Paying into wrong state SDI? California claim sent to auditor since May - help!

Oh no, that sounds really stressful! I had something similar happen but it was between California and Washington. My claim was with the auditor for about 9 weeks before anything happened. I kept calling every day until someone finally told me I needed to provide wage verification from both states. Did they ask you for any additional documentation?

This is actually a common issue when employers have multi-state operations. Here's what you need to know: 1. You should be covered under California SDI if you physically performed work in California, regardless of where your employer was sending the contributions. 2. The auditor is likely trying to verify your wage history and determine if reciprocity applies between CA and OH for disability purposes. 3. You should definitely proactively submit: - Your last 8 quarters of pay stubs - A letter from your employer confirming your work location - Your W2s from both states You can upload these documents through your SDI Online account under "Contact EDD" > "Submit Documentation". The interstate audit process typically takes 6-10 weeks, so you're unfortunately still within the normal timeframe. However, providing those documents might expedite things.

Just went thru this exct same thing!!! my employer had me listed in Nevada even tho i work in cali for 3 yrs. took FOREVER to get fixed but i did get backpay for the whole time once they figured it out. hang in there!

just waited and stressed lol. called like crazy but nobody could tell me anything useful. think it took like 9 weeks total?

I've seen this issue multiple times in my work as an employment benefits advisor. The problem is that EDD's standard phone lines can't help with audits in progress - those are handled by a completely separate department that regular call center employees can't even access. The best approach is twofold: 1. Submit the documentation mentioned above to create a paper trail. 2. Request a specialist callback specifically for an interstate audit review. Regular EDD representatives can't help, but there are specific interstate claims specialists who can. Unfortunately, reaching those specialists is nearly impossible through the regular phone system. I've had clients use a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to EDD specialists without the endless busy signals. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd that shows how it works. It basically holds your place in line so you don't have to keep redialing. Once you reach a representative, specifically ask for an "Interstate Claim Specialist" and mention you need a status update on an audit in progress. They can usually provide more information than the general representatives.

I don't think you understand how DISABILITY WORKS!!! You CAN'T be paying into two state systems at the same time! Someone royally F'ED UP here. It's either your employer's payroll department or the state of California. This is THEIR MISTAKE not yours!!! I had a similar situation where my company kept deducting for NY disability even though I moved to California. I had to get really AGGRESSIVE with EDD. Don't just sit there waiting for 9 weeks while you can't pay your bills!!! Call them EVERY DAY and ask for a supervisor. Regular reps will just give you the runaround. The system is BROKEN and they count on people giving up. DON'T GIVE UP!!!

YES!!! Contact HR IMMEDIATELY!!! They need to fix this on their end too and provide documentation showing where your deductions were going. Get them to write a letter explaining the error. The more documentation you have the better!!!

I actually work in payroll and this happens when companies have employees who relocate but don't update the work location in their HRIS system. definitely talk to your HR/payroll department because they probably need to file amended tax returns for you. the good news is that since Ohio doesn't actually have a state disability program (they just have workers comp), the money was probably going to some other withholding or maybe even nowhere specific. this makes your case simpler than if two states were actually claiming the SDI money.

exactly why you need to talk to your payroll dept! they might have been withholding under the wrong state code, or maybe classifying the deduction incorrectly. Ohio has some local taxes that sometimes get confused with disability in payroll systems.

To clarify what others have mentioned: Ohio doesn't have a state disability insurance program like California does. They have workers' compensation for work-related injuries and private disability insurance options, but not a state-run program with mandatory withholdings like SDI. This actually makes your situation both better and worse: - Better because there's not actually a competing state claim to your disability benefits - Worse because it means there was likely an error in how your wages were reported Based on what you've shared, I suspect your employer was either: 1. Incorrectly reporting your wages to Ohio for unemployment tax purposes 2. Not withholding California SDI at all (which is 1.1% of wages in 2025) 3. Withholding the money but not properly remitting it to California This is definitely something your employer's payroll department needs to help resolve. They may need to file amended tax returns for you going back several quarters.

UPDATE: I talked to my HR department and they confirmed they had me coded as an Ohio employee even though I've been working in their California office for 6 years! They're fixing it in their system and providing me with a letter explaining the error. I'm also gathering all my pay stubs and W2s to upload to EDD. I also used Claimyr to get through to EDD (after trying for 3 days on my own with no luck). The agent was able to see that my claim is still with the auditor but added notes about the payroll error and flagged it for review. They said with the employer's letter, they should be able to process my claim within 2 weeks. Fingers crossed this gets resolved soon. I'll post another update when I hear more. Thank you all for your help!