Unable to work due to back injury - will it affect my EDD SDI claim or disqualify me permanently?

You're getting confused between disability and unemployment. If you're injured and can't work, you should be filing for State Disability Insurance (SDI), NOT unemployment insurance (UI). UI is for when you're able to work but can't find a job. SDI is what you need since you have a doctor's note saying you can't work until May 1st. The whole purpose of SDI is to provide income when you're temporarily unable to work due to injury or illness.

Your doctor needs to submit a medical certification form (called a DE 2501) to EDD to confirm your disability. You should file a claim through SDI Online as soon as possible. There's a 7-day waiting period before benefits start, but since you've already been out of work, that waiting period has probably already passed. Back injuries are definitely covered under SDI as long as they prevent you from doing your regular work. Whether it's work-related or not doesn't matter for SDI (though if it was work-related you'd be going through workers' comp instead).

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!! I had a similar back injury last year and they DENIED my claim saying I didn't provide enough medical evidence even though my doctor sent EVERYTHING they asked for!!! You need to call them EVERY DAY until you get someone who will actually help. They hope you'll just give up!!

You need to file your SDI claim within 49 days of your disability start date or you could lose benefits. Since you're only at about 2 weeks, you're still fine. But do it ASAP! Make sure your doctor clearly notes that you cannot perform your regular work duties. For back injuries, they'll want to see specific functional limitations (can't lift more than X pounds, can't sit/stand for Y hours, etc). Also, keep all your medical appointment records in case they request additional info.

hav you tried calln the edd disability number? i did that for like 2 weeks str8 and never got thru lol. busy signal every time or it just hangs up on u after waiting 4ever

my sister jus went thru this whole process for her pregancy leave which is under sdi too. she said the most important thing is that ur doctor fills out all the paperwork right and is specific about why you cant do your job. if they just say "back pain" without details they might deny you. also she said don't mess with the dates - if you say you worked on a day you were supposed to be disabled they get all confused lol

As long as your disability started after those workdays, there shouldn't be an issue. The key is that your disability claim start date matches with when your doctor certified you as unable to work. If you worked partial days or pushed through pain before officially going on disability, that's okay. Just be accurate about your last day worked on the application. Also, if your claim gets approved, you'll need to complete bi-weekly certifications confirming you're still disabled during the claim period.

Just to clarify one important thing - your disability payments will be calculated based on your base period wages (from about 5-17 months before your claim starts). So if you've had steady work in 2024, you should qualify for a decent benefit amount. The current maximum weekly benefit is around $1,620 for 2025. If approved, payments are made via EDD debit card or direct deposit, usually every two weeks after you certify.

Yes, they absolutely do verify disabilities. While they may not always call your doctor, they review the medical certification form and can request additional medical records if they have questions. They can also require independent medical examinations if they suspect fraud. Disability fraud is taken very seriously and can result in penalties, repayment requirements, and even criminal charges in serious cases. Only apply if you have a legitimate disability certified by a doctor.