Low CA-SDI contributions - can I still qualify for maternity disability benefits?
I'm really confused about whether I qualify for SDI maternity benefits based on my contributions. Last year I only paid about $200 in CA-SDI taxes (worked part-time), and this year I've contributed approximately $150 before starting my maternity leave. When I called EDD last week, the rep processed my claim and said I was eligible and it was paid. But when I logged into my account tonight, there's some kind of error message and nothing shows as paid - just potential benefit amounts. I'm freaking out that maybe I didn't contribute enough after all? Has anyone qualified with low contribution amounts? I'm 6 weeks postpartum and desperately counting on this income. Does anyone know the minimum contribution requirements?
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Amara Eze
Yes, you can qualify with lower contribution amounts! The key isn't how much you paid in, but whether you earned at least $300 during your base period (which is the 12-month period starting 5-18 months before your claim begins). As long as you earned enough during your base period, you should qualify. The error you're seeing is probably just a system glitch - happens all the time with SDI Online. Give it 24 hours and check again, or try using a different browser. What exactly does the error message say?
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Liam McGuire
•Thank you SO much for explaining! The message just says 'Error processing claim information' with no details. My base period would be Oct 2023-Sept 2024 I think, and I definitely earned more than $300 during that time. I'll try a different browser tomorrow. I'm just paranoid because we really need this income with the baby and all.
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Giovanni Greco
i had the same problem last yr when I went on mat leave. the online system is soooo glitchy!! check again tmrw, mine fixed itself after like 48hrs. they prolly just processing ur claim
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Liam McGuire
•That's reassuring! Did yours eventually show up as paid without you having to call again?
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Giovanni Greco
•yep! took like 3 days but then it showed up and i got my debit card like 5 days after that
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Fatima Al-Farsi
The base period calculation is a bit more complicated than most people realize. For claims beginning in April, May, or June 2025, your base period is January 1 through December 31, 2024. For claims beginning July, August, or September 2025, your base period is April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. What matters is that you earned at least $300 in your base period AND that you had State Disability Insurance taxes withheld from those wages. The amount of SDI tax doesn't matter as much as having consistent coverage during your base period. If the representative confirmed you're eligible, you should be fine. The system often shows errors during processing. Try again tomorrow, and if you still see the same error after 3 business days, you should call again. Congratulations on your new baby!
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Liam McGuire
•Thank you for that detailed explanation! My claim began in March 2025, so I guess my base period would be January-December 2024? I definitely earned more than $300 during that time with SDI deductions, so hopefully I'm good. It's just nerve-wracking when the system shows errors.
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Dylan Wright
The EDD system is TERRIBLE!!!! I had to call them 47 TIMES last year when I was on disability for my pregnancy. The website would show errors, payments wouldn't process, they lost my doctor's certification TWICE. It was a NIGHTMARE!! Don't trust what the website says - half the time it's wrong. You need to get someone on the phone to tell you what's REALLY happening with your claim.
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Sofia Torres
•I had the exact same experience with calling endlessly! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes instead of calling all day. They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd Totally worth it when you're dealing with maternity benefits and have a newborn. No way I could spend hours repeatedly calling with a crying baby.
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Liam McGuire
•Omg that's horrible! I really hope I don't have to go through all that. I'm going to try the website again tomorrow, but if it's still showing errors I might need to call. Thanks for the heads up about how frustrating the system can be.
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GalacticGuardian
My sister only paid like $175 in SDI last year and she got approved for her maternity disability. The amount you get weekly is based on your wages, but qualification is more about having consistent coverage. Don't worry too much until you talk to someone.
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Liam McGuire
•That's really encouraging to hear about your sister! Do you know how long it took for her to get approved?
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GalacticGuardian
•About 10 days I think? But that was before they had all these system issues everyone's complaining about
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Dmitry Smirnov
Are you sure you're on SDI and not PFL? Because they're different programs. SDI is for the recovery period right after birth (usually 6-8 weeks) and PFL is for bonding time with the baby. Some people get confused because both are handled through EDD but they're separate claims.
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Liam McGuire
•I'm definitely on SDI right now for the recovery period. I'm planning to file for PFL after my SDI ends for the bonding period. So I'll have to go through this whole process again in a few weeks! 😩
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Fatima Al-Farsi
Just checking back - were you able to resolve the error? Sometimes if you log in during their maintenance hours (usually late night), the system shows errors that aren't actually there. If you're still having problems, definitely call. And when you do transition from SDI to PFL, make sure to file your PFL claim before your SDI claim ends to avoid any gap in benefits.
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Liam McGuire
•The error finally went away this morning! My claim now shows as processed and it says my first payment should be issued within 7 days. Such a relief! And thanks for the tip about filing PFL before SDI ends - I definitely wouldn't have known to do that.
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Demi Hall
That's wonderful news that your claim is now processed! I'm so glad the error resolved itself. As a new mom myself, I totally understand how stressful it is when you're counting on that income. For future reference, the EDD website does have scheduled maintenance windows (usually between 10 PM and 6 AM) when the system can be unreliable, so if you ever see weird errors again, try logging in during regular business hours first. Congratulations on your baby and I hope your recovery is going well! 💙
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