EDD SDI after switching to self-employment - qualify with previous W2 income?

Your situation is actually pretty common! EDD looks at your base period (typically the 12-18 months before your claim) to determine eligibility. Since you paid into SDI during some of those quarters, you might qualify for at least partial benefits based on those wages.\n\nThe self-employment questionnaire is to confirm a few things:\n1. That you're actually experiencing a loss of income (they want to make sure you're not still earning your full self-employment income while collecting benefits)\n2. That you have a legitimate disability (pregnancy/childbirth counts, of course)\n3. The dates you've been unable to work\n\nBecause you weren't paying into the Voluntary Plan as a self-employed person, they won't count any of your self-employment income toward your benefit calculation. They'll only use the W2 wages from your base period. As long as you earned at least $300 during your base period from W2 employment where SDI was deducted, you technically meet the minimum eligibility requirement.

Thank you so much for explaining this! Do you know if there's any documentation I should provide about my self-employment income? I'm worried because my income has been higher as a consultant than it was at my W2 job, but it's also less consistent month-to-month. Would that hurt my case?

i went thru something kinda similar last yr. was w2 then went freelance but didnt do the voluntary SDI thing. had surgery and applied for benefits. they sent me that self employemnt form too which freaked me out but i still got approved! just for way less $ than when i was at my company job lol. they only counted my old w2 wages for the calculation

This is misleading information. If you didn't pay into the Voluntary Disability Insurance program as a self-employed person, you DON'T qualify for SDI benefits unless you're within the base period of your last W2 employment where you WERE paying into SDI. The base period is a specific timeframe - it's the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. If your W2 employment falls outside this period, you will be denied regardless of how long you previously contributed to SDI.

um that's literally what i said?? i was in the base period so i got approved. never said everyone would get approved no matter what. read my comment again

When I called EDD about my SDI claim they told me to wait 4-6 weeks just for a response about my appeal! How did you actually get through to someone? I've called probably 50 times in the last week and either get a message saying they're too busy or I get disconnected after being on hold forever. This is driving me CRAZY especially with a newborn to take care of!!

I had the same problem trying to reach EDD about my SDI claim last month. I finally had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they have a system that basically calls EDD for you and connects you when they get through to a representative. Saved me hours of frustration and I finally got my claim sorted out. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd\n\nIt was worth it for me because I had already wasted so much time trying to get through on my own.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm desperate at this point so I'll check it out. Anything is better than hearing that stupid recording telling me they're too busy over and over!

Based on what you've described, you should qualify for SDI benefits, but there are some important factors to understand:\n\n1. Base Period: EDD will look at the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. Since you filed in 2025 and left your W2 job about 9 months ago, your base period likely includes quarters where you were paying into SDI.\n\n2. Self-Employment Form: The additional form about self-employment is standard procedure. They need to verify that you've actually lost income due to your disability (childbirth). They're checking that you're not still earning full self-employment income while collecting benefits.\n\n3. Benefit Calculation: Your weekly benefit amount will be based ONLY on the W2 wages in your base period where SDI was deducted - none of your self-employment income will be counted toward your benefit amount.\n\n4. Documentation: Keep records of your pre-disability self-employment earnings, as they may request proof of income loss. Most importantly, make sure your medical provider has submitted complete certification of your disability.\n\nThe \

Thank you for such a detailed explanation! I'm starting to understand this better. I've been keeping good records of my self-employment income (invoices, bank statements, etc). Should I proactively send those in or wait until they specifically ask for them?

I'm in the exact same boat!!! Left my corporate job after 6 years to freelance, then got pregnant. Applied for SDI since I had all those years paying into it. They sent me the self-employment questionnaire too and I'm STILL waiting for a decision 6 weeks later. This system is a nightmare. Have you checked your payment history on the SDI Online portal? Sometimes they approve you but don't actually notify you - the payments just start showing up.

I've been checking the portal obsessively! So far it still shows my claim as pending. I've also been checking my bank account every day hoping for a deposit. So frustrating. If you don't mind me asking, did you have any income from your freelance work during your pregnancy?

EDD is the WORST AGENCY EVER!!!!! I've been fighting with them for 3 months about my disability claim. They lost my paperwork TWICE, and no one can give me a straight answer about anything. I paid into the system for 15 YEARS and now that I actually need it, they treat me like I'm trying to commit fraud or something. I honestly think they deny claims hoping people will just give up. DO NOT GIVE UP!!! Keep calling, keep appealing, and document EVERYTHING.

Oh no, that sounds horrible! I'm so sorry you're going through that. I'm definitely keeping records of everything - screenshots of the online portal, copies of all the forms I've submitted, and notes from phone calls. Did you ever consider contacting your state representative's office? I've heard they can sometimes help with EDD issues.

One important thing to know: For self-employment questions, what EDD is primarily concerned with is determining if you're still able to work and earn income from your business despite your disability.\n\nWith pregnancy/childbirth claims, this is usually pretty straightforward since it's obvious you can't perform your normal work duties immediately after giving birth. But they still need to confirm that you're experiencing a loss of income.\n\nYou asked about providing documentation - it's better to have it ready but wait until they specifically request it. Sending too much unrequested documentation can actually slow down your claim processing.\n\nRegarding your benefit amount - don't be surprised if it's lower than you expected. Since they'll only count the W2 wages from your base period (and not any of your self-employment income), your weekly benefit amount might be less than what you'd receive if all your current earnings were counted.

Actually this isnt totally accurate. My wife had a similar situation when she had our daughter. EDD will sometimes look at self employment income BEFORE the disability if you can show loss of income. They dont add it to W2 wages but if you didnt have enough in your base period sometimes they count it.

That's incorrect. EDD SDI will ONLY count self-employment income if the person was paying into the Voluntary Disability Insurance program. They won't count any self-employment income where SDI taxes weren't paid, regardless of income loss. Your wife's situation must have been different or involved PFL rather than SDI, or perhaps she had elected voluntary coverage.

off topic but congrats on the baby!!! i had my first last year and let me tell you the EDD stress on top of newborn sleep deprivation is THE WORST. hope u have good support!!

Thank you! ❤️ It is definitely challenging juggling all of this with a newborn. My mother is staying with us for a few weeks which is a huge help, but I'm still so anxious about the financial situation. Appreciate the kind words!

I went through almost the exact same situation about 18 months ago! Left my W2 job to start freelancing, then had complications during pregnancy that required me to stop working completely. The key thing that helped my case was being very clear about the timeline - I documented exactly when I stopped being able to work due to my disability versus when I was still able to do some freelance work. EDD really wants to see that there's an actual loss of income due to the disability itself, not just because you chose to take time off. Since you filed right after delivery, that timeline should be pretty clear cut. The self-employment form is mostly to confirm you're not still earning your full consulting income while collecting benefits. As long as you're honest about any work you've done since the disability began, you should be fine. Also, don't stress too much about your consulting income being higher than your W2 salary - that actually works in your favor for showing income loss! Just make sure you have good records of what you were typically earning per month before the disability. Hang in there - the waiting is the hardest part but it sounds like you have a solid case!

Hey there! I'm new to this community but your situation really resonates with me - I'm currently going through something similar with EDD and it's been such a stressful process. From what I've been reading here and my own research, it sounds like you're definitely on the right track. The fact that EDD reversed your initial denial is actually a really good sign! The self-employment questionnaire seems to be standard procedure when there's any self-employment involved, even if it's after your base period. One thing I learned from calling EDD (took me forever to get through too!) is that they're mostly trying to verify that you're experiencing a genuine loss of income due to your disability. Since you went from earning consulting income to zero income after delivery, that should be pretty clear cut. I know the waiting is absolutely awful, especially with a newborn and bills piling up. Have you considered reaching out to any local pregnancy resource centers or organizations? Sometimes they have emergency financial assistance programs that can help bridge the gap while you're waiting for EDD to process everything. Wishing you the best of luck with your claim! It sounds like you have all the right pieces in place. 🤞

Welcome to the community! As someone who's been lurking here for a while but just joined, I wanted to chime in because your situation hits close to home. I'm currently 7 months pregnant and planning to leave my corporate job next month to start freelancing, so I've been researching all of this extensively. From everything I've read and the experiences shared here, it sounds like you're in a pretty good position since your base period includes those W2 quarters where you were paying into SDI. The self-employment questionnaire is definitely nerve-wracking (I'm dreading having to deal with that myself eventually), but it seems like it's really just about confirming you're not double-dipping by earning your full consulting income while collecting benefits. One thing that might help with your anxiety - have you tried setting up text or email notifications through the SDI Online portal? Sometimes updates show up there before you get any official mail, and it might give you peace of mind to check that instead of obsessively calling. Also, congrats on your baby! I can't imagine dealing with all this EDD stress while also adjusting to life with a newborn. You're handling way more than anyone should have to right now. Hopefully you get some good news soon! 🤞

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community but have been following this thread because I'm in almost the exact same situation. I left my corporate job about 6 months ago to start my own marketing consulting business and just found out I'm pregnant (12 weeks along). Reading through all these experiences has been both helpful and terrifying! @Angelica - your story gives me hope that this might actually work out. I'm curious, when you filled out the self-employment questionnaire, did they ask for specific dollar amounts of what you were earning before vs. after your disability? I'm trying to prepare for what documentation I might need down the road. One thing I've learned from this thread is definitely to look into the Voluntary Disability Insurance program ASAP. I had no idea it existed until reading about it here. Better late than never I guess! The fact that so many people are dealing with similar situations really highlights how confusing the system is, especially for those of us who transition from W2 to self-employment. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's making me feel much less alone in navigating this maze! Fingers crossed your claim gets approved soon! Keep us updated! 🤞

Hi Angelica! Welcome to the community - I'm also new here but have been dealing with EDD for months now so I totally understand your frustration. Your situation actually sounds pretty promising! The fact that they reversed your initial denial is a huge step forward. I went through something similar - was denied first due to incomplete medical forms, then approved after appeal. The self-employment questionnaire seems scary but it's really just them making sure you're not still earning your full consulting income while collecting benefits. Since you paid into SDI during your base period at your tech job, you should definitely qualify for benefits. They'll calculate your weekly amount based only on those W2 wages though, so don't expect it to reflect your current consulting rates. One tip that helped me - when you fill out that self-employment form, be very specific about when you stopped being able to work due to your disability. With childbirth it's pretty cut and dried, but they want clear documentation of the timeline. The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially with a newborn! But it sounds like you're on the right track. Keep calling if you need updates, and don't be afraid to escalate if you're not getting helpful responses. Hang in there - you've got this! 💪

Hi Angelica! I'm new to this community but your situation really caught my attention because I went through something very similar about two years ago. I was a software engineer for about 5 years, then left to start my own freelance development business. Got pregnant about 8 months after going freelance and had no idea how SDI would work. The good news is that since you paid into SDI during your base period, you should absolutely qualify! The self-employment questionnaire is standard - they just need to verify that you're actually experiencing income loss due to your disability (which is obvious with childbirth). A few things that helped my case: - I kept detailed records of my freelance income before the disability - I was very clear about the exact date I stopped being able to work - I provided documentation showing I had to turn down or postpone client projects due to the pregnancy complications The waiting is honestly the worst part, especially with a newborn. My claim took about 3 weeks to process after I submitted all the additional forms, but I did eventually get approved. The weekly benefit was lower than what I was earning freelancing, but it was based on my old W2 salary and was still a huge help during those early weeks. Don't give up - it sounds like you have a solid case! The reversal of your initial denial is definitely a positive sign. Hang in there! 💜

Hi Angelica! I'm new to this community but your post really resonates with me. I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - left my W2 job about a year ago to start freelancing and now navigating the SDI system for a non-pregnancy related disability. From everything I've learned through my own claim process, it sounds like you're in a really good position! The fact that EDD already reversed your initial denial is actually huge - that means they've confirmed you have a valid disability claim and they're just working through the employment details now. The self-employment questionnaire can feel overwhelming, but from what I understand, they're mainly trying to verify two things: 1) that you're actually unable to work due to your disability (which is clearly the case with recent childbirth), and 2) that you're experiencing a genuine loss of income as a result. Since you were paying into SDI during your base period at your tech job, you definitely meet the basic eligibility requirements. The fact that your consulting income is higher than your old W2 salary actually works in your favor for showing income loss - it makes it very clear that you're not collecting benefits while still earning your full income. One thing that helped me was organizing all my documentation before they asked for it - client contracts showing when I had to stop working, bank statements showing the income drop, etc. But as others have mentioned, it's better to wait for them to request specific documents rather than overwhelming them upfront. The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially with a newborn to care for. But based on everything you've shared, it really sounds like your claim should be approved. The reversal of the denial was the hard part - now it's just a matter of processing the details. Hang in there! This community has been such a great resource for navigating all the EDD confusion. 💙