Unemployment eligibility after pregnancy SDI - will my disability benefits count towards my weekly benefit amount?

ya this happened to me but with regular disability not pregnancy. they dont count disability payments as wages when they calculate ur unemployment. they look at ur actual earnings in the base period which is like a year before u file. if u had good wages b4 ur pregnancy leave that should count tho

The good news is that you would likely qualify for unemployment if you lose your job through no fault of your own. EDD doesn't count disability payments as wages, but they do have special provisions for people who received disability. What happens is EDD uses an "alternate base period" when you've received disability benefits. Instead of counting your disability period (where you had no wages), they can substitute earlier quarters where you were working full-time. This prevents your unemployment amount from being reduced due to your pregnancy disability period. You'll need to make sure they know you were on SDI when you apply so they can properly calculate your base period. Your years of full-time work before pregnancy should definitely count in your favor!

congrats on the baby!! i had almost the same thing happen last year. got let go 6 weeks after coming back from maternity leave 😡 make sure you apply for unemployment right away if they cut your hours! you can get partial unemployment even if they just reduce hours not completely lay you off

I'm going through something similar and just want to make sure I understand this correctly. So if I was on SDI for pregnancy from August-November 2024, and then worked December through February 2025, and then lost my job in March 2025, they would look back at my earnings before August 2024 instead of counting the SDI period as zero income? Is that right? Cause I'm stressed about this exact same thing and got different answers from two different EDD reps!!!!!

I had to deal with this exact scenario last year and EDD's phone system was IMPOSSIBLE to get through to ask questions. After 3 weeks of trying, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd The agent confirmed they use what they call a "disability substitute quarter" for the calculations, which basically means they look at your work history before your disability instead of counting that period as zero. It's designed specifically to prevent people from being penalized for taking disability leave. The agent was super helpful in walking me through my specific situation once I finally got through.

Just to clarify a few things for everyone: 1. Regular disability and pregnancy disability are treated the same way for UI calculations 2. The standard base period for UI is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file 3. When you've received disability, they can substitute earlier quarters where you had wages 4. You need to have earned at least $1,300 in your highest quarter during the base period to qualify 5. For partial unemployment with reduced hours, your weekly earnings can't exceed your weekly benefit amount Also important: if you quit your new job instead of being laid off, you likely won't qualify for UI unless you can prove you had "good cause" to quit. Make sure you document everything if your employer reduces your hours significantly.

This whole system is rigged against mothers. first they don't pay you enough for disability when you're actually having a baby, then they make it impossible to understand how unemployment works after, then they make you wait WEEKS for benefits when you have a baby to feed. the EDD is a disaster and nobody there even knows their own rules half the time. good luck!!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now if my job situation changes. To summarize what I learned: - I should qualify for unemployment if I lose my job or get hours reduced through no fault of my own - EDD will use an "alternate base period" or "disability substitute quarter" because I was on SDI - This means they'll look at my earnings before pregnancy instead of counting disability as zero - I need to specifically mention my SDI period when applying - Even reduced hours might qualify me for partial unemployment Fingers crossed my job stays stable, but it's a relief to know my options. Really appreciate all the advice!