EDD SDI approval delay due to previous disability claim - anyone experienced this?

Yes, this happened to me earlier this year! They were connecting my new claim to an old one from 2022. It was frustrating because they kept asking me about my previous employer even though I'd worked at two different places since then. I think it's part of their fraud prevention, especially if you have claims that are close together (within a 2-year period). What worked for me was sending a message through SDI Online explaining that these were entirely separate medical conditions with different doctors and clear documentation. I also called every day for a week until I finally got through to a rep who could note this in my file. My claim was approved about 5 days after I finally reached someone.

they always do this!! its part of there stupid system. they think everyone is commiting fraud. meanwhile real people suffer waiting for there money. i had THREE claims over 4 years (pregnancy, surgery, then car accident) and each time they acted like i was trying to scam them even tho all my doctors sent in paperwork!!

I work as a disability advocate and see this frequently. When you have multiple SDI claims within a 24-month period, EDD typically flags the new claim for additional review. They're checking for what they call "Ineligibility due to Intervening Period of Regular Work" and "Insufficient Recovery Period Between Disabilities." The rules state that if you've returned to work between disabilities, EDD needs to verify that you worked at least 60 continuous days before the onset of the new disability. They're making sure the new disability isn't actually a continuation of the previous one. You should consider doing two things: 1. Submit a message through your SDI Online account specifically addressing why this claim is separate and distinct from your previous one. 2. Have your doctor send additional documentation clarifying this is a new and unrelated condition. If you need to speak with a representative urgently (which I recommend), I've heard good things about a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps connect you with an EDD representative without waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd

has your doctor filled out the right forms? sometimes they fill them out wrong and thats what causes all the delays. my doctor's office messed up my forms twice and my claim was stuck for like 6 weeks!!!

This exact situation happened to me last year. The SDI system automatically flags claims that are filed within a certain timeframe of previous claims. In my case, they were concerned I hadn't fully recovered from my previous disability, even though they were completely unrelated issues (first was for surgery, second was for pregnancy). What ultimately fixed it was having my current doctor specifically address this in an addendum to my medical certification. He wrote a letter stating that my current disability was "new and distinct" from any previous medical issues and had a clear start date unrelated to previous claims. The most frustrating part was trying to get someone on the phone to explain this to. I spent HOURS calling that stupid EDD number and getting disconnected. When I finally did reach someone, they were actually really helpful and processed my claim within 48 hours.

Just a quick update - I used Claimyr that the disability advocate mentioned above last month when I was having issues with my SDI claim. It actually worked! Got connected to an EDD rep in about 15 minutes after trying for days on my own with no luck. The rep was able to see exactly what was holding up my claim and fixed it while I was on the phone. Worth looking into if you're still stuck.

make sure u check ur SDI online account EVERYDAY!! sometimes they send messages asking for more info and if u dont respond in 10 days they can deny ur claim and make u start all over!! happened to my sister!!

A quick follow-up on the "insufficient recovery period" issue. The EDD typically requires one of two things when you have multiple disability claims: 1. At least 60 days of regular work between disabilities, OR 2. Medical certification that clearly establishes the new disability is unrelated to the previous one Since you mentioned working continuously for 19 months between claims, you clearly meet the first requirement. The issue may be that this information isn't clearly documented in their system. Sometimes the claims examiners don't have complete wage data in front of them during initial review. I'd recommend gathering documents that prove your continuous employment during that 19-month period (pay stubs, employment verification letter, etc.) and having those ready if they request them. Also, try to get the exact start and end dates of your previous claim so you can specifically reference those dates in any communications with EDD.