How to end EDD SDI benefits early - online options or doctor's sign-off required?

You need to have your doctor submit a Supplemental Certificate. It's called the DE 2525XX form. They need to provide the date you're medically able to return to work. Just stopping certification doesn't officially close your claim - your doctor needs to medically release you. You should definitely contact EDD to let them know too, because otherwise your claim stays technically open for the timeframe initially certified, which could cause problems later.

i went back to work early last year and just stopped certifying. never had any problems, they just stopped sending payments. way easier than dealing with more forms imo

You MUST have your doctor submit that supplemental form! I tried just stopping my benefits when I went back to work early after my knee surgery and EDD kept paying me. Then 6 months later they claimed I committed fraud and I had to repay $3,800 PLUS a 30% penalty!!! They don't make it easy to do the right thing. And the EDD website is basically useless for this situation - you can't just click a button to say "I'm better now." The system assumes you're on disability for the full period your doctor initially certified.

i had this same issue and tried calling EDD to tell them i was going back to work early but kept getting disconnected. so frustrating!!!!

There's actually a two-part process to properly end your claim early: 1. Your doctor must submit the DE 2525XX Supplemental Certificate with your actual return-to-work date 2. You should also notify EDD directly (by phone is best, though it's difficult to reach them) While some people just stop certifying, that's risky because your claim remains open in the system. If your doctor certified you for 8 weeks but you return after 5, those 3 extra weeks remain "available" in the system. Some people have reported receiving unexpected payments later that then become overpayments. Make sure your doctor specifies the exact date you're returning to work. If they just check "able to work" without a specific date, it can cause confusion in the system.

My doctor told me I could just go back to work and they'd submit the paperwork from their end, but then they forgot and I got overpaid! Then I had to pay back like $1400. Make SURE your doctor actually sends in that form AND follow up with EDD directly!!!!!

i had a similar situation but with pregnancy disability. went back earlier than expected and the whole thing was a mess. wish there was just a button to click online that says "i'm done with benefits plz stop sending money" lol

Update: I called my doctor's office and they're submitting the supplemental form today with my return-to-work date. They said they do this all the time and it should process within a week. I also tried calling EDD but couldn't get through after 7 attempts. Going to try again tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help!

Just went through this exact situation last month! A few additional tips from my experience: 1) Ask your doctor's office to fax the DE 2525XX form directly to EDD rather than mailing it - it processes much faster (mine was updated in the system within 3 business days vs. the usual 1-2 weeks for mail). 2) Keep a copy of the form for your records in case there are any issues later. 3) Even after your doctor submits the release, continue checking your SDI Online account for a few weeks to make sure no additional payments are issued. The system sometimes has delays updating the end date. Better to catch any overpayments early rather than deal with them months later!

I'm in a similar boat right now - about to go back to work earlier than my original disability period. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like the key steps are: 1) Get your doctor to submit the DE 2525XX form with your exact return-to-work date, 2) Try to notify EDD directly (though good luck getting through!), and 3) Keep monitoring your account afterwards to catch any system glitches. The stories about overpayments and penalties are definitely scary - seems like EDD's system isn't great at handling early returns to work even though it happens all the time. Thanks for asking this question, it's really helpful to see everyone's experiences!

As someone who just went through this process successfully, I want to emphasize something that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure to keep detailed records of EVERYTHING! I kept screenshots of my SDI Online account showing the last payment date, a copy of the DE 2525XX form my doctor submitted, and notes from my phone calls with EDD (including date, time, and the rep's name/ID when I finally got through). This documentation saved me when there was a small glitch in their system that initially showed I had an overpayment. Having all the paperwork made it easy to resolve. Also, don't feel bad about returning to work early - that's actually the goal of the disability system! It's designed to support you while you recover, and getting better faster than expected is a win, even if the bureaucracy makes it feel complicated.

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Had surgery in February and was supposed to be out for 8 weeks, but I'm feeling great and want to return next week (3 weeks early). Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the DE 2525XX form or that just stopping certification could lead to overpayment issues later. The stories about people getting hit with fraud penalties months later are terrifying! I'm definitely going to follow the advice here: get my doctor to fax the supplemental form with my exact return date, try to reach EDD (though it sounds like a nightmare), and keep detailed records of everything. It's frustrating that there's no simple online option for something that should be straightforward - early recovery is a good thing! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, this thread is going to save me from making costly mistakes.

I just wanted to add my experience from going through this process about 6 months ago. One thing that really helped me was creating a timeline in advance - I wrote down my original disability end date, my actual planned return-to-work date, and then tracked each step (when my doctor submitted the DE 2525XX, when I called EDD, etc.). This made it much easier to stay organized and follow up appropriately. Also, if your employer has an HR department, give them a heads up too about your early return date. Some companies need advance notice for scheduling or to reinstate benefits. The whole process took about 10 days total for me - 3 days for my doctor to submit the fax, another week to finally reach someone at EDD, and then the payments stopped correctly. It's definitely more complicated than it should be, but totally manageable if you follow the steps everyone outlined here. Congrats on your faster-than-expected recovery!