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Emma Bianchi

EDD SDI payments started but no debit card yet - normal timeline?

Just got approved for disability benefits (yay finally!) and noticed a deposit hit my account yesterday. The weird thing is, I just received my approval letter in the mail yesterday too, but there's no Bank of America EDD debit card yet. Is this normal? Do they send the payments before the actual card arrives? How long should I expect to wait for the card to show up? This is my first time on SDI and I'm not sure if I need to call someone or if I just need to be patient. Anyone know the typical timeline?

congrats on getting approved! when i went on disability last year my payments started showing up about 4-5 days before i got the actual card. totally normal. the letter and the card ship separately.

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Thank you! That's a relief to hear. I was getting worried that something was wrong with my claim.

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The debit card is sent separately from Bank of America, not directly from EDD. It typically takes 7-10 business days after your first payment is processed to arrive. If you don't receive it within 10 business days, you should contact Bank of America EDD Debit Card customer service at 1-866-692-9374. You can also set up a direct deposit to your personal bank account through your SDI Online portal if you prefer not to use the debit card. Just log in to your account, go to 'Account Options' and look for 'Direct Deposit'.

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This is super helpful information, thank you! I'll wait the 10 business days before getting concerned. I didn't realize I could set up direct deposit - I'm definitely going to look into that option.

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Is this ur first time on disability??? If they already APPROVED u and money is going into ur account i wouldnt worry!!!! But i got sooooo confused when i first got my disability too lol. They do everything seprate and sometimes things get delayed in the mail. Card can take up to 2 weeks i think!!! Just keep checking ur mailbox!!

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Yes, it's my first time on disability! I think I was just overthinking everything because I wasn't sure what to expect with the timeline. Thanks for the reassurance!

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THE EDD IS THE WORST ABOUT COMMUNICATION!!! I waited THREE WEEKS for my card while they kept depositing money into the account I couldn't access! Called Bank of America multiple times and they kept saying 'it's been shipped' but wouldn't give me a tracking number or anything. Finally showed up randomly one day.

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OMG same!!! they are soooo bad at telling u whats happening. Like u just have to guess what steo comes next its so frustrating!!!!

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This is completely normal. The EDD payments and the Bank of America debit card operate on different systems. Here's what's happening: 1. EDD approves your claim and begins processing payments 2. Your approval letter is sent 3. First payment is issued to your debit card account 4. Bank of America gets notification to issue a card (this happens AFTER your first payment) 5. Card is mailed separately (can take 7-10 business days) If you need access to your funds immediately, you can call Bank of America EDD at 1-866-692-9374 to request expedited shipping of your card (may cost extra), or you can set up direct deposit to your personal bank account through your SDI Online portal. Keep your approval letter safe - it contains important information about your claim period and benefit amount that you might need for reference later.

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Thank you for breaking down the process so clearly! This timeline makes perfect sense now. I'll probably just wait since it sounds like the card should arrive soon, but it's good to know there are options if I need the funds right away.

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If you're really stressed about getting your money, try using Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep fast. I was in a similar situation and spent days trying to reach someone. Used claimyr.com and got connected to an agent in like 20 minutes who confirmed my card status. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd

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is that service legit? seems sketchy to pay someone just to get through to edd when it's supposed to be free to call them

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Yeah it's legit. I was skeptical too but when you've called EDD 30+ times getting disconnected, spending a little to actually talk to someone becomes worth it. Saved me like 2 days of stress calls.

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This happened to me last month! The card took about 9 days to arrive after my first payment. One thing to note - when you DO get the card, make sure you activate it right away through the Bank of America EDD card website. You'll need to create an account there to manage your debit card, which is separate from your SDI Online account. Also, they don't automatically send you a new card when you have multiple disability claims - they reuse your existing card for future claims, so keep it even after your claim ends!

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That's a great tip about keeping the card! I wouldn't have thought about that. Will definitely hang onto it after this claim is over. Thanks for the advice about activating it right away too.

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I just went through this exact same thing a few months ago! The timing is totally normal - EDD processes and sends payments before Bank of America issues the physical card. I think it's because they want to make sure you get your benefits as soon as possible even if there are postal delays with the card. Mine took exactly 8 business days to arrive after my first payment hit. One thing that helped me feel less anxious was checking my SDI Online account regularly - you can see all your payment history there even before you get the card. Congrats on getting approved and don't stress, the card will come!

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