EDD SDI maximum benefits ending - can my mom file a new claim after one year?

The SDI maximum benefit amount is tied to each individual claim year. Once your mom's current claim year ends, she can file a new claim IF she has enough wages in her base period to qualify. Since she worked 5 months in 2024, she might have enough quarters in her base period to establish a new claim, but the benefit amount might be lower since it's calculated based on her highest quarter of earnings during the base period. When her current claim year is about to end, she should file a new DE 2501 application with updated medical certification from her doctor to continue receiving benefits.

my cousin went thru this last yr. you DEFINITELY can file again after the year ends!!! she had cancer and was on SDI for like 18 months by doing 2 seperate claims. as long as ur mom worked enough before she got sick.

I've been through this exact situation and the EDD system is SO confusing! Your mom will need to file a completely new claim with a new DE 2501 form. The tricky part is TIMING - she should submit the new application about 1-2 weeks before her current claim year ends so there's no gap in payments. But here's what they don't tell you - the base period for the new claim will use earnings from 5-18 months before the NEW claim date, so those 5 months she worked in 2024 should count IF they fall in the right quarters. I would call EDD directly to confirm her specific situation, but good luck getting through their phone system! I spent DAYS trying to reach a rep.

My sister is going through the same thing right now! Her doctor just filled out new paperwork for a second claim since her first year is ending next week. The SDI office told her that as long as she had enough wages in her base period, she could file a new claim. But they said the payment might be lower this time since she worked less.

LISTEN CAREFULLY!! EDD is gonna try to cut her off!! They always try to deny the second claim saying you didn't work enough but FIGHT IT!! My husband had to appeal TWICE after they denied his second year even though he had enough quarters. They make it confusing ON PURPOSE so people give up. Make sure you keep ALL doctor paperwork and wage info. The whole system is designed to frustrate people into giving up!!

To qualify for a new SDI claim, your mom needs to have earned at least $300 in wages during her base period, which is the 5-18 months before filing the new claim. Given that she worked 5 months in 2024, she likely meets this minimum requirement. However, her weekly benefit amount will be calculated as approximately 60-70% of her average weekly earnings during her highest-paid quarter in the base period. If you want to calculate a rough estimate, take her highest quarter earnings during those 5 months and divide by 13 weeks, then multiply by 0.6. For the timing of the new application, she should submit it about 10 days before her current claim year ends. Her doctor will need to complete a new medical certification confirming she still cannot work. One important note: there may be a new 7-day waiting period for the new claim year, during which no benefits are paid, so plan accordingly.

btw u should tell ur mom to check if she qualifies for ssdi too if shes been disabled this long. my aunt did both cuz edd doesnt last forever

Thank you everyone for all your helpful responses! I feel so much more prepared now. I'm going to help my mom submit a new DE 2501 application about 10 days before her current claim year ends, and I'll make sure her doctor completes a new medical certification. I'll also look into SSDI as a backup plan since her condition doesn't seem to be improving quickly. I really appreciate all your insights and personal experiences - navigating these benefit systems is so confusing, and your advice has been invaluable!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else in a similar situation - I went through this exact process with my dad last year when his SDI claim year ended. The key thing that really helped us was getting organized early. We made sure to have all his wage statements from 2024 ready, got his doctor to complete the new medical forms about 2 weeks before the claim year ended, and submitted everything through the SDI Online portal. The transition was pretty seamless and there was no gap in his benefits. One thing I wish someone had told us - make copies of EVERYTHING before submitting. The EDD lost some of his paperwork initially and we had to resubmit, but having copies saved us weeks of delays. Also, if your mom's condition is likely to be long-term, definitely start the SSDI application process now even while she's on state disability. The federal process takes forever but you can receive both benefits for a period of time. Good luck!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what I learned when I helped my sister navigate this same situation a few months ago. The good news is that your mom can definitely file a new claim after her claim year ends! Since she worked those 5 months in 2024, she should have enough quarters to qualify for a second year of benefits. Here's what worked for us: We submitted her new DE 2501 application about 2 weeks before her first claim year expired, along with updated medical documentation from her doctor. The key was making sure the timing was right - too early and they might reject it, too late and there could be a gap in benefits. One thing I wish we had known earlier is that the benefit amount for the second year might be different since it's calculated based on her 2024 earnings rather than her previous work history. In my sister's case, her weekly benefit amount was actually slightly higher because she had gotten a raise right before going on disability. Also, definitely keep detailed records of everything you submit. We had to follow up a few times to make sure her application was being processed, and having copies of all the paperwork made those conversations much easier. The whole process took about 3-4 weeks from submission to approval in our experience. Hope this helps, and I'm sending positive thoughts to you and your mom during this stressful time!