What to call employer supplemental pay on EDD maternity leave form?
I'm filling out my EDD forms for maternity leave and stuck on a question about employer pay. My company offers a benefit where they'll pay the difference between my regular salary and what EDD pays during my leave. On the disability form, it asks "Has or will your employer continue to pay you during your disability leave?" I'm selecting "Yes" and then "Other type of pay" (since it's not sick, vacation, PTO, or annual leave), but then it asks what this "other type of pay" is called. What term should I put here? Has anyone dealt with this supplemental pay situation before? I don't want to delay my maternity benefits by putting the wrong thing!
20 comments


Connor O'Neill
I went through this exact same thing last year! It's called "Salary Continuation" or sometimes "Wage Supplementation." Either term should work fine on the form. My HR department called it salary continuation, so that's what I put and my claim was processed without any issues.
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
•Thank you! "Salary Continuation" sounds right based on what my HR told me. Did you have to provide any additional documentation about this to EDD or did just writing that on the form work out okay?
0 coins
QuantumQuester
In my experience, "wage differential" or "supplemental disability pay" are the most common terms for this type of arrangement. Your employer might use different terminology internally, but either of these should be understood by the EDD. Just make sure you report the correct amount they'll be paying you, as this might affect your benefit calculation.
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
•Thanks! I'll double check with HR what term they use officially. They said they'll pay me the difference to make me "whole" but I need to report it correctly.
0 coins
Yara Nassar
i just put "maternity supplement" on mine and it went thru fine lol. dont overthink it, edd just needs to know ur getting some money from work during leave
0 coins
Keisha Williams
It's generally called a "Disability Supplement" or "Disability Top-Up." Make sure you understand how this will affect your benefits though. When I was on maternity leave, my company's supplement actually reduced my EDD payment because they report it to EDD. My HR didn't explain this clearly and I was surprised when my benefit was less than expected.
0 coins
Paolo Ricci
•THIS!!! My company did the same thing and I ended up with way less than I expected. They said they'd pay the "difference" but what they didn't explain was that the EDD would count their supplement as income and reduce my benefit! So frustrating!!
0 coins
Amina Toure
I've been trying to reach someone at EDD for DAYS about this exact same question!!! Every time I call it's 2+ hour wait times and then I get disconnected. I'm due in 3 weeks and still haven't submitted my form because I wasn't sure what to write. I'm so tired of this!
0 coins
Oliver Zimmermann
•I had the same frustrating experience trying to reach EDD last month. After wasting hours on hold, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an EDD agent in under 20 minutes. They have a demo video of how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 - totally worth it for the time saved! The agent I spoke with said "supplemental disability pay" is the right term for employer top-up payments.
0 coins
Keisha Williams
The technically correct term according to EDD is "Supplemental Benefits" or "Integration of Benefits." This is when your employer coordinates with SDI/PFL to bring your income to a certain percentage of your normal wages during leave. Make sure you understand if they're doing true supplementation (paying on top of full EDD benefits) or integration (where they pay part and EDD pays part, potentially reducing your state benefit).
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
•This is really helpful, thank you! I just checked our employee handbook and it refers to it as "Supplemental Benefits" so I'll use that term. It also says they coordinate with EDD so it sounds like the integration method you described. Going to follow up with HR to fully understand how it impacts my benefit amount.
0 coins
Paolo Ricci
When I was filling out my form the lady in HR told me to just write "supplemental pay" and my claim went through fine in like 10 days. But my sister put "maternity differential" and hers took FOREVER and they made her submit extra paperwork! So annoying how inconsistent the EDD system is!!!!
0 coins
Yara Nassar
btw dont forget u need 2 report this income when u do ur bi-weekly certifications once ur on leave. my friend didnt report her supplemental pay and got hit with an overpayment notice later, total mess to fix
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
•Oh that's a good point I hadn't even thought about! I'll need to make sure I report the supplemental amounts on my certifications. This whole process is so complicated!
0 coins
Connor O'Neill
One more thing to clarify - are you filling out DE2501 (disability claim) for pregnancy disability leave, or DE2508 (PFL) for baby bonding? The integration of employer pay works a bit differently for each one. For pregnancy disability, the supplemental pay is more straightforward than for PFL in my experience.
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
•I'm filling out the DE2501 right now for pregnancy disability. I'll have to do the PFL form for baby bonding after delivery. Good to know the pay integration might work differently between the two - I'll make sure to ask HR about both programs!
0 coins
Isabella Costa
I just went through this process a few months ago and had the same confusion! I ended up calling my HR department to ask what they officially called it, and they said "Salary Differential Pay." That's what I put on my DE2501 form and it was approved without any issues. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - make sure to get in writing from HR exactly how much they'll be paying and when, because you'll need those details for your bi-weekly certifications later. Also, ask them if they report this payment directly to EDD or if you need to report it yourself. Good luck with your claim!
0 coins
Zainab Ismail
•This is such helpful advice, thank you! I didn't think about getting the payment details in writing from HR - that's really smart. I'm going to ask them specifically about how much and when they'll pay, plus whether they report it to EDD or if I need to do it myself. It sounds like every company handles this differently so getting it documented will definitely save me headaches later!
0 coins
Bethany Groves
I work in HR and deal with these forms regularly. The most universally accepted terms are "Supplemental Disability Benefits" or "Wage Continuation Program." Both clearly indicate to EDD that your employer is providing additional compensation during your disability leave. I'd recommend calling your HR department first to see what they officially call the program in your benefits documentation - using their exact terminology can help avoid any confusion if EDD needs to verify details with your employer later. Also, make sure you understand whether your company pays the supplement directly to you or if they coordinate payments through EDD, as this affects how you'll need to report it during your ongoing certifications.
0 coins
Hassan Khoury
•This is really helpful coming from someone who works in HR! I'm definitely going to call my HR department tomorrow to get their official terminology and clarify whether they pay me directly or coordinate through EDD. That's such a good point about using their exact wording to avoid confusion later. I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences here - thank you for taking the time to share your professional perspective!
0 coins