Fired same day as starting medical leave - Should I apply for EDD SDI or unemployment?

You should absolutely file for SDI (State Disability Insurance). The fact that you were fired the same day you presented medical documentation is suspicious timing and sounds potentially illegal (could be considered retaliation), but that's a separate issue from your benefits. Since you have medical certification stating you cannot work for medical reasons, SDI is the appropriate benefit. Unemployment requires you to be able and available for work, which your doctor's certification clearly states you are not. File your SDI claim right away using your doctor's documentation - you can do this online through the EDD website.

omg this happened to my cousin last yr! they tried to fire her the day b4 surgery!! she got disability AND sued them for wrongful termination. u should talk to a lawyer asap bc that sounds super illegal

This is a classic case where you should apply for SDI, not unemployment. Here's why: 1. You have a doctor's certification stating you cannot work (DE 2501) 2. Your medical condition preceded the termination (important timeline) 3. Unemployment requires you to certify weekly that you're able and available for work, which would be fraud if you're medically unable to work I would apply for SDI immediately. Don't wait. The 7-day waiting period starts from when you became disabled, not from when you apply. Your benefits could be retroactive to your first day of disability minus the waiting period. Regarding the termination - that's potentially a separate legal issue that others have mentioned. But for benefits purposes, focus on SDI first.

I had THE EXACT SAME THING happen to me in 2025!! I went to submit FMLA paperwork for my heart condition and suddenly I was part of a "reduction in workforce" that same afternoon!!! I applied for disability and they approved it no problem because my doctor certified I couldn't work. When I recovered, I then applied for unemployment afterward. BUT - the bigger issue - I talked to an employment lawyer who took my case on contingency. We ended up settling with my former employer for $43,000 because it's ILLEGAL to fire someone for taking medical leave. They claimed it was just "coincidence" but no one believed that garbage!!!

I had to deal with EDD for my disability claim last month and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through on the phone. After trying for literally two weeks straight and getting hung up on constantly, I found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual EDD agent in about 20 minutes. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd Totally worth it for me because I needed to explain my complicated medical/work situation to a real person. The agent I spoke with confirmed that in situations like yours, SDI is the correct benefit to apply for when you have medical certification.

To answer your follow-up question: No, being terminated does NOT affect your eligibility for SDI benefits. SDI is based on your medical inability to work as certified by your healthcare provider, not your employment status. The key qualifying factors for SDI are: 1. You have a medical condition preventing you from performing your regular work 2. You have certification from a healthcare provider 3. You have paid into SDI through payroll deductions Your employer cannot contest an SDI claim based on termination because it's not relevant to the medical determination. They could theoretically contest whether your condition is work-related (which would make it a workers' comp issue instead), but they can't deny your medical condition exists.

This smells like retaliation. Apply for disability now, but document EVERYTHING. Save emails, write down exactly what happened and when, get names of everyone involved. FMLA and CFRA protect you from exactly this kind of garbage. I dont know if these big companies think were all stupid or what!!!! good luck

wait can you file for disability if ur fired?? i thought u had to be employd to get disability?

Hey totally random but make sure you file your disability claim ASAP!! There's a strict 49-day deadline from when your disability began. If you miss that, you could lose benefits!

One more thing - when you're eventually recovered enough to work (hopefully sooner than 6 months!), THAT'S when you can apply for unemployment if you haven't found a new job yet. You'll need your doctor to certify you're able to work again. It's a transition from SDI to UI that many people don't know about. Just make sure when you certify for UI you're genuinely able to work.