EDD SDI payment stuck in limbo for weeks after certification - is an in-person visit worth it?

they dont handle sdi claims at the physicl offices sorry. thats unemployment only. sdi is thru a different department. its so confusing i know!!!

This is happening because of a system update they rolled out in February 2025. A lot of claims from late January/early February got stuck in a processing loop. I work with several clients on disability and about 30% of them experienced similar delays. The best way to resolve this is by sending a secure message through your SDI Online account. Select "Payment Questions" as the category and specifically mention the certification date that's missing. Include your claim ID number and the specific weeks you're missing payment for. They typically respond within 3-5 business days to these messages, versus the phone which is nearly impossible to get through on. Also make sure you don't have any incomplete forms or certifications in your account - sometimes a missing doctor certification or incomplete form can hold up payments without clear notification.

Same thing happend to me last month!!! So frustrating. I never got through on the phone either and my doctor had to resubmit some form. I was without payment for 3 weeks and almost got evicted.

I've been on SDI three times in the past 5 years, and this last time was a complete mess with payment delays. I found a service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an EDD representative after weeks of failed calls. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd and their website is claimyr.com It basically keeps dialing and navigating the phone tree for you until it gets a real person, then it calls your phone to connect you. Saved me so much frustration and I got my payment issue fixed in one call. Especially helpful with your medical condition where you can't keep redialing for hours.

hey not sure if this helps but i had payment delays too and it turned out i had checked wrong box on my certification form. the SDI people never notified me about the error!! check ur account for any forms or messages u might have missed.

This exact same thing happened to me in December. The most INFURIATING thing is they don't notify you when there's an issue! I was expecting a payment that never came, and after THREE WEEKS of trying to reach someone, I finally got through and learned that my doctor needed to resubmit part of my medical certification. Why couldn't they have just sent a simple email or text?! "Hey, we need more info from your doctor." That would have saved me weeks of stress and financial hardship. I recommend checking your SDI Online account thoroughly for any incomplete forms. Also, if you're able to get through to a representative, ask them to expedite your payment due to financial hardship. They can sometimes process urgent payments in 2-3 days once the issue is resolved. The phone system is absolutely broken. I had to call over 70 times before getting through. Try calling precisely at 8:00 AM when they open - that's how I finally got through.

I see several people have suggested checking for incomplete forms, which is good advice. I'd add that you should also verify if the issue might be with your medical provider. Sometimes doctors don't submit the required follow-up certifications on time, which can cause payment gaps without clear notification. Regarding in-person visits: While EDD offices primarily handle unemployment claims, some locations do have disability representatives available on certain days. You should call your local office first and specifically ask if they have SDI staff available before making the trip. The availability varies greatly by location. Also, for anyone reading this with similar issues, the EDD has started using a new secure messaging system for SDI this year that's actually more reliable than phone calls. When sending a message, be sure to include: - Your claim ID - The specific weeks with missing payments - Any form submission dates - Your doctor's name and when they last submitted documentation This detailed information helps them resolve your issue more quickly.

UPDATE: I finally got this resolved! For anyone with similar issues: 1. I found an incomplete medical form in my account that was holding everything up (thanks to everyone who suggested checking for this) 2. I used the Claimyr service that someone recommended here and actually got through to a real person after trying for weeks! 3. The EDD rep was able to expedite my payment since I explained my financial hardship My payment should be in my account within 48 hours. What a relief! The system is still broken though - they really need to implement actual notifications when there are issues with your claim.

Congratulations on getting it resolved! Your experience is unfortunately way too common with EDD's SDI system. The fact that incomplete forms can hold up payments for weeks without any notification is absolutely unacceptable for people who depend on these payments for basic survival. I've been dealing with various state agencies for disability issues for years, and California really needs to overhaul their notification system. A simple automated email or text saying "Action Required: Incomplete Form" would prevent so much unnecessary stress and financial hardship. For future reference (and for others reading), I'd also recommend taking screenshots of your account after every certification and form submission. That way you have proof of when things were submitted if issues arise later. The system glitches are too frequent not to document everything. Hope your recovery goes smoothly and you don't have to deal with payment delays again!