EDD SDI waiting period confusion - Direct deposit vs. Money Network Card?

Congrats on getting approved! Yes, the 7-day waiting period is still in effect for 2025. That first week of your disability period is unpaid regardless of how long your claim lasts. About the payment method - you absolutely CAN still set up direct deposit! Just log into your SDI Online account, go to 'Profile' and then 'Payment Method' to switch it before your first payment is processed. Much easier than dealing with that card!

the money network card is actually not that bad i like it cuz they don't charge any fees at most atms... i think u only get the 7 day wait period if ur out for more than 2 weeks tho

Went thru this last month! The waiting period is THE WORST when you're already stressed about money. But yes, 7 days is still the rule. I HIGHLY recommend getting direct deposit set up ASAP. I waited and my first payment went to the card, then had to wait another 3 days to transfer it to my bank. Not worth the hassle!!!

I've been on SDI three different times in the past two years (chronic health issues, yay) and I've noticed the payment timeline is really inconsistent. Sometimes it's just a couple days after the waiting period, other times it's taken nearly two weeks. The EDD system is completely overwhelmed still. And they NEVER answer their phones when you call about payment delays. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual EDD representative when my last payment was super delayed. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. It was the only way I actually got answers about my delayed payment. Just sharing since payment timing seems so random now.

Adding to what others have said - the 7-day waiting period is calculated from your disability start date on your claim, not from your approval date. So if your disability started 3+ weeks ago, you've already completed the waiting period and should receive payment soon after they process your claim. Direct deposit is definitely the way to go! The Money Network card has had so many issues this year with their system upgrades. My colleague had her card frozen twice with no warning. Set up direct deposit immediately in your SDI Online account.

Thank you everyone for the helpful info! I've successfully set up direct deposit in my account. My disability started on June 2nd, so it sounds like I've already served the waiting period and should see payment soon. Fingers crossed it comes through this week!

Just went through this exact situation last month! The waiting period definitely applies regardless of how long your claim processing took - it's based on your actual disability start date. Since you mentioned your disability started on June 2nd, you've already completed the waiting period. One thing I learned the hard way: even after setting up direct deposit, sometimes the first payment still goes to the card if it was already in processing. But don't panic if that happens - you can instantly transfer from the card to your bank account through the Money Network app (despite all the complaints about it, the transfer feature actually works pretty well). After that first payment, everything should go straight to your bank account. Hope you see that payment soon! The financial stress while waiting is honestly the worst part of the whole process.

Hey Olivia! Congrats on getting approved - that's such a relief after 3 weeks of waiting! I just went through this same process a few months ago. Since your disability started June 2nd, you've definitely already served your waiting period, so payment should come through pretty soon now that you're approved. Smart move setting up direct deposit! I made that switch right after approval too and it was seamless. One heads up though - sometimes the system is a bit slow to update, so if your first payment does end up going to the Money Network card, don't stress. You can transfer it to your bank instantly through their app (despite all the horror stories, the transfer feature actually works fine). The whole financial uncertainty while waiting is honestly the hardest part. You're so close to the finish line now! Keep us posted when that first payment hits - we're all rooting for you! 🤞