EDD denied me after maternity disability - can I appeal their appeal denial?

You absolutely need to appeal this again! I went through something similar last year after taking disability leave for surgery. EDD initially denied me and even denied my first appeal, but I won on the second appeal when I got more specific about the laws protecting disability periods. What you need to do is request a Board Appeal (it's called the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board or CUIAB). Make sure you specifically cite the EDD regulation that states disability periods count as work time. Print out the exact wording from their website and highlight it. In my case, I found out the first appeal judge misinterpreted a technical detail about how SDI connects to base period calculations. Don't give up - the system is frustrating but persistence pays off. I almost didn't do my second appeal but so glad I did!

my cousin had the exct same thing happen!! she was on maternity leave and then tried to get EDD when she couldn't go back to her job and they denied her to. said something about not enough wages in base period or whatever. she just gave up cause the whole process was so frustrating

This is EXACTLY why I tell everyone to RECORD their appeal hearings!!! The judges make mistakes ALL THE TIME and if you don't have proof they ignored your evidence, it's just your word against theirs. This system is BROKEN and designed to make people give up. I had THREE appeals before I got my benefits and the only reason I won was because I kept detailed records of everything and called them out on their inconsistencies!!! 😡😡😡

I'd recommend two immediate steps: 1. File for the Board Appeal within 30 days of your denial letter date. This is critical - don't miss this deadline. 2. Make sure you're citing the correct regulation. For SDI maternity disability specifically, you need to reference the California UI Code Section 1253.3(j) which states periods of disability are to be disregarded when determining eligibility. Many people miss this specific sub-section. One major issue I see repeatedly is that administrative law judges sometimes confuse regular SDI with Paid Family Leave (PFL). If any of your leave was classified as PFL rather than SDI, that might explain the confusion, as they're treated differently for unemployment eligibility purposes. Also, gather a clear timeline of your employment history, showing: - Exact dates of regular employment - Exact dates of SDI disability coverage - Your base period quarters with wages earned This visual demonstration is extremely helpful for the Board appeal.

To answer your follow-up question - yes, this could be exactly why you were denied. SDI is treated as a continuation of your work history, but PFL sometimes isn't counted the same way depending on how your case was reviewed. For your Board Appeal, you need to specifically emphasize the SDI portion and make sure they understand which weeks were SDI vs. PFL. Many EDD representatives and even some judges don't clearly distinguish between these programs when making eligibility determinations. Bring documentation showing the specific breakdown of your leave types with dates. The SDI weeks should absolutely count toward maintaining your work history continuity.

i was in a similar situation last month and got so frustrated trying to reach EDD to explain my case. i kept getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message for WEEKS. finally i found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD rep in about 25 minutes when i had been trying for days on my own. they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km i was able to talk to someone who actually explained exactly what documents i needed for my appeal and made notes in my file. it made a huge difference having those notes in my file when i went to my appeal hearing. might be worth checking out their site at claimyr.com before your next appeal.

Just wanted to offer my support - the whole system is so broken. I remember being on hold for HOURS trying to get someone to explain why my claim was denied. And then when you finally get someone, they give you a different answer every time! Hang in there with your little one. ❤️

UPDATE: I spent today organizing all my documents and found something interesting - the SDI to PFL transition letter from EDD actually has different codes on it for the two types of leave! I'm definitely going to file the Board Appeal and make this distinction super clear. I also found the exact regulation about disability periods being disregarded for eligibility purposes. And I might try that Claimyr service to talk to someone directly about my case before the appeal. At this point I'll try anything to get this sorted out. Thanks everyone for your help and support!

I remember when i had my appeal it was all about being super specific with dates and codes. Make sure you bring like 3 copies of everything so you can give them to the judge and still have yours to reference. And don't be nervous to correct them if they say something wrong about your case! My judge kept mixing up my dates until I politely corrected him and showed him the documentation.

Also, don't forget to continue certifying for benefits while your appeal is pending! A lot of people stop certifying during appeals, but if you win, they can only pay you for weeks you properly certified for. Don't miss out on potential backpay.