Can I transition from UI to EDD SDI mid-claim for non-work back injury?
I've been on UI since February but working enough to report "excessive earnings" each week (so not actually receiving benefits). This past Sunday and Tuesday I worked normally, but Wednesday I severely injured my back (not work-related) and can't continue working. I'm really confused about what to do now about my benefits situation. Do I need to keep certifying for UI while stating I'm "not able to work" due to my injury? Or should I close my UI claim and apply for disability right away? If I need to switch to SDI, is there a specific process to end my UI claim first? My doctor thinks my back might take 6-8 weeks to heal properly, but I'm worried about the gap between ending UI and starting SDI. Will there be a waiting period before disability kicks in? I've never dealt with transitioning between benefit types and don't want to accidentally commit fraud by doing this wrong. Any advice would be REALLY appreciated!
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Lucas Bey
When you're no longer able to work due to a medical condition, you should definitely stop certifying for UI since UI requires you to be able and available for work. You should report that you are unable to work due to your injury on your next certification, and then apply for SDI as soon as possible. The process is: 1. On your next UI certification, indicate you were unable to work from Wednesday onward 2. This will effectively pause your UI claim 3. Apply for SDI right away through SDI Online 4. Be prepared for the 7-day SDI waiting period (you won't receive benefits for the first week) 5. Make sure your doctor submits the medical certification form promptly Just be careful with the dates - make sure there's no overlap between your last day of UI eligibility and your SDI claim start date. Best of luck with your recovery!
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Charlotte Jones
•Thank you for explaining! So I don't need to formally "close" my UI claim? It just automatically gets paused when I report being unable to work? That makes things simpler than I thought. Will definitely apply for SDI asap.
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Harper Thompson
i had kinda the same thing happen last yr but it was my shoulder not back. i just stopped doing the UI stuff completely after i got hurt and applied for disability. no problems that way. but maybe im lucky idk
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Caleb Stark
•That's TERRIBLE advice! You can't just stop certifying for UI without telling them why - that can flag your account for potential fraud investigation. Always properly report changes in your status. The system tracks these things and it could come back to bite you later.
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Jade O'Malley
Just curious - how did you hurt your back? I'm on UI too and worried about what would happen if I got injured.
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Charlotte Jones
•I was moving some heavy furniture at home and felt something pop. Couldn't stand straight after that. Definitely not something I expected to happen, so I wasn't prepared for all this benefit confusion either!
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Hunter Edmunds
I went through exactly this last year! The EDD phone lines were IMPOSSIBLE to get through on when I was trying to figure out how to transition correctly. After three days of constant redials, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which connected me to an actual EDD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd The agent I spoke with confirmed I needed to report being unable to work on my UI certification, apply for SDI, and explained exactly how to time everything. Seriously saved me weeks of frustration and potential mistakes.
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Ella Lewis
•Did you have any issues with the 7-day waiting period for SDI? That's always a tough gap for people transitioning between benefits.
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Hunter Edmunds
•Yeah, the waiting period was rough financially, but at least I knew what to expect. The EDD agent explained I wouldn't get paid for the first week of disability. Just had to budget extremely carefully that month.
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Andrew Pinnock
i think everyone here is missing something important - if you've been reporting EXCESSIVE EARNINGS on UI for a while, maybe you dont even need either benefit? like if your getting paid enough at work anyway why bother with all this paperwork??? just heal up and go back to your job when ur better
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Charlotte Jones
•Because I'm not getting paid while I'm injured? Excessive earnings just means I earned more than my weekly UI benefit amount when I was working. Now I can't work at all due to my injury, so I have zero income coming in. That's exactly what SDI is for.
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Andrew Pinnock
•oh ok that makes sense sorry i misunderstood ur situation
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Caleb Stark
The EDD system is DELIBERATELY CONFUSING by design!! They WANT you to make mistakes so they can deny benefits or charge you with overpayments later. I had a similar situation in 2023 and even though I reported everything correctly, they still tried to say I committed fraud by collecting UI and SDI at the same time - which I NEVER did!! Took 4 months and an appeal to fix their mistake. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and save screenshots of all your certifications and applications!!!
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Lucas Bey
•While it's always good to document everything, I don't think the system is deliberately designed to confuse people. It's just a large bureaucracy handling millions of claims with outdated technology. Most issues can be resolved by carefully following the correct procedures.
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Ella Lewis
One important technical detail: When you file your SDI claim, you'll need to complete Form DE 2501 (Notice of Disability Insurance Claim). Make sure your doctor completes their portion (the medical certification) within 49 days of your disability beginning - this is critical. Also, your benefit calculation will be based on your highest quarter of earnings during your base period, which might actually result in a higher weekly benefit amount than you would have received from UI. For 2025, the maximum SDI benefit is $1,620 per week. You should also know that if your recovery takes longer than expected, you can request an extension of your disability benefits by having your doctor submit updated medical certification.
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Charlotte Jones
•That's really helpful info about the form and timing requirements! Is the base period for SDI the same as it was for my UI claim? Or do they calculate it differently? And wow - I didn't realize the maximum benefit was that high. I definitely won't get near that amount but good to know.
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Ella Lewis
•The SDI base period is slightly different from UI. For SDI, they look at wages paid approximately 5-17 months before your disability claim begins. So it's the four consecutive quarters (one year) that began 18 months before your disability start date. They use your highest-earning quarter to calculate your benefit amount.
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Harper Thompson
hope ur back gets better!! back pain is the WORST 😫
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Jade O'Malley
Can you get UI and SDI at the same time? My cousin said he did that once.
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Lucas Bey
•No, that would be fraud. You cannot receive UI and SDI for the same time period. UI requires you to be able and available to work, while SDI requires you to be unable to work due to disability. They're mutually exclusive by definition.
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Charlotte Jones
Update: I certified for UI this Sunday and reported that I was unable to work Wednesday through Saturday due to my injury. The system prompted me with some additional questions about my medical situation. I've also started my SDI application online and my doctor has the medical certification form. Thanks everyone for the advice! I'll post again if I run into any issues with the transition.
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Ella Lewis
•Sounds like you're on the right track! The system is working as intended. Your UI benefits should stop as of the day you became disabled, and once your SDI claim is processed (after the waiting period), you should start receiving those benefits. Good luck with your recovery!
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