Switching from Unemployment to SDI after hip surgery - timing question
Just had hip replacement surgery last week and I'm currently receiving unemployment benefits (EDD). My surgeon completed all the disability paperwork for me yesterday. I'm confused about the timing - should I mail in the SDI paperwork now and just stop certifying for unemployment this Sunday? Or do I need to formally close my unemployment claim first? Don't want to accidentally double-dip and get in trouble, but also can't afford a gap between benefits. Anyone know the correct process for switching from unemployment to disability?
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Daniel Rogers
U can't get both edd and disability at the same time ya know. U gotta stop the unemployment b4 the disability kicks in. But don't wait too long to file the disability claim or u'll miss out on benefits. Just stop certifying unemployment and submit disability ASAP.
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Zara Perez
•Thanks, that makes sense. So I don't need to formally close my unemployment claim? Just stop certifying and they'll automatically close it after a while?
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Aaliyah Reed
You need to handle this carefully to avoid both gaps AND overlaps in benefits. Here's what to do: 1. File your SDI claim immediately with your surgery date as the disability start date 2. Complete your final UI certification on Sunday but indicate you were unable to work due to disability starting from your surgery date 3. DO NOT formally cancel your UI claim - EDD will adjust everything on their end The system is designed to prevent duplicate payments. Your UI benefits will stop automatically when your SDI begins. There will typically be a 7-day waiting period for SDI where no benefits are paid, but this starts from your disability date (surgery date). Make sure you have the DE 2501 form completed by your doctor with all the required medical information about your hip surgery and expected recovery timeline.
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Zara Perez
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I was worried about that 7-day waiting period creating a financial gap. My doctor filled out the DE 2501 completely - estimated 8 weeks recovery time. Should I mail it or use SDI Online to submit everything?
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Aaliyah Reed
•Definitely use SDI Online if possible - it's much faster than mailing. You'll create an account (or use your existing one), complete the claim portion yourself, and enter the information from your doctor's DE 2501 form. The online system will process your claim much faster than paper forms.
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Ella Russell
When I had knee surgery last year I was on unemployment too!!! Filed for disability right after and ended up having to wait almost 3 weeks with NO MONEY coming in because I messed up the timing. The EDD system is so confusing. I should have stopped unemployment sooner I think. Hope yours goes smoother than mine did!
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Zara Perez
•Oh no, 3 weeks without income sounds terrifying! Did you file online or by mail? I'm wondering if one is faster than the other.
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Ella Russell
•I mailed mine in like an IDIOT!! definitely do the online filing it's way faster!!!
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Mohammed Khan
I went through this EXACT situation in January! The EDD system is DELIBERATELY confusing and they WON'T help you figure it out!!! When I called to ask about switching from UI to SDI, I got disconnected FOUR TIMES after waiting on hold for hours each time! They're understaffed and don't care about people struggling. I ended up with a 2-week gap between benefits because of their incompetence. I'd suggest filing your SDI claim IMMEDIATELY and making it clear your disability started on your surgery date.
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Gavin King
•I had a similar experience trying to contact EDD about transitioning from UI to SDI last month. After multiple disconnected calls and hours on hold, I discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual EDD representative. They have a system that monitors EDD's phone lines and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. You can see how it works at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what was mentioned above - file SDI right away with your surgery date as the start date, complete your last UI certification honestly, and let the system handle the transition.
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Mohammed Khan
•Wish I'd known about that service when I was dealing with this nightmare! Would've saved me so much stress and probably avoided that gap in benefits.
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Nathan Kim
good luck with recovery!! hip surgery is rough. make sure u follow all ur physical therapy instructions!! my cousin ignored his PT after hip surgery and had complications
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Zara Perez
•Thank you! I'm definitely taking the PT seriously - already have my first appointment scheduled for next week. Sorry to hear about your cousin's complications.
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Eleanor Foster
I work in healthcare and assist patients with disability paperwork frequently. One important detail that hasn't been mentioned: when you file your SDI claim, you'll need to report any UI benefits you received during the base period they use to calculate your SDI benefit amount. This ensures your weekly benefit amount is calculated correctly. Also, make sure your doctor has included detailed functional limitations in your medical certification. For hip replacement, they should specify limitations on sitting, standing, walking, lifting, etc. Vague documentation is the number one reason I see disability claims delayed or denied. Finally, keep in mind that SDI benefits are approximately 60-70% of your regular wages (up to the maximum benefit amount), while UI benefits have different calculation methods. This means your weekly benefit amount might change when switching from UI to SDI.
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Zara Perez
•Thank you for the healthcare perspective! My surgeon was very specific about limitations in the paperwork - no weight bearing on the surgical side for 4 weeks, no sitting longer than 30 minutes, no driving, etc. I hadn't thought about the difference in benefit amounts though. I'll need to budget accordingly.
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Daniel Rogers
Did u check if ur getting state disability or private disability from ur job? Some companies have their own disability insurance that pays more than state
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Zara Perez
•Good point! I checked and unfortunately my employer doesn't offer private disability insurance. I'll be relying solely on state SDI.
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Aaliyah Reed
Just wanted to follow up - how did things work out with your transition from UI to SDI? Were you able to submit your claim online?
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Zara Perez
•Yes! I followed the advice here and everything went relatively smoothly. Filed online the same day I posted this, indicated my surgery date as the disability start, and did my final UI certification honestly. There was about a 10-day gap where I received no benefits (partly due to the 7-day SDI waiting period), but then the SDI payments started. The weekly amount is about $180 less than my UI was, but I'm grateful to have the income while I recover. Thanks everyone for the guidance!
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