EDD Disability vs. Unemployment - can I qualify if temporarily sick?

You're correct that you need to be able and available for work to qualify for UI. Since you're temporarily unable to work due to illness, you should apply for State Disability Insurance (SDI) to cover the period you're sick. Once you recover, you can then apply for regular unemployment. Just make sure you're honest about your dates - don't overlap them or EDD will flag it as fraud. It happens more often than you'd think.

my cousin did this last yr. get the SDI first then do unemployment after. the dr note is super important keep that for ur records

Let me clarify this situation a bit more thoroughly. If you're unable to work due to a medical condition, you should absolutely file for State Disability Insurance (SDI) rather than Unemployment Insurance (UI). These are two separate benefit programs: - SDI: For when you cannot work due to non-work-related illness or injury - UI: For when you're able to work but have lost your job through no fault of your own You can transition from SDI to UI once your doctor releases you to work. You'll need to file a separate claim for UI at that point. The base period for calculating your benefits will be the same regardless of when you file - it's based on your earnings in previous quarters, not on how quickly you file after job loss. Make sure to get documentation from your doctor about both the start and end dates of your medical condition.

I went thru same thing in January. Applied for SDI online but it took FOREVER to process. I was almost better by the time it got approved. If u need to talk to someone at EDD about it, good luck getting thru on the phone - I tried for 2 weeks straight and kept getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message.

everyone here is giving you good advice but I want to add one more thing - make sure your doctor is REALLY specific on the form about exactly when you can return to work. My SDI was cut off a week early because my doctor wrote "approximately 3 weeks" instead of giving a specific end date, and EDD interpreted that as the shorter end of the range. i lost a week of benefits and it was a NIGHTMARE trying to get it fixed.

wait cant u just say ur available to work even if ur sick? not like EDD is gonna come check on u lol

UGHHH I HATE how EDD makes everything so difficult!!! When I was in your situation I ended up not getting ANY benefits for the first 3 weeks because of all the confusion and paperwork delays!!!!!! Make sure you call them and talk to an ACTUAL PERSON before submitting anything!!!! The website is USELESS and just confuses everything!!!!!

Something else to keep in mind: Once you recover and apply for UI, you'll need to report that you received SDI during the certification process. Be 100% accurate with the dates to avoid any overpayment issues down the line. EDD systems do talk to each other and they will eventually catch any overlapping benefit periods.

hey OP, did u get ur SDI application submitted? My sister is going thru almost the same thing right now.