EDD unemployment eligibility after 12 months on SDI - work history requirements?
I just finished collecting disability benefits through SDI for almost exactly 12 months (had a pretty serious back surgery + complications). My doctor finally cleared me to return to work, but I just found out yesterday that my position was eliminated during my leave. I'm trying to figure out if I can qualify for regular unemployment now. The problem is, do I have enough work history to qualify? Before my disability leave started, I was employed full-time for about 2.5 years at the same company, but obviously I haven't been working this past year while on SDI. Does EDD look at my work history before my SDI claim started? Or am I disqualified because I haven't technically "worked" for 12 months? I'm really stressed about this because my savings are almost gone after being on reduced income through disability, and I need to know if I can count on unemployment while job hunting. Anyone been through something similar?
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GamerGirl99
Your work history before SDI absolutely counts! EDD looks at your base period, which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file for UI. Since you were working full-time for 2.5 years before your SDI claim, you should have enough wages in your base period to qualify for UI benefits. What's even better is that there's a special base period calculation for people coming off SDI. When you apply, make sure to mention that you're transitioning from SDI to UI. The system should automatically detect this, but sometimes it's good to follow up with a phone call to ensure everything is processed correctly.
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Amina Diallo
•That's a huge relief! So basically even though I haven't physically worked in 12 months, they'll still look at my work history from before the disability claim. That makes sense but I was really worried they'd say I haven't worked "recently enough" or something. Do you know if I need to wait for any specific paperwork from my employer confirming the position elimination, or can I apply right away?
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Hiroshi Nakamura
ya ur good i was on sdi for 10 months last year and got ui after. they use ur previous work b4 disability. just make sure to have ur last day of work from b4 ur disability not the last day of disability. that confused me on the application.
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Amina Diallo
•Thanks for the tip about the last day of work - I definitely would have put my SDI end date! So I should put my last actual working day almost a year ago, right? Did you have any trouble getting through to someone at EDD when you applied? I keep hearing horror stories about the phone lines.
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Isabella Costa
EXACTLY the same thing happened to me in 2024 and let me tell you it was a NIGHTMARE!!! Had back surgery, was on SDI for 11 months, came back and SURPRISE my position was "restructured" which is corporate speak for WE DON'T WANT YOU ANYMORE. I applied for UI and got DENIED because they said I "voluntarily quit" which was complete BS. The whole system is RIGGED against us!!!!!!! I had to file an appeal and wait FOREVER to get a hearing. Still fighting with them about backpay. These people are impossible to reach on the phone - I tried calling for WEEKS at different times. It's criminal how they treat disabled workers!!
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GamerGirl99
•That sounds like a different situation. If you were classified as a "voluntary quit" that means your employer may have reported something different than a position elimination. For a position elimination/layoff, there shouldn't be any issue qualifying for UI after SDI. OP - just make sure you have documentation showing your position was eliminated rather than you resigning or being terminated for cause. That makes all the difference.
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Malik Jenkins
If you're having trouble reaching EDD by phone (which is very likely given their current call volume), I'd recommend using Claimyr. It's a service that connects you with an EDD representative without having to redial constantly. I used it after trying for days to get through on my own. The video demo shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Their website is claimyr.com - definitely worth it for avoiding the frustration of constant busy signals, especially for complicated cases like transitioning from SDI to UI where you really need to speak to someone directly.
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Freya Andersen
•Is that service legit? I've been scared to try those call services because I don't want to give my personal info to some random company. Has anyone else used this?
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Eduardo Silva
•I used it last month when I needed to fix an issue with my claim. Worked as advertised. Got through to EDD in about 25 minutes instead of spending days redialing.
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Leila Haddad
Does anyone know if the benefits will be lower after SDI? I'm actually in almost the exact same boat (9 months SDI, job gone when I was cleared to return) and I'm worried my weekly benefit amount will be super low because they'll somehow include the SDI period in their calculations?
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GamerGirl99
•Great question! Your UI benefit amount is calculated based on your highest quarter of earnings in the base period. Since your base period will include your work before SDI, your benefit should be based on your regular wages. The SDI period won't reduce your UI amount because they don't count it as a period of $0 earnings - they basically look at your earnings before the disability. If you had varying income or worked part-time before SDI, then your benefit might be affected by which quarters they use in the calculation, but it won't be directly penalized because of your time on disability.
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Amina Diallo
Update: I just applied online and the system asked for my last employer and last day worked. I put my pre-disability information like you all suggested. The confusing part was that there was a question about receiving other benefits in the last 12 months, and I did indicate I received SDI. There was also a section asking about my ability and availability to work, and I made sure to say I'm fully released to work now with no restrictions (I have the doctor's note confirming this). Now I'm in pending status. Fingers crossed it processes correctly!
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Freya Andersen
•Sounds like you did it right! Mine was pending for about 10 days after SDI before it switched to paid. They might schedule a phone interview just to confirm the details about your job elimination, so keep an eye out for that.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
wait i jus remembered something important - make sure u check ur claim start date on ui online when it posts. sometimes they mess it up and use the day after ur sdi ended instead of the sunday of that week. cost me like $450 cuz they started my claim on a thursday instead of the sunday before.
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Amina Diallo
•Oh wow, I wouldn't have even thought to check that! Thanks for the heads up. Is that something I can get fixed if they do it wrong?
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GamerGirl99
•Yes, you can get that fixed if they use the wrong start date. Call and explain that you want your claim backdated to the Sunday of the week your SDI ended. Just be prepared to explain why and have your SDI end date documentation ready.
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Isabella Costa
Don't forget they'll make you do all the work search requirements too! Since you're coming off disability they won't waive that. I had to apply for 3 jobs EVERY WEEK and document all of them. Even with my medical restrictions I still had to apply for jobs I couldn't physically do just to keep my benefits!!! It's insane.
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Malik Jenkins
•That's not entirely accurate. You only need to search for jobs you're physically capable of performing. If you have documented work restrictions, you should only be applying for jobs within those restrictions. You can document this in your work search record. The EDD recognizes medical limitations - they don't expect you to apply for jobs you physically cannot do.
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Amina Diallo
Final update: My claim was approved! The weekly benefit amount is based on my earnings before SDI, just like you all said. They did schedule a phone interview, but it was just to confirm that I didn't quit and that my position was actually eliminated. One weird thing though - my claim is showing a "standard base period" rather than the alternate base period. Not sure if that's normal for transitioning from SDI to UI, but the amount seems correct based on what I was making before disability. Thanks everyone for your help! This has been such a stressful situation, and I'm relieved to have some income while I job hunt.
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GamerGirl99
•Great news! The standard base period is actually correct in your case. The alternate base period is only used when you don't qualify under the standard calculation. Since you had sufficient earnings in your standard base period (from before your SDI), that's what they used. Congratulations and good luck with your job search!
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