Can I apply for California EDD unemployment and disability at the same time?

That makes sense but also makes me nervous. My doctor wrote down 'no heavy lifting over 20 lbs' but didn't say I couldn't work a desk job or something lighter. Does that mean I wouldn't qualify for SDI at all then?

yeah this is where it gets complicated, the EDD definition of disability is pretty specific and partial restrictions can go either way depending on the claims examiner

Your doctor's language on the DE 2501 form is everything. If the physician's certificate says you're fully disabled from all work, SDI pays. If it says partial restrictions, you might be stuck in limbo with neither benefit paying cleanly. This is worth a phone call to EDD to clarify before you file SDI.

A gap in payments is exactly what I'm terrified of. Did EDD ever pay you for the gap period or was that money just gone?

They eventually paid me for most of it but it took like 6 weeks and multiple phone calls. The phone calls were the worst part honestly

same here, gaps in payments are SO common when you have overlapping claim types, edd does not make this easy

I've never heard of Claimyr before. Is it legit? I'm a little hesitant to use anything third party when it comes to my EDD stuff

Totally understandable to be skeptical. It just gets you on the phone with EDD - the actual conversation and decisions are still completely between you and the EDD agent. It's just solving the 'can't get through' problem which for me was the biggest obstacle

I looked up that video link and it seems pretty straightforward, might try it myself since I've been trying to reach EDD about my own adjudication issue for weeks

Wait this is really helpful and different from what I thought. So SDI is based on whether I can do MY job, not just any job?

Correct - SDI uses the 'regular or customary work' standard. UI uses an 'able and available for work' standard. They're measuring different things which is part of why they can conflict.

This is accurate and important. The SDI standard being tied to your regular work is something a lot of people don't know and it changes the calculus significantly for OP's situation.

then why do so many people get denied for sdi?? my friend had a back injury too and got rejected even though she couldnt do her job

I'd actually caution against this - if you file for and receive UI while also filing SDI for the same period, you could end up with an overpayment on one of them that you have to pay back. It's better to understand which one applies before collecting.

oh ok fair point didn't realize about the overpayment risk

yeah overpayment is exactly what I'm trying to avoid, I can't afford to owe EDD money on top of everything else

The injury actually happened about 2 weeks before the layoff but I was still working light duty. Then I got laid off and now I have neither job nor light duty accommodation. So both things are active at the same time.

That timeline is actually somewhat favorable for you. You could potentially file SDI for the period starting from when the injury happened (including when you were still employed) and then UI kicks in if/when you recover and can look for work again. The SDI claim might actually predate the UI claim in terms of eligibility start date.

This is a good point about the timeline. OP may have an SDI claim that starts earlier than the layoff date, which would be filed separately from the UI claim and wouldn't necessarily conflict.

That is SO frustrating to hear but also kind of validating that I'm not just being dumb by being confused about this

you are absolutely not being dumb this system is genuinely confusing and they do not make it easy

separate phone lines for ui and sdi is something more people should know, if you call the main edd number for a sdi question you'll get nowhere

This is the most organized breakdown I've seen, thank you. The weekly cert question about 'able and available' has been stressing me out because I genuinely don't know how to answer it given my injury.

Answer it based on your actual medical situation. If your doctor has restricted you from work, answering that you're NOT fully able and available is accurate and protects you from overpayment claims later. Inaccurate weekly cert responses are how people end up in overpayment situations.

Seconding this completely. The weekly cert answers need to reflect reality. EDD cross-references SDI and UI data and inconsistencies are what trigger overpayment investigations.

Good question - they're separate waiting periods for separate benefit programs. The UI waiting week and the SDI waiting period (also 7 days) are counted independently. So if you're transitioning from SDI to UI or filing them for adjacent time periods, you may face two separate waiting periods.

ugh so potentially two weeks of nothing during the transition period? that's brutal

Yes unfortunately. This is another reason why getting clarity on the exact timeline and which benefit applies when is so important - you want to minimize the gap periods.

Three months is terrifying to read. I really hope my situation doesn't drag out like that.

She eventually got a backdated payment for most of it but the stress was just awful. I hope you get through it faster than she did

The backdating is real - EDD will generally pay you for eligible periods even if it's delayed, but you have to stay on top of filing and appealing if anything gets denied

I don't think my warehouse job had any private disability coverage but honestly I should double check with HR. Good point.

definitely worth asking. private STD sometimes coordinates with SDI so you might get something from both up to a certain percentage of your salary

If there is private disability coverage, it typically coordinates with SDI so you don't double-collect full benefits from both, but the combined benefit can sometimes be higher than SDI alone. Worth investigating.

This is the second mention of Claimyr I've seen in this thread. I think I'm going to try it - my situation is complicated enough that I really do need to talk to someone at EDD directly.

Good luck! When you do get through, have your claim ID number ready and write down the agent's name or ID number so you have a record of what they told you

Great tip about documenting the call. I learned this the hard way - always write down who you talked to and what they said because if there's ever a dispute about what EDD told you, having that documentation matters

SDI adjudication is similar to UI adjudication in that EDD is reviewing your eligibility before approving payment. Common reasons include needing more medical documentation, employment verification issues, or questions about when the disability started. Check your SDI online account at EDD's portal for any notices.

there's literally nothing in my online account which is the most frustrating part. just says pending with no explanation

Call the SDI specific line (not the general EDD or UI line) - the number is on your SDI notices or the EDD website under disability. The SDI agents can actually see your claim status and pending issues, the general EDD line won't have visibility into SDI.

I appreciate that. Honestly the fear of making an irreversible mistake has made me really cautious about filing anything until I understand it.

That caution will probably save you from an overpayment situation. Most EDD problems I've seen in this forum come from people who just clicked through things without understanding what they were certifying.

It can matter for the benefit start dates and how EDD evaluates your eligibility periods. Generally for a situation like OP's where the disability predates or coincides with the layoff, filing SDI first for the disability period makes more logical sense. Filing UI first and then SDI for an overlapping period is more likely to create conflicts that require manual review.

Also practically speaking - once you're collecting UI and then try to file SDI for a period you already certified as 'able and available' on your UI claim, EDD will flag the inconsistency. Order of operations matters here.

that makes sense, didn't realize the weekly cert answers could create that kind of conflict down the line

Oh I didn't know about the America's Job Centers. I thought EDD was all phone and online now. That's actually a really good option for me since I'm a walk-in and explain the whole situation kind of person.

Yeah they have actual human beings there who deal with UI questions regularly. Wait times vary but at least you can get in person guidance.

This is such a good practical reminder, thank you. I've been filing weekly but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to pause while the SDI question was unresolved.

Do NOT pause. Always keep certifying and answer accurately. You can sort out which weeks get paid by which program later but you can't go back and certify weeks you skipped.

Extremely important advice. Many people lose entitled benefits simply by stopping their weekly certifications during a pending issue. Keep certifying, answer honestly, and let EDD sort out the coordination on their end.

This is actually really encouraging. The fact that you got through it cleanly gives me hope that mine can be sorted out the same way if I'm careful about the documentation and timing.

Documentation is everything. Keep copies of every form you submit, every notice EDD sends you, and every phone call you make including the date, time, and what was discussed.

Can confirm clean handoffs from SDI to UI happen regularly - it's when the time periods overlap without proper coordination that things get messy. OP sounds like they're approaching this the right way.

I didn't realize the appeal window was only 30 days. I'll make sure to read every notice I get carefully and not let deadlines slip by.

Mark the date on every single notice as soon as you receive it. The 30-day clock starts from the date on the notice, not the date you receive it, so if it sat in your mailbox for a few days you might have less time than you think.

Accurate on the appeal deadline. Also note that you can continue to file weekly certifications during an appeal and if the appeal is successful, you'll receive payment for all eligible weeks including the weeks during the appeal period.

And if you need help understanding a denial notice or preparing an appeal, this is another situation where actually talking to an EDD agent directly is really valuable. Claimyr (claimyr.com) is worth using again here if you're having trouble getting through - getting a human explanation of why you were denied and what documentation might help your appeal can make a big difference in the outcome.