Will EDD SDI benefit increase to 90% happen automatically in 2025 if already on disability?
I just saw online that California is changing disability benefits in 2025 where people making under $63,000 will get 90% of their wages instead of the current rate. I've been on disability since November 2024 for my back surgery recovery, and my claim extends through February 2025. Will my weekly benefit amount automatically increase when January hits, or do I need to file something new? My yearly income is about $58,000 so I should qualify for the higher rate. I'm trying to budget for the new year and figuring out if I'll suddenly get more money or if I need to contact EDD somehow to make this change happen. Has anyone else in a similar situation gotten any official communication about this?
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Rachel Tao
According to the EDD website, the new wage replacement rates should apply automatically to all payments issued after January 1, 2025, even for claims that started in 2024. You don't need to file anything new. Just be aware that the first payment of 2025 might take a little longer to process as they update their systems. The 90% rate applies to anyone earning less than 33% of the state average quarterly wage, which is approximately $63,000 for 2025 as you mentioned. Since you're under that threshold, you should see the increase automatically reflected in your January payments.
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Sayid Hassan
•Thank you so much! That's a huge relief. Do you know if they'll send any kind of notice before the change happens or will it just show up as a higher amount in my account?
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Derek Olson
where did u see this info about the 90%?? ive been on disability since october and nobodys told me anything about any changes
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Danielle Mays
•It was in the State Budget bill SB 150 that passed last year. EDD hasn't been great about publicizing it. You can read about it on the Labor Center's website or the California Budget & Policy Center has a breakdown. It's definitely happening though - biggest change to SDI in decades! I wrote about it for my local paper.
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Roger Romero
BEWARE!! I work for a payroll company and we just had a webinar about this. The change ISN'T AUTOMATIC for everyone!! If your claim started before 2025, you need to check if your BASE PERIOD falls in the new calculation period. Some people will need to file an adjustment request because the system won't automatically recalculate claims that started with an older base period. CALL THEM to make sure!!!!
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Sayid Hassan
•Oh no, that's concerning. So even though my payments continue into 2025, the fact that my claim started in late 2024 might mean I don't get the increase automatically? That's really confusing.
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Anna Kerber
I tried calling EDD about this exact same question last week and gave up after being on hold for 2 hours. I'm in the same boat - my maternity disability goes from December into February. Then I'll be transitioning to Paid Family Leave. Nobody seems to know if the 90% applies to both SDI and PFL or just SDI. The whole thing is so confusing.
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Niko Ramsey
•Hey, I was in the same situation with the endless hold times. I ended up using this service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. They basically call for you and then connect you when they get a representative. Saved me hours of frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. The agent I spoke with confirmed the increase applies to both SDI and PFL, by the way.
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Seraphina Delan
The new rates are actually sliding scale, not just 90% or 70%. It's 90% if you make below $63,145, but then it gradually decreases until it hits 70% for those making over $145,600. My doctor told me I should expect some confusion in January as they implement this. Also keep in mind that if your benefit amount increases, your tax withholding might increase too if you opted for withholding.
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Danielle Mays
•That's correct about the sliding scale, and good point about the withholding. One other detail worth mentioning is that the maximum weekly benefit amount is also increasing from $1,620 to $1,752 in 2025. So even higher-income individuals who fall into the 70% category might see a slight increase in their benefits.
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Roger Romero
i just checked and the 90% DEFINITELY applies to claims starting in 2024 that continue into 2025!!! my sister works for the state and confirmed this. BUT... the benefits dont increase until the FIRST FULL WEEK of 2025. So if ur week spans december 31 to january 6, that whole week stays at the old rate. Then starting january 7 you'd get the higher amount. hope this helps!!!
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Sayid Hassan
•This is so helpful, thank you! I've been trying to find clear information about this for weeks. I'm going to budget assuming the change happens in the second week of January just to be safe. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly!
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Jabari-Jo
Tangent but this change is literally life changing for me. I've been putting off a necessary surgery because I couldn't afford to live on just 60% of my income (after taxes it's more like 52%). Now with 90% I can finally get it done without draining my savings or borrowing money. Wish they'd done this years ago.
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Anna Kerber
•Same! I'm due with my second baby in April and was panicking about how to manage on the lower rate. This change means I can actually take my full recovery time instead of rushing back to work too soon like I did with my first.
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Rachel Tao
One additional piece of information based on the latest EDD press release: they recommend that if you don't see the rate change reflected in your first payment of 2025, wait until your second payment before contacting them. Their systems are expected to be backlogged as they implement the change. But the adjustment should be retroactive to January 1st, so you won't lose any money if there's a delay.
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Sayid Hassan
•Thanks for the update. I'll definitely be patient with the first payment. Really appreciate everyone's insights on this!
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Jamal Wilson
I'm in a very similar situation - started my disability claim in December 2024 for a knee replacement and it runs through March 2025. My income is around $52,000 so I should definitely qualify for the 90% rate. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like we should see the increase automatically starting with the first full week of January, but I'm definitely going to call EDD just to confirm my claim will be updated properly. The conflicting information about whether it's automatic or not is making me nervous! Has anyone actually received any official documentation from EDD about this change yet?
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Andre Rousseau
•I haven't received any official documentation from EDD yet either, which is frustrating given how big of a change this is. I'm in a similar income bracket and my claim also spans the transition period. From what I've gathered here, it seems like the safest approach is to assume it will be automatic but still call to verify, especially since there's conflicting info about base periods and automatic updates. The fact that multiple people are saying different things about the implementation makes me think EDD itself might not have fully communicated the details to all their staff yet. Let me know what you find out when you call - I'm planning to try reaching them next week too!
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Isaiah Thompson
I'm also on disability that started in late 2024 and extends into 2025, so this thread has been incredibly helpful! Based on all the information shared here, I'm planning to monitor my first few payments in January closely. It sounds like the consensus is that the 90% rate should apply automatically for those of us earning under $63k, but there might be some initial processing delays. I'm going to screenshot my current benefit amount so I can easily compare when the new payments come through. Really appreciate everyone sharing their research and experiences - this kind of major policy change deserves way better communication from EDD directly!
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