When to file EDD SDI with 7-day waiting period - before or after waiting period ends?

You should apply immediately! The 7-day waiting period is just the first week that you won't get paid for. It has nothing to do with when you should apply. In fact, EDD recommends filing within the first 9 days of your disability to avoid losing benefits. The sooner you apply, the sooner your claim will be processed, and the sooner you'll get paid after that waiting period is over.

omg i made this exact mistake last year... waited a whole extra week to apply thinking i had to wait until after the waiting period. ended up delaying my payments by like 3 weeks!! definitely apply asap

Definitely apply right away. The 7-day waiting period is confusing, but it just means you won't get paid for the first 7 days of your disability period. Think of it like a deductible. Your benefits will start from day 8 of your disability, BUT your claim processing can be happening during those 7 days. Also, keep in mind processing times are ridiculous right now. I've been waiting 3 weeks just to get my claim approved and I still can't get through to anyone on the phone to check the status. Has anyone had luck getting through to EDD lately?

Wait i'm confused about something. Is EDD SDI different from state disability? Because my HR told me we had disability insurance through the state but didn't mention anything about EDD?

Def apply immediately. Also make sure your doctor filled out EVERYTHING correctly on their form. My claim got delayed for weeks because my doctor left one date field blank and no one bothered to tell me until I finally got through on the phone. So frustrating!!! Check that all dates are filled in and all boxes are checked.

I went through this in January. Just to clarify for anyone else who finds this thread - the waiting period is CALENDAR days, not work days. So if you become disabled on a Monday, your waiting period would be Monday through Sunday, and benefits would start the following Monday. But like others said, you should apply right away regardless! Also, keep in mind that if you're transitioning from SDI to Paid Family Leave later, you don't have to serve another waiting period. That confused me too initially.

my sister told me that if ur disability is related to pregnancy then theres no waiting period is that true??

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - definitely apply right away! I was in your exact situation a few months ago and made the mistake of hesitating for a couple days. The waiting period is just when benefits START, not when you can apply. Think of it like filing an insurance claim after an accident - you don't wait for the repairs to be done before filing, you file immediately so everything can get processed. The EDD website even says to apply within 9 days of when your disability begins to avoid any potential benefit loss. Good luck with your claim!

Adding to what everyone said - yes, definitely apply right away! I'm a newcomer here but went through this process last year. The 7-day waiting period can be really confusing because it sounds like you need to wait to apply, but you absolutely don't. I'd also recommend keeping copies of everything you submit and taking screenshots of your online application confirmation. When I applied, I didn't get any email confirmation initially and panicked thinking it didn't go through. Turns out it was just their system being slow, but having that screenshot saved me a lot of stress. Also, if you're doing this online (which I'd recommend), try applying early in the morning or late at night when their system is less busy. Good luck with your claim!

As someone new to this community, I just wanted to add my recent experience to help confirm what everyone's saying. I filed my SDI claim about 3 weeks ago and was also confused about the timing. Like you, I almost waited thinking I needed to let the 7-day period pass first, but thankfully found some similar advice online. I applied on day 2 of my disability and I'm so glad I did - it took them almost 2 weeks just to process and approve my claim! If I had waited those extra 7 days to apply, I would have been without any income for nearly a month. The waiting period really is just about when payments start, not when you can submit your application. Also, make sure you have your Social Security number, employment info, and doctor's information ready when you apply - the online system times out pretty quickly if you're not prepared. Hope this helps and that your claim goes smoothly!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share what I learned from my recent SDI experience to help confirm everyone's advice. I was in almost the exact same situation as you about 6 weeks ago - started medical leave and was totally confused about the waiting period timing. I actually called EDD directly (after many, many attempts to get through!) and the representative was very clear: "File immediately, the waiting period is just when benefits begin, not when you can apply." She explained it like this - imagine you're filing any insurance claim. You don't wait for the damage to be "over" before filing, you file right away so processing can begin. The 7-day waiting period is built into their system automatically, so there's no need for you to manually wait. I ended up filing on day 3 of my disability and got my first payment exactly 7 days after my disability began (once processing was complete). If I had waited those extra days to apply, I would have just delayed everything unnecessarily. Also, make sure to check your online account regularly for any requests for additional information - they don't always send email notifications and any delays in responding can hold up your whole claim. Good luck with your application!

As a newcomer here, I just wanted to add my voice to everyone saying apply immediately! I went through this exact confusion about 2 months ago. The way I finally understood it was this: the 7-day waiting period is like a deductible that EDD automatically applies - you don't have to do anything special for it. When you file your claim, their system knows to start counting benefits from day 8, but the processing of your paperwork can (and should!) happen during those first 7 days. I was so worried about "doing it wrong" that I spent way too much time researching instead of just applying. Don't make my mistake! The EDD website is pretty clear once you start the application - it will ask for the date your disability began, and everything else is calculated automatically from there. Also, if you're worried about making errors, you can always call their technical support line (different from the claims line) if you run into issues with the online system - they're usually more available and can help with application questions. You've got this!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add my recent experience to help reinforce what everyone is saying - definitely apply right away! I just went through this exact same confusion about 6 weeks ago when I started my medical leave. Like you, I was totally overthinking the waiting period and almost delayed my application. What finally made it clear for me was realizing that the 7-day waiting period is something EDD handles automatically on their end - it's not something you need to manage or time yourself. When you submit your application, you'll enter the date your disability started, and their system automatically calculates everything from there, including when your benefits should begin (day 8). I ended up applying on day 2 of my disability, and even though it took about 10 days for my claim to get approved, I still received my first payment right when I was supposed to (after the waiting period ended). If I had waited those extra days to apply, I would have just pushed everything back unnecessarily. One thing I wish I had known - make sure you have all your information ready before you start the online application. The system can time out if you're taking too long, and it's frustrating to have to start over. Good luck with your claim!

As someone completely new to this community and the EDD SDI process, I just wanted to add my voice to everyone confirming - apply immediately! I'm actually in a very similar situation right now and was having the exact same confusion about the timing. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. What really made it click for me was how several people explained that the 7-day waiting period is like an automatic deductible that EDD's system handles - you don't need to manually wait or time anything yourself. The processing of your claim can (and should!) happen during those first 7 days so you can get paid as soon as the waiting period ends. I was definitely overthinking this just like you were, but seeing so many consistent experiences from people who've been through this exact situation gives me confidence to just submit my application today. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this community has made navigating what seemed like a really confusing system so much clearer for newcomers like us!

As someone completely new to this community, I just wanted to add my recent experience to help confirm what everyone is saying - definitely apply immediately! I was in almost the exact same situation about a month ago when I started my medical leave. Like you, I was totally confused about whether I needed to wait for the 7-day period to pass before applying. What helped me understand it was thinking of it this way: the 7-day waiting period is like a built-in deductible that EDD's system automatically handles. You don't need to manually count days or wait - you just need to provide them with the date your disability started, and their system calculates everything else, including when your benefits should begin (day 8). I ended up applying on day 1 of my disability, and I'm so glad I did! It took about 12 days for my claim to be processed and approved, but I still got my first payment right on schedule after the waiting period ended. If I had waited those extra days to apply, I would have just delayed everything unnecessarily. One tip that really helped me - make sure you double-check that your doctor filled out all the required fields on their portion before you submit. I almost had a delay because one date field was left blank, but thankfully I caught it during my final review. The online application will also tell you exactly what documents you need, so have everything ready before you start to avoid those frustrating timeout issues others have mentioned. Good luck with your claim!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to share my recent experience to add to all the great advice here - definitely apply right away! I went through this exact same confusion about 3 months ago when I started my disability leave. Like you, I was really overthinking the 7-day waiting period and almost made the mistake of waiting. What finally made it clear for me was understanding that the waiting period is just when your benefits START, not when you can apply. Think of it like filing any insurance claim - you file immediately so the processing can begin, even though you might not get paid right away due to deductibles or waiting periods. I ended up applying on day 2 of my disability, and even though it took EDD about 2 weeks to process everything, I still got my first payment exactly when I was supposed to (after day 7). If I had waited those extra days to apply, I would have just pushed back my entire timeline unnecessarily. One thing that really helped me was calling their customer service line early in the morning (around 8 AM) to confirm I was doing everything correctly. It took several tries to get through, but the representative confirmed that applying immediately was the right approach. Also, make sure you keep copies of everything you submit - their online system can be glitchy and it's good to have backup documentation. Hope this helps ease your concerns! You're asking all the right questions, and this community has been so helpful for navigating this confusing process.

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to add my voice to everyone saying apply immediately! I went through this exact same situation about 8 weeks ago and was just as confused about the timing. Like you, I had my doctor's paperwork ready but was second-guessing when to submit everything. What finally clicked for me was realizing that the 7-day waiting period is completely automated on EDD's end - it's not something you need to manage or calculate yourself. When you fill out the application, you simply enter the date your disability began, and their system automatically handles the rest, including when your benefit payments should start (day 8). I ended up applying on day 3 of my disability, and I'm so glad I didn't wait any longer. Even with applying that early, it still took about 2.5 weeks for my claim to be fully processed and approved. If I had waited those extra days thinking I needed to let the waiting period "finish" first, I would have been without income for nearly a month! One practical tip that saved me a lot of stress - before you start the online application, gather all your information first: your Social Security number, employment details, doctor's info, and have your medical paperwork right there with you. The system can timeout if you're taking too long to find documents, and having to restart the application multiple times is incredibly frustrating. You're asking all the right questions, and this community has been amazing for helping people navigate what can feel like a really overwhelming process. Good luck with your application!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to share my recent experience to help confirm what everyone is saying - apply right away! I was in your exact situation about 2 months ago and made the same mistake of overthinking the 7-day waiting period. What helped me understand it was thinking of the waiting period like a "cooling off" period that happens automatically in EDD's system - you don't need to manually wait for it to pass before applying. When you submit your application, you'll provide the start date of your disability, and their system automatically calculates when your benefits should begin (day 8), but the claim processing happens immediately. I actually delayed my application by 4 days because I was so worried about getting the timing wrong, and I really regret it! Even applying on day 5, it still took EDD almost 3 weeks to process my claim. If I had applied on day 1 like I should have, I would have received my first payment much sooner. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple timeline on paper: disability start date, when benefits should begin (day 8), and tracking my application status. It made the whole process feel less overwhelming. Also, definitely submit online rather than by mail if possible - it's much faster and you get confirmation right away. You've got all the right paperwork ready, so don't second-guess yourself! Submit that application today and you'll be so glad you did. This community has been incredibly helpful for navigating this confusing system - good luck with your claim!

As a newcomer to this community, I just went through this exact same situation last month and wanted to add my experience to reinforce what everyone is saying - definitely apply immediately! I was so confused about the 7-day waiting period timing and almost made the mistake of waiting. What finally made it clear for me was understanding that the waiting period is just EDD's way of saying "we won't pay you for the first 7 days of your disability" - but that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't apply during those 7 days. Think of it like car insurance after an accident - you file the claim right away even though there might be a deductible you have to pay first. I applied on day 2 of my disability and I'm so grateful I didn't wait longer. It took EDD about 2 weeks just to review and approve my claim, so if I had waited until after day 7 to apply, I would have been waiting almost 3 weeks total for my first payment instead of just the standard waiting period. One tip that saved me - make sure you have your Social Security number, employer information, and doctor's contact details all ready before you start the online application. The system can timeout pretty quickly if you're scrambling to find information. Also, take a screenshot of your confirmation page once you submit - I didn't get an email confirmation for almost a week and having that screenshot gave me peace of mind. You're asking all the right questions and have your doctor's paperwork ready - you're in great shape! Don't overthink it, just submit today. Good luck with your claim!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to add my recent experience to help confirm what everyone is saying - definitely apply immediately! I was in almost the exact same situation about 6 weeks ago when I started my medical leave and was completely confused about the 7-day waiting period timing. What finally made it click for me was realizing that the waiting period is something EDD handles automatically in their system - it's not a "waiting to apply" period, it's a "waiting to get paid" period. When you submit your application, you'll enter your disability start date and EDD's system automatically calculates when your benefits should begin (day 8), but your claim processing starts right away. I ended up applying on day 1 of my disability and I'm so glad I did! Even applying immediately, it still took about 2.5 weeks for my claim to be fully processed and approved. If I had waited thinking I needed to let the 7-day period pass first, I would have delayed my first payment by over a week for no reason. One practical tip - definitely apply online if possible and make sure you have all your information gathered before you start: Social Security number, employer details, doctor's information, and your medical paperwork. The online system can timeout if you're taking too long to look things up, which is super frustrating. Also, don't panic if you don't get an email confirmation immediately - mine took about 3 days to arrive, but the claim was still processing fine. You can always check your application status online. You've got your doctor's paperwork ready which is the hardest part! Trust everyone's advice here and submit that application today. This community has been incredibly helpful for navigating what initially seemed like a really confusing system. Good luck!