Can I collect EDD unemployment while my SDI disability claim is under review?

short answer: NO!!! you cant collect both at same time. its either UI or SDI not both!

This is a common confusion, so don't worry. You've got two different benefit types here with different eligibility requirements. For unemployment (UI), you must be able and available to work. For disability (SDI), you're certifying that you're unable to work due to a medical condition. Technically, you can't collect both for the same period because they have conflicting eligibility requirements. When you certify for UI, you're saying you can work; for SDI, you're saying you can't work. If you're truly disabled and unable to work, you should wait for your SDI claim to process. Continuing to certify for UI during this time could potentially be considered misrepresentation since you'd be stating you're able to work (for UI) while simultaneously claiming you can't work (for SDI).

I went through EXACTLY this situation in January. So frustrating!! My doctor put me on temporary disability but my SDI claim took forever to process (almost 6 weeks). I called EDD like 50 times trying to get clarification and kept getting the stupid "we're experiencing high call volume" message. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual EDD rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The EDD agent explained that I needed to STOP certifying for UI the moment my disability began (the date on my doctor's note). Even though the SDI was still processing, continuing to certify for UI would cause problems later. The rep helped me straighten out my claim dates so I wouldn't end up with an overpayment.

The whole system is DESIGNED to be confusing!!! They WANT you to make mistakes so they can hit you with overpayments and penalties later. I had both UI and SDI claims last year and ended up owing $4,200 back because of their unclear instructions. Then they add a 30% penalty on top! It's criminal how they treat people who are just trying to survive.

wait im confused... isnt SDI for when ur pregnant? or is that something else

Omg I literally just went through this! My advice- if ur really disabled then STOP the UI right now and just wait for SDI. I know waiting for money sucks but trust me getting an overpayment notice later is WAY worse. They make u pay back every penny plus penalties and it's a nightmare!!!

To clarify a technical point that's important here: the date that matters for your SDI claim is the "onset date" of your disability (the date your doctor certified you became unable to work). Your SDI eligibility begins from that date, not from when you applied or when it gets approved. So if your disability began on April 15, for example, you should not certify for UI for any weeks from April 15 onward. When your SDI is eventually approved, you'll receive retroactive payments back to April 15. If you've already certified for UI weeks that overlap with your disability period, you should contact EDD immediately to correct this. It's much easier to fix it now than to deal with an overpayment notice later.

Quick update for anyone facing the same problem - I finally got through to EDD using that Claimyr service and got things straightened out. The rep explained that what matters is your "able and available" status. For UI you must be able to work, for SDI you must be unable to work. They said it's actually fraud to collect UI when you're medically unable to work, even if your SDI isn't approved yet. The good news is SDI pays retroactively once approved!

Just want to add one more important point that might help others - if you're in that gray area where you're not sure if you're truly "disabled" enough for SDI, err on the side of caution and don't certify for UI. I made the mistake of thinking my condition wasn't "serious enough" for SDI and kept certifying for UI while my claim was pending. Turns out my doctor's note was sufficient for SDI approval, but I ended up with a $1,800 overpayment because I certified for UI during weeks I was technically disabled. The stress of dealing with that overpayment was worse than just waiting for the SDI decision in the first place. Better to be safe than sorry!

I went through something similar last year and learned the hard way that timing is everything with these claims. The key thing to understand is that your SDI claim has an "onset date" - the date your doctor says you became unable to work. From that date forward, you legally cannot certify for UI because you'd be stating you're "able and available" for work when medically you're not. I made the mistake of continuing to certify for UI "just until my SDI got approved" and ended up with a mess to clean up later. Even though it seems logical to keep getting UI payments while waiting, the system sees it as you claiming two conflicting things - that you can work (UI) and can't work (SDI) for the same time period. My advice: stop certifying for UI immediately if your disability onset date has passed. Yes, waiting for SDI approval while bills pile up is stressful, but dealing with overpayment demands later is way worse. SDI will pay you retroactively once approved, so you won't lose those benefits - you'll just get them as a lump sum instead of weekly payments. If you've already certified for weeks that overlap with your disability period, call EDD ASAP to report it. They're usually more lenient about fixing honest mistakes than discovering fraudulent claims later.