Transitioning from SDI to UI benefits - when does the waiting period begin?

Your waiting period starts when you file for UI, not when your SDI ends or when you were laid off. So in your case, it would start from yesterday when you filed. You'll essentially \

Thank you! That makes sense and is a huge relief. So I should expect my first payment after I complete my first certification, not counting the waiting week. I was worried they might try to say my waiting period started back in December when I was laid off, which would have been ridiculous since I was on SDI.

when i switched from sdi to edd last yr my waiting period was from when i filed not when sdi ended. you'll certify for the waiting week but wont get paid for it just fyi

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's exactly what I needed to know. Did you have any issues with the transition or was it pretty smooth?

it was ok but took like 3 wks to get first payment cuz they had to verify my identity again even tho i was already verified for sdi which was annoying

I went through the EXACT same situation in January!!! Was on SDI for 6 months after back surgery, got laid off while recovering (illegal but whatever), then had to transition to UI when SDI ended. The waiting period DEFINITELY starts from when you file for UI, not from the layoff date. \n\nBUT here's what happened to me - even though my claim was \

is that service legit? seems sketchy that you'd have to pay just to talk to edd...

Yeah it's legit - used it twice now. I mean, it's ridiculous we have to pay anything to reach a government agency, but after spending literally DAYS trying to get through myself, it was worth it. The alternative was waiting 6+ weeks for payments with bills piling up.

Thanks for the heads up! I hadn't even thought about them flagging me for a review because of the SDI transition. I'll keep an eye on my account and use that service if things get stuck. Really appreciate the warning - at least now I'll know what might be happening if my payments don't start right away.

The EDD system can be so confusing with all these transitions! To clarify what others have said: your waiting period is definitely from when you FILED for UI, not from separation or SDI end date. Here's why this matters - you won't get paid for that first week, but you MUST certify for it anyway. Many people get confused by this and don't certify for the waiting week, which delays everything.\n\nAlso, since you mentioned being laid off in December but remaining on SDI until March, be prepared to answer questions about this during certification. When you certify, you'll need to report that you were unable to work during the SDI period. This is completely legitimate and won't disqualify you (since you had a valid SDI claim), but you need to be consistent in your reporting.\n\nOne last thing - make sure you have medical clearance to return to work after your SDI ends. EDD sometimes requests this documentation for people transitioning from disability to unemployment.

This is excellent advice. I work with disability claims and the transition to UI often trips people up. The medical clearance point is especially important - I've seen many clients have their claims delayed because they didn't have documentation showing they were released to return to work after SDI ended.

I'm so glad you mentioned the medical clearance! I do have a note from my doctor clearing me to return to work as of March 25, so I'll keep that handy in case they request it. And thanks for the tip about certifying for the waiting week - I definitely would have been confused about that.

DONT TRUST THE ONLINE APPROVAL!!! Just because the system

this happens like 90% of the time tbh... edd online system says one thing then reality is completely different

EXACTLY!! And then they expect us to survive with NO INCOME while they figure out their mess. It's criminal how they treat people!!

Ugh, that's concerning. Did you ever find out what caused the delay in your case? Was it something specific to the SDI-to-UI transition?

They said it was a

wait im confused... if u were laid off in december why did u wait until now to file for unemployment? couldnt u have gotten both sdi and ui at the same time?

No, you cannot collect both SDI and UI simultaneously. This is because SDI requires that you are unable to work due to a medical condition, while UI requires that you are able and available to work. They're mutually exclusive programs by definition. The OP did the correct thing by waiting until their SDI ended before applying for UI.

oh i didnt know that. thx for explaining

UPDATE for anyone who finds this thread later: My claim did indeed get stuck in pending after the initial