Can I use my old ID.me account from unemployment for new SDI disability claim?
I just started a disability claim and I'm confused about the account access. My doctor submitted my SDI forms about two weeks ago (early January 2025), and I got that standard EDD text telling me to wait for processing. Last night I received a text notification about a deposit being made to my old EDD debit card, plus an email telling me to log into my EDD account to view details. Here's my question - I already have an EDD account from when I collected unemployment back in 2020, and I went through the whole ID.me verification process back then. Do I need to create a completely new ID.me account for this disability claim, or can I just use my existing unemployment account login? I tried accessing the system with my old credentials but got confused when it asked about benefit programs. Anyone dealt with this recently? The deposit amount shows pending but I can't see any claim details yet.
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Rebecca Johnston
You can absolutely use your existing ID.me account! The ID.me verification is separate from EDD but links to your EDD account. When you log in to Benefit Programs Online (BPO), you should see two options - UI Online and SDI Online. Just click on the SDI Online option to access your disability claim. Your ID.me verification is tied to your identity, not to a specific benefit program, so you don't need to create a new one.
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KingKongZilla
•Thank you! I was overthinking this completely. I'll try logging in with my existing credentials and selecting the SDI option instead of UI. Really appreciate the help!
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Nathan Dell
ya you can use the same login dont make another one it just confuses things more. i had same thing happen w/ my pregnancy disability last yr.
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Maya Jackson
•Same!! EDD makes everything so complicated for no reason. I spent 3 hours trying different logins before realizing I could use my old unemployment one 🤦♀️
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Tristan Carpenter
MAKE SURE you remember what email you used for your ID.me account!! I tried to use my old one but couldn't remember which email I used and got locked out. Took forever to reset everything. But yes, it's definitely the same ID.me account for both UI and SDI - they're just different sections within the EDD system. ID.me is just the identity verification service.
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KingKongZilla
•That's a good point - I think I used my gmail account. I'll double check before I try logging in again. Did you have any issues switching between UI and SDI on the same account?
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Tristan Carpenter
•No issues switching between programs once I got the login sorted. After you get into Benefit Programs Online, there's a clear menu where you select which program you want to access. UI and SDI are completely separate systems once you're past the login screen, so your old UI stuff won't affect your disability claim.
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Amaya Watson
I had so many problems with this exact situation last month! My doctor filed my disability paperwork for my back surgery, and I kept trying to create a new account because I thought my unemployment one from 2021 wouldn't work. Ended up making a huge mess where EDD had multiple accounts under my name. Definitely use your existing ID.me account! But when you log in to Benefit Programs Online, make sure you select "SDI Online" and not "UI Online" from the dashboard. They're different systems even though you use the same login credentials.
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KingKongZilla
•Oh wow, that sounds like a nightmare! Definitely don't want to end up with multiple accounts. I'll be careful to select SDI Online specifically. Did you eventually get your duplicate accounts sorted out?
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Amaya Watson
•Eventually, yes, but I had to call EDD multiple times. It was beyond frustrating because most agents couldn't understand what had happened. I spent weeks trying to get through on their phone lines. Literally called 30+ times.
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Grant Vikers
Hi there! If anyone is struggling to reach an actual person at EDD about account issues or claim problems, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with account confusion and couldn't get through to EDD for days. Claimyr connected me with an EDD agent in about 15 minutes. Saved me so much frustration! They have a video demo of how it works at https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. Their website is claimyr.com - you don't have to waste days trying to get through.
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Giovanni Martello
•Is this legit? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to reach EDD these days. Has anyone else tried this service??
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Rebecca Johnston
•I've used it twice for disability issues - once when my doctor's certification wasn't showing up in the system and once for an address change problem. It does work, but just know they're a third-party service that helps you get through the phone queue faster.
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Savannah Weiner
ok but whats happening with the money they sent to your old card?? can u access that card still? sometimes they send money before fully processing claim which is weird but happened to me too. make sure u check if that card is still active!!!!
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KingKongZilla
•That's a good question! I found my old card but haven't activated it yet. The text just said a deposit was pending, but I'm not sure if it's a partial payment or what. Hopefully once I log into SDI Online I'll see more details. If not I guess I'll need to call them.
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Rebecca Johnston
One more thing - when you log into SDI Online using your existing account, check to make sure your contact information and payment preference is current. EDD often defaults to using your old debit card information from UI claims unless you specifically update it to direct deposit for your SDI claim. You'll need to update this separately within the SDI Online system, even if you already had direct deposit set up for unemployment.
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KingKongZilla
•Thank you! I definitely want direct deposit instead of using their debit card. I'll make sure to update that right away. Appreciate all the helpful advice!
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Cedric Chung
Just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! You're right to be confused - the whole system is pretty unclear about this. Your existing ID.me account from unemployment will work perfectly for disability claims. When you log into the Benefit Programs Online portal, you'll see both UI Online and SDI Online options. Click SDI Online to access your disability claim info. The deposit to your old EDD card is probably your first SDI payment - they automatically use the same payment method from your previous claim unless you change it. Once you're in SDI Online, definitely switch to direct deposit if you prefer that over the debit card. The key thing is don't create a new ID.me account - that'll just cause headaches!
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