SDI claim confusion - do I need to certify weekly like unemployment or is payment automatic?

SDI is completely different from UI. Once you're approved, the payments come automatically for the period your doctor certified. You don't need to certify weekly like unemployment. BUT you do need to make sure your doctor completes a "continued claim certification" if your disability extends beyond the initial period they certified. Keep an eye on your claim end date in your SDI Online account!

its automatic they just pay u until the end date ur doc put. wayyyy easier than unemployment thank god lol

To clarify what others have said: SDI payments are automatic once approved, BUT there are a few important things to know: 1. Your doctor certified you for a specific period. Payments will automatically continue until that end date. 2. If you need disability beyond that period, you need a new certification from your doctor (form DE 2525XX). This must be submitted BEFORE your current certification expires. 3. EDD may randomly request a supplemental certification to verify your continued disability. If you receive this request, you must respond within 10 days or payments will stop. 4. If you return to work before your certification ends, you MUST notify EDD immediately to avoid overpayment. 5. Check your SDI Online account regularly for any notices or requests from EDD. Hope this helps clarify things!

be careful about the payments not going thru sometimes. my wife's claim got approved but they suddenly stopped payments after 3 weeks for no reason!! we called like 50 times and couldn't get anyone. then had to wait 6 weeks to get the back pay. edd is a nightmare!!!

As others have mentioned, SDI is fundamentally different from UI in terms of certification requirements. Here's the official process: 1. Once your initial claim is approved, payments are issued automatically based on your doctor's certification period. 2. The standard SDI certification period is typically 6-8 weeks, though it varies depending on your medical condition. 3. EDD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your base period wages, and payments come via EDD debit card or direct deposit depending on your preference. 4. For disability extensions, you must submit a "Physician/Practitioner's Supplementary Certificate" (DE 2525XX) before your current certification expires. 5. Notify EDD immediately if you: return to work (full or part-time), receive other income, move, or your condition changes. One important thing to remember is that while payments are automatic, it's your responsibility to monitor your claim status and respond to any EDD requests promptly. Missing a notification can result in payment delays or even claim termination.

I just want to share something I learned the hard way - don't assume EDD has all your correct information!!! Even after I was approved, I didn't get payments because they had my old address and the debit card was sent there! Check all your info is correct in your SDI Online account.

wait i thought this was about paid family leave at first lol. yeah SDI is different, they just pay you. PFL you gotta do more paperwork i think

I got confused by this too when I first got on disability! It's weird how different it is from unemployment. The automatic payments are nice but sometimes they're not consistent with WHEN they deposit the money. I've had it vary by like 3-4 days sometimes which is annoying when you're trying to pay bills on time.

Just wanted to add something that might help - make sure to keep track of your benefit year end date too! I learned that SDI benefits are limited to 52 weeks maximum in any 12-month period, so even if your doctor keeps certifying you, there's still an overall limit. You can find your benefit year dates in your SDI Online account under "Claim Summary." Also, if you're getting any other benefits like workers' comp or social security disability, that can affect your SDI payments, so definitely report those to EDD if they come up during your claim period.

Just to add to what everyone has said - one thing that really helped me was setting up text notifications in my SDI Online account. That way if EDD needs anything or if there are any issues with payments, I get alerts right away instead of waiting for mail. You can find this under "Contact Preferences" in your account settings. Also, keep all your medical documentation handy just in case they request additional info down the line. Congrats on getting approved - the automatic payments really are so much less stressful than the UI certification process!

Hey Isabella! Congrats on getting approved! Everyone here has given you great advice - SDI is definitely way easier than UI in terms of not having to certify. One thing I'll add that saved me some stress: download the EDD mobile app if you haven't already. It makes checking your claim status and payment history super quick when you're on the go. Also, your first payment might take a little longer than the subsequent ones (mine took about 10 days vs the usual 3-5), so don't panic if it seems delayed initially. The automatic payments really are a relief compared to the UI process - you'll love not having to worry about certification deadlines!

One more thing that might be helpful - if you ever need to contact EDD about your SDI claim, keep your claim confirmation number handy! It's different from your UI claim number if you had one before. Also, I found it really helpful to take screenshots of my payment history and claim status pages every few weeks, just in case there are ever any discrepancies. The EDD system can sometimes glitch and it's good to have your own records. You can find your confirmation number in your approval letter or in the "Claim Summary" section of your SDI Online account. Hope your recovery goes smoothly!

Welcome to the community! I'm also new to SDI and found this thread super helpful. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my case worker - if you're planning to do any light work or volunteer activities during your disability period (even if unpaid), you should check with EDD first to make sure it won't affect your benefits. I almost volunteered at my kid's school event thinking it would be fine since it wasn't paid work, but apparently even volunteer activities can sometimes be considered "work" depending on your specific medical restrictions. Better to ask first than deal with potential overpayment issues later! Also echoing what others said about checking your account regularly - I set a weekly reminder on my phone to log in and make sure everything looks good.

As someone who just went through the SDI application process myself, I can confirm what others have said - it really is so much simpler than unemployment! The automatic payments are a game changer. One small tip I'd add: if you have direct deposit set up, payments typically hit your account on the same day of the week (mine come every Tuesday), so you can kind of predict when to expect them. Also, don't stress too much about the process - the hardest part (getting approved) is already behind you! The EDD website might not be super clear, but the actual payment system works pretty smoothly once you're in it. Make sure to bookmark your SDI Online account page since you'll probably be checking it fairly regularly, especially at first. Hope your recovery goes well and the financial stress is one less thing you have to worry about now!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been on SDI twice in the past few years - everyone here has given you excellent advice! The automatic payment system really is such a relief compared to UI. One thing I'd add that helped me feel more secure about the process: EDD will send you a "Notice of Computation" that breaks down exactly how much you'll receive and for how long. Keep that document safe as it's super helpful for budgeting purposes. Also, if you ever move during your claim period, update your address IMMEDIATELY in your SDI Online account - don't wait for any mail notifications. I made that mistake during my first claim and it caused a two-week delay in payments. The system really does work smoothly once you're in it though. Wishing you a smooth recovery process!

Hey Isabella! Just wanted to add my experience as someone who recently went through this too. The automatic payments really are amazing compared to UI - such a relief not having to stress about certification deadlines! One thing I learned that might be helpful: even though payments are automatic, I'd recommend keeping track of when each payment arrives and the amounts, just so you can quickly spot if anything seems off. I use a simple spreadsheet with the payment dates and amounts. Also, if you're like me and tend to worry about things, checking your SDI Online account once a week gives great peace of mind - you can see your payment history and confirm everything is on track. The mobile app makes this super easy too. Hope your recovery goes smoothly and that having one less financial worry helps you focus on getting better!