Not enough work history for EDD SDI after hand injury - any alternatives?

ur doctor is right about the quarters thing. u need to have enough wages in your BASE PERIOD which is like a year before your claim but not counting the most recent completed quarter. its confusing af

Thanks for confirming what I feared. It is confusing! Do you know if having worked in another state helps at all? Or am I just completely out of luck here?

I had a similar situation when I moved here from Oregon. Unfortunately, California EDD SDI doesn't count out-of-state wages in their base period calculation. You need to have earned at least $300 in wages subject to SDI withholding during your base period to qualify. Since you've only been working here 2 months, you likely haven't met this requirement yet.\n\nAlternative options to consider:\n1. Check if your employer offers any paid sick leave you can use\n2. Look into State Disability Insurance Elective Coverage if you're self-employed \n3. Contact local non-profit organizations that might offer emergency assistance\n4. If your injury happened at work (which doesn't sound like it did), you could file for workers' compensation instead

Thank you for the detailed response. My employer only offers 5 sick days, which won't get me far with a 4-month recovery. I'm not self-employed so the elective coverage isn't an option. I'll start looking into local non-profits. This is so stressful.

This EXACT thing happened to me with a wrist fracture! The EDD system is RIGGED against newcomers to California! I ended up having to borrow money from family and max out credit cards to survive. The system is BROKEN and nobody cares!!!!

The system isn't rigged, it's just how insurance works. You need to pay into it before you can claim benefits. Every state works this way with their disability programs.

Easy to say when YOU qualify! For people who just moved here it IS rigged because we paid taxes and disability insurance in other states but get ZERO credit for it here. How is that fair???

Have you considered if you might qualify for Paid Family Leave (PFL) instead? Sometimes people confuse the programs, but PFL has the same eligibility requirements as SDI, so that likely won't work either.\n\nOne option not mentioned yet is to check if your injury might qualify you for temporary assistance through county social services. Some counties have General Assistance or General Relief programs for people who don't qualify for other benefits. The benefit amounts are small but might help somewhat during your recovery.\n\nAlso, if your hand injury makes you unable to perform major life activities, you might qualify for reasonable accommodations at work under the ADA rather than taking full leave. Maybe modified duties that don't require both hands?

I didn't even think about county assistance programs or ADA accommodations. I'll definitely look into both of those options. My job is mainly computer-based, so working one-handed would be extremely slow, but maybe there are other tasks I could do or assistive technology that would help. Thank you!

Tip from someone who's been through the EDD nightmare: if you need to actually speak to someone at EDD about your specific situation (which I recommend), good luck getting through on their regular lines. I spent weeks trying before finding Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this system that gets you through to an actual EDD agent without the endless calling and hangups. Saved me tons of frustration when I had questions about my own eligibility. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd

I'll definitely check that out. I've been trying to call EDD for days with no luck - either busy signals or disconnects after waiting. At this point I'll try anything to get clear answers.

i used that service too. worth it cuz otherwise ud be calling for WEEKS

Another thing to consider is applying for unemployment insurance (UI) while you're recovering if your employer cannot accommodate your temporary disability. There's something called

This is incorrect information. You cannot collect unemployment if you're disabled and unable to work. Unemployment requires you to be able and available for work, actively seeking employment.

This is getting confusing. So UI isn't an option if I'm physically unable to work due to the injury? Are there ANY programs that could help in my specific situation?

You're right, I should have been clearer. Standard UI requires you to be able and available for work. What I was thinking of is more complicated - situations where you might be able to do SOME types of work but not your usual occupation. But given the hand injury described, this might not apply. Sorry for any confusion.

Have you talked to HR at your new job about FMLA? Even though you don't qualify for paid leave, you might qualify for job protection.

FMLA requires 12 months of employment and 1,250 hours worked for the same employer before becoming eligible. Since the poster has only been at their new job for 2 months, they unfortunately wouldn't qualify for FMLA protections yet.

Oh right, I forgot about the 12-month requirement. Thanks for correcting me!

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I spoke with my doctor again and they're going to see if the surgery can be postponed for a few months until I qualify for SDI. Not ideal since I'm in pain, but better than being homeless. I'll also check with county social services about temporary assistance and talk to my employer about possible accommodations for light duty. I did manage to get through to EDD using that Claimyr service, and they confirmed I don't qualify yet for SDI but gave me some resources for other community support options. This is still a terrible situation, but at least I have some direction now.

Delaying necessary medical care because of benefit issues is EXACTLY what's wrong with the system!! I hope you can find help and get the surgery you need without waiting!

I'm glad you found some resources and direction. If you do end up delaying surgery, make sure your doctor prescribes appropriate pain management and documents everything thoroughly. This documentation might help with other assistance programs. Wishing you a smooth recovery whenever you do have the procedure.