disability application that you initially filed for UI before receiving proper medical advice about your condition. This situation happens more often than people realize, especially with mental health conditions where people often try to push through before recognizing they need medical leave. As long as you're transparent and have proper documentation, this should be manageable.

just FYI disability pays based on ur highest quarter of earnings in the past 18 months so if u were making good $ it might be way more than $280 extra

Wait im confused... did the therapist only mention disability AFTER you got fired? Or were you seeing them while employed? Because that timing matters A LOT to EDD. If you only started therapy after losing your job they might say your condition was caused by job loss not by the job itself.

my sister went thru this exact thing! the key thing is get that UI claim withdrawn ASAP. she sent a written withdrawal request AND called (took like 50 tries to get thru). once she got the UI claim withdrawn she applied for SDI and got approved in like 2 weeks. def worth doing if SDI pays more!

I noticed you mentioned your work caused your mental health issues. If your condition was directly caused by your job, you might want to look into filing a workers' compensation claim instead of or in addition to SDI. Stress/anxiety/depression can qualify for workers' comp if work was a substantial contributing factor. The benefit of workers' comp is there's no unpaid waiting period and it can cover your medical treatment costs too. Might be worth discussing with your therapist and possibly a workers' comp attorney.

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just wanted to add that if you do decide to pursue workers' comp like @Andre Moreau suggested, you should document everything you can remember about the toxic work environment - save those abusive texts, write down dates of incidents, etc. Also, for the SDI route, make sure your therapist is very specific about your functional limitations on the DE 2501 form. Don't just say "anxiety and depression" - they need to explain exactly how these conditions prevent you from performing your job duties (can't concentrate for extended periods, panic attacks interfere with work tasks, etc.). The more detailed the better. One thing I learned the hard way - if you do get through to EDD on the phone, ask them to put notes in your file about your conversation and the withdrawal request. Sometimes different reps give different information and having it documented helps avoid confusion later. Good luck with whatever path you choose! Your mental health is more important than navigating EDD's bureaucracy.

I just went through this exact situation last month! I filed for UI in December, then my doctor recommended disability in January before I had certified for any UI payments. Here's what worked for me: 1. Call EDD immediately to request withdrawal of your UI claim. I used the 1-833-978-2511 number and called right when they opened at 8am - took about 45 minutes on hold but I got through. 2. When you talk to the rep, explain that you've been diagnosed with a medical condition that prevents you from working and that you need to withdraw your UI claim to file for SDI instead. They'll put notes in your account. 3. Get your withdrawal confirmation in writing if possible - I asked them to mail me something but they said they don't do that, so I wrote down the rep's name and reference number. 4. File your SDI claim online right away after confirming the UI withdrawal. Don't wait! The key thing is having your therapist clearly document that your condition existed BEFORE you lost your job. Since you mentioned you were already in therapy for 3 months before termination, you should be fine on that front. My SDI claim was approved in about 3 weeks and I've been getting $1,200/week (way more than UI would have been). Totally worth the switch! Just be prepared for some confusion from EDD reps who might not understand the situation at first.

I'm in a very similar situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I filed for UI about 3 weeks ago but haven't certified yet, and my doctor just recommended I go on disability for chronic fatigue syndrome that's been getting worse. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the key steps are: 1) Call EDD ASAP to withdraw the UI claim, 2) Make sure my doctor documents that the condition existed before job loss, and 3) File SDI immediately after withdrawal is confirmed. One question for those who've been through this - did anyone have issues with EDD questioning why you initially filed for UI if you were already disabled? I'm worried they'll think I was being dishonest, but honestly I just didn't realize disability was an option until my doctor brought it up. The fatigue has been gradually worsening over months and I thought I could push through and find another job, but now I can barely function for a few hours a day. Also, for anyone dealing with mental health conditions like the OP, I just want to say how brave you are for prioritizing your wellbeing. Toxic workplaces can really mess with your head and it takes courage to recognize when you need help instead of just "toughing it out.

I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea you could switch from UI to SDI before receiving payments. I'm actually in a somewhat similar boat - I filed for unemployment last week after being laid off, but I've been dealing with severe back pain that's been getting progressively worse over the past few months. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the most important things are: getting proper medical documentation, being transparent with EDD about the timing, and acting quickly to withdraw the UI claim before certifying. @Carmen Reyes - it sounds like you have a really strong case since you were already in therapy before your termination and your therapist can document that the condition predated your job loss. The fact that you haven't certified yet puts you in a good position to make this switch cleanly. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here dealt with EDD questioning whether a mental health condition is "severe enough" for disability? I know physical disabilities might seem more clear-cut to them, but mental health conditions can be just as debilitating. Just wondering if there were any specific things your therapists included in the documentation that helped strengthen the case. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for helping people navigate these complex situations!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it's so relevant to your situation! I just successfully switched from UI to SDI about 6 weeks ago and the process went much smoother than I expected. Like you, I filed for unemployment first (in my case for a layoff) but then realized I qualified for disability due to chronic migraines that were actually preventing me from working effectively. The key things that made my case successful: 1. My neurologist was able to document that my condition existed before my job loss - I had been seeing them for months prior 2. I called EDD immediately once I decided to switch and was completely honest about the situation 3. I made sure to emphasize that I initially filed UI because I didn't understand the difference, not because I was trying to deceive anyone The EDD rep I spoke with was actually really understanding and said this happens more often than people think. They withdrew my UI claim the same day and I filed for SDI that afternoon. My first disability payment came exactly 3 weeks later. Your situation sounds even stronger than mine was since you have documented therapy sessions from before your termination and your therapist is supportive of the disability claim. The fact that your mental health issues were directly caused by the toxic work environment should actually work in your favor. Don't let the horror stories scare you too much - while EDD can be bureaucratic, they do process legitimate claims properly when you have good documentation. Focus on getting that medical certification completed thoroughly and you should be in good shape!

I'm new to this community and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm actually dealing with a very similar situation right now - filed for UI about 10 days ago after losing my job, but I've been struggling with severe PTSD from a workplace incident that happened about 4 months ago. My psychiatrist just told me yesterday that I should be on disability instead of trying to work. Reading through everyone's experiences here, I feel much more confident about making this switch. The consensus seems to be that as long as you haven't certified for UI benefits yet and you have proper medical documentation showing the condition existed before job loss, EDD is generally reasonable about allowing the transition. @Carmen Reyes - your situation with having therapy records from before termination puts you in a really strong position. The fact that your therapist specifically mentioned the condition prevents you from doing your coding work will be crucial for the DE 2501 form. One thing I'd add from my research is that when you call EDD to withdraw your UI claim, it might help to mention that you're switching because you received "new medical information" about your condition rather than saying you "changed your mind." This frames it as getting proper medical guidance rather than just switching for better benefits. Also wanted to echo what others said about workers' comp - if your mental health condition was directly caused by that toxic work environment, it's definitely worth exploring alongside or instead of SDI. The benefits can be significantly better and there's no waiting period. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for helping navigate these complex situations!