Pregnant self-employed business owner confused about EDD SDI forms for maternity leave

I think you need to fill out both parts since ur technically both? My cousin owns a small shop and she had to do the same thing last year when she broke her leg.

Yes, you absolutely need to complete both the employee AND employer sections as a self-employed person who has opted into SDI coverage. The key form you need is the DE 2501 (Claim for Disability Insurance Benefits). For the employer section, you'll provide your business information, and for the employee section, you'll provide your personal information. Make sure you use your EIN/business tax ID when filling out the employer portion and your SSN for the employee portion. It may seem redundant, but the EDD system is designed to handle these cases. Just make sure all dates align properly, especially your last day worked before disability and your expected return date. For pregnancy, you're typically eligible for up to 4 weeks before your due date and 6-8 weeks after delivery (8 if cesarean).

I went through this last year with my photography business! So the tricky part for self-employed people is making sure you calculate your base period correctly. They look at your SDI contributions from 5-18 months before your claim start date to determine your weekly benefit amount. Make sure you've been consistently paying in during those quarters or your benefit might be lower than expected. For the forms, yes, fill out both portions. I found it helpful to write "Self-employed" in the employer section where it asks for supervisor name. If you've been paying in properly, they shouldn't give you any trouble. The medical certification is the most important part anyway. Also, don't panic if it takes extra time to process - self-employed claims often take a bit longer because they have to verify your contributions manually.

The EDD system is DELIBERATELY CONFUSING to discourage people from claiming benefits they're entitled to! I had to fill this out last year for my consulting business and it was a NIGHTMARE. Took them 6 weeks to process my claim because they kept saying they needed more information. I called FIFTY TIMES and could never get through. They don't care about small business owners AT ALL even though we pay the same into the system as everyone else!!!

this happened to me i sent in the wrong form the first time lol. make sure ur using the right form. i think for pregnancy its different than regular disability??

I just went through this whole process last month for my maternity leave (also self-employed). I spent DAYS trying to call EDD with questions about the self-employment sections and could never get through. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual EDD representative in about 20 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd The EDD rep was super helpful and walked me through exactly how to fill out both sections as a self-employed person. My claim was processed within 10 days after that. Totally worth it because otherwise I might have submitted everything incorrectly.

One more important tip for self-employed claims: make sure you have documentation of your income ready to go. The EDD sometimes requests additional verification for self-employed individuals, especially if your income fluctuates. Having your Schedule C, profit/loss statements, and evidence of SDI contributions from the base period quarters will speed things up if they request additional information. Also, don't forget that you can still file for Paid Family Leave (PFL) after your disability period ends if you want additional bonding time with your baby. That's a separate claim you'd file after your disability claim ends.

my sister had troubles with her claim because she didnt list her last day worked correctly. for pregnancy disability you can start benefits 4 weeks before your due date so make sure your last day worked is before that start date. it matters!

Thank you everyone for all this helpful advice! I'm going to fill out both sections of the form today, make sure all my dates line up correctly, and have my tax documentation ready in case they request it. I'll also try that Claimyr service to speak with an EDD rep directly about my specific situation. It's such a relief to hear from other self-employed people who've successfully navigated this process. I'll update once my claim is processed!