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Keisha Williams

New PPD disability claim after pregnancy SDI ended - will weekly benefit amount change?

So I just finished my pregnancy disability claim that ended on January 15th, 2025. My OB released me saying I was recovered from childbirth, but when I saw my primary doctor on January 16th, they diagnosed me with postpartum depression and suggested filing a new SDI claim. My doctor submitted all the medical certification forms right away for this new claim. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether my weekly benefit amount will stay about the same going from the pregnancy disability to this new PPD claim? The EDD website is confusing me because it says something about base periods and quarters that I don't understand. My original pregnancy payments were $850/week but this new claim is still showing as "processing" after 10 days. I'm getting really anxious because I need to plan my finances and don't know if I should expect the same amount or something totally different. Has anyone gone through something similar with back-to-back claims?

Your weekly benefit amount shouldn't change much if both claims are filed in the same base period. The base period is the 12-month period divided into four quarters that EDD uses to calculate your benefit amount, but they don't count the most recent completed quarter before your claim. So if your pregnancy disability and PPD claims are close together like yours, they'll likely use the same earnings history to calculate benefits. If you were getting $850/week on your pregnancy claim, your PPD claim will probably be around the same amount. The only exception would be if your first claim started in one quarter and your new claim started after a new quarter began, which might shift the base period calculation a bit.

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Thank you so much! That makes me feel a little better. Do you know how much longer processing usually takes? It's been 10 days already and I'm getting nervous.

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i had something kinda like this last year except it was a broken arm then depression claim. my second one took like 3 weeks to process but was the same amount. its probably just stuck in the system somewhere lol

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3 weeks?! Ugh, I was hoping it would be faster since this is a continuation from pregnancy. Did you call them or just wait it out?

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I went thru EXACTLY THE SAME THING in 2024!!! My pregnancy claim ended and then got PPD diagnosis and had to file new claim. The system is SO BROKEN!!! It took them over 6 WEEKS to process my second claim and I had to call like 50 times!!! They kept saying "it's in review" over and over. My weekly amount stayed the same because it was the same base period but the WAIT was TERRIBLE!!!! Good luck!!!

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Oh no, 6 weeks is terrifying! Did calling actually help at all? I've tried twice but keep getting disconnected after waiting forever.

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I had a similar situation with back-to-back claims (pregnancy followed by complications) in November 2024. Your benefit amount will almost certainly be identical because you're filing within the same benefit year and your wages during the base period haven't changed. However, processing times for secondary claims can be longer than initial claims because they often get flagged for additional review to verify they're legitimate separate medical conditions. Have you been able to reach someone at EDD to check your claim status? That might help speed things up.

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That's exactly what I'm worried about - that they're reviewing it extra because it's back-to-back. I've tried calling twice but gave up after being on hold for over an hour both times. Is there a better way to contact them?

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After waiting for weeks with my claim, I finally found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an EDD representative quickly. I was skeptical at first, but it worked perfectly! They connect you directly to EDD without waiting on hold for hours. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd or their website claimyr.com. For back-to-back claims like yours, talking to a rep is usually the best way to get things moving. The rep I reached was able to see notes on my file that weren't visible on the online portal, and they pushed my claim through the same day.

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does it actually work tho?? i spent 2 hours on hold with EDD yesterday and got disconnected right when someone answered lol I think im gonna try it

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Yes, it really worked for me! I got through in about 15 minutes instead of spending hours trying. Made a huge difference with my claim that was stuck in processing for weeks.

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My sister just went through this!!! Her PPD claim after pregnancy was the exact same amount as her pregnancy claim. But it did take like 2-3 weeks to process I think. She said something about her doctor having to specifically note that the PPD was different from regular pregnancy recovery which might be why yours is taking a bit?

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That's really helpful to know, thank you! My doctor did specifically write PPD on the form and said it was a separate condition from the pregnancy, so hopefully that helps. The waiting is just making me so anxious.

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Something else to keep in mind - once your new PPD claim is processed, there's a chance you might see a gap in payment dates between your pregnancy claim ending and the PPD claim starting. This is because EDD sometimes applies the 7-day waiting period to the new claim, even though it's back-to-back with your previous claim. If this happens, you can call and request that they waive the waiting period since it's a continuous disability period. They don't always do this automatically, so it's something to watch for when your claim is finally processed.

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I didn't even think about the waiting period! That would be another week without pay... definitely going to keep an eye on that. Thanks for the heads up!

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I had pregnancy disability then PPD last year and my weekly amount stayed EXACTLY the same down to the penny. But I remember being super stressed about it too because EDD doesn't explain these things clearly. One thing that helped me was sending a message through the SDI Online portal asking for a status update - they actually responded within 2 days which was faster than I expected. Might be worth trying while you're waiting!

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That's a great suggestion, thank you! I'll try sending a message through the portal tonight. And it's so reassuring to hear your amount stayed exactly the same. The financial uncertainty is really adding to my anxiety right now.

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Hey Keisha! I'm going through something very similar right now - my pregnancy disability ended in December and I just filed for PPD in January. I'm still waiting too (going on 2 weeks now) and it's so stressful not knowing when the payments will start again. From what I've read and what others have told me, the benefit amount should definitely stay the same since we're filing so close together. The base period calculation won't change between claims that are filed this close in time. One thing my doctor mentioned is that PPD claims sometimes take longer because they want to make sure it's properly documented as a separate medical condition from the pregnancy recovery. Have you been able to check your claim status online at all? Sometimes there are updates there even when they don't send notifications. Hang in there - I know the waiting and uncertainty is really hard, especially when dealing with PPD on top of everything else. You're not alone in this!

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