EDD SDI timing question - can I file maternity claim after using paid sick time?

You should file your SDI claim right away! The date of disability is what matters (Jan 8), not when you file. EDD allows you to file within 49 days of your disability start date without penalty. And yes, there's a 7-day waiting period for SDI that isn't paid, so using your sick/vacation time for that first week is smart. Your employer's payment won't affect your EDD benefits as long as you're honest about the dates you received wages on your certification forms. Just make sure when you fill out the DE2501 form you put January 8th as your first day disabled.

When I had my baby last yr I waited like 3 weeks to file bcuz I was using sick time too!! It was totally fine, just put ur actual first day out (1/8) on the application. The important thing is that u file within 49 days of ur first day out

Just to clarify some important details: you're absolutely fine to apply now using 1/8 as your first day of disability. When you complete your claim, you'll need to report any wages received during your claim period. This includes sick pay, vacation pay, PTO, etc. - these are all considered "wages" that you need to report. The system is designed to handle this situation, so don't worry. One thing to prepare for: after your baby is born and your pregnancy disability ends (typically 6 weeks for vaginal delivery, 8 weeks for C-section), you'll need to transition to Paid Family Leave (PFL) for baby bonding. That requires a separate application using form DE2508. Many people get confused by this transition.

Omg the EDD phone system is IMPOSSIBLE when you need to ask specific questions about maternity leave timing! I was in your exact situation last month and needed to confirm some details about wage reporting, but spent like 2 hours on hold before getting disconnected. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual EDD rep in less than 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Totally worth it for getting clear answers directly from EDD about your specific situation.

Your not going to be paid for that first wk anyway (waiting period) so it makes sense to use sick time. I filed my claim on day 10 and backdated it to my first day off and it was processed with no issues. Just remember disability is only 60-70% of your wages up to the maximum (which I think is like $1550/wk now in 2025) so that's why most people use some sick time at the beginning.

I'm going through EXACTLY the same thing right now! Started leave on 1/3, using sick time for these first two weeks, and was worried about the timing. I talked to my doctor's office yesterday and they said as long as they submit their portion of the medical certification within 49 days of your first day off, you're good. Have you already had your doctor complete their portion of the claim?

To follow up on the earlier advice - after you file your SDI claim online, EDD will send you a notice with your Weekly Benefit Amount calculation. When you get your first certification form (either online or by mail depending on how you set up your account), that's when you'll need to report the sick/vacation pay you received after Jan 8th. Just be very accurate with the dates and amounts. This same process applies when you transition to baby bonding PFL later. The key thing to remember is that wage reporting is date-based - you report wages for the specific certification period they're asking about, regardless of when the money actually hit your bank account.

I just went through this exact situation last year! Filed my SDI claim about 2 weeks after my disability start date because I was also using up my accrued PTO first. The process was super smooth - just make sure you have your doctor's portion ready to go since that's usually the bottleneck. Also heads up, when you do your bi-weekly certifications later, they'll ask about ANY income you received during those specific 2-week periods, so keep track of exactly which dates your sick pay covered. The EDD system is actually pretty good at handling these mixed situations where people use employer benefits first. Good luck with everything and congratulations on your little one! 👶

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a very similar situation with my second baby in 2024. Started leave on a Friday, used my PTO for the first 10 days, then filed my SDI claim. The key thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking exactly which dates I received sick pay vs when I expected to start receiving SDI benefits. This made the bi-weekly certifications SO much easier later on. Also, don't stress about the timing - EDD sees these mixed benefit situations all the time, especially with maternity leave. The most important thing is being accurate with your dates, not the speed of filing. You've got plenty of time within that 49-day window!