Switching to SDI Online after mailing initial disability forms - what steps to take?

You don't need to create a new claim online. Once they process your paper claim, you can register for SDI Online and access your existing claim. Just go to edd.ca.gov, click on 'Log In or Register' for SDI Online, and follow the steps to create an account. You'll need your SSN and claim info to link everything. After that, you can do all your certifications online which is WAY easier than paper forms. The paper processing might take 2-3 weeks, so be patient.

Went thru this last yr. They take FOREVER to process paper claims. like 6 wks for me!!! wish id done online from start

I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM last month!! I mailed my forms and then waited and waited with NO updates. Called EDD like 47 times and couldn't get through. Finally got through after trying at exactly 8:00am and they told me my claim was sitting in a pile somewhere waiting to be entered into their system!!! The agent manually entered it while I was on the phone. THEIR SYSTEM IS BROKEN! Should've gone online from the beginning.

You should wait until your claim is established in the system before trying to set up an online account. Once your paper claim is processed, you'll receive a Notice of Computation in the mail with your claim ID number. Once you have that, you can create an SDI Online account and link it to your existing claim. I recommend waiting for that document before trying to set up online access. If you try too early, you might get error messages that your claim doesn't exist in the system yet, which can be confusing.

when i did paper forms i had to call them bc they lost my doctor certification lol make sure u keep copies of everything u send!!! also check ur claim online once u can access it to make sure all the info is right

I started with paper then went online partway through my pregnancy disability last year. Once they processed my initial paper forms (took about 3.5 weeks), I created an SDI Online account using my SSN and claim info. After that everything was SO MUCH EASIER! The online certifications take like 2 minutes vs dealing with mail. Plus you can see payment status in real time. Just wait for them to send you something confirming your claim has been established before trying to create the online account.

Quick tip - if it's been more than 2-3 weeks since you mailed your forms and you haven't received anything, it might be worth trying to call EDD to check if your claim is in their system. Sometimes paper forms get delayed or lost. Once they confirm your claim exists, they can give you your claim ID which you'll need to create your online account.

To clarify the process a bit more: 1. Your paper claim (DE 2501) needs to be fully processed first 2. You'll receive a notice with your claim information by mail 3. Register for SDI Online at edd.ca.gov/disability 4. Link your existing claim using your SSN and claim details 5. All future certifications can be done online The key is making sure your paper claim is established before attempting to go online. If you try creating an online account before your paper claim is in their system, you might accidentally create a new claim which could cause confusion and payment delays.

Just wanted to add that when you do get your SDI Online account set up, make sure to bookmark the direct login page because the EDD website can be confusing to navigate. Also, once you're online, you can upload documents directly through the portal if EDD requests additional information - this is much faster than mailing them. The online system will also send you email notifications about important updates to your claim, which is really helpful for staying on top of things.

I went through this exact same situation a few months ago! Here's what worked for me: I mailed my DE 2501 forms and then waited about 3 weeks before I got a letter from EDD with my claim number. Once I had that, I was able to create my SDI Online account and link it to my existing claim without any issues. The online system recognized my paper claim right away once it was in their system. Now I do all my certifications online and it's so much faster - takes maybe 5 minutes every two weeks instead of dealing with mail delays. Just be patient and wait for that first notice from EDD before trying to go online. You're doing the right thing by wanting to switch to digital!

I'm in a similar boat right now! I mailed my DE 2501 forms about 10 days ago and have been wondering the same thing about switching to online. Reading through all these responses is super helpful - it sounds like the key is just being patient and waiting for EDD to process the paper claim first. I was also worried about accidentally creating a duplicate claim by trying to go online too early. It's good to know that once they send that first notice with the claim number, the transition to SDI Online should be pretty straightforward. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's hard to find on the official EDD website!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! I mailed my DE 2501 forms about a week and a half ago and have been anxiously waiting to hear something back from EDD. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that I needed to wait for them to process the paper claim first before setting up the online account. I was actually planning to try creating an SDI Online account this weekend, but now I know I should wait for that Notice of Computation to arrive in the mail first. It's reassuring to hear from so many people who successfully made the switch from paper to online. The waiting is nerve-wracking when you're dealing with disability and need those payments, but at least now I know what to expect with the timeline. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this is way more helpful than anything I could find on the official EDD website!