Transitioning from SDI to UI - what date to enter for last day worked?
I'm finishing up my disability period and need to apply for unemployment benefits. I'm stuck on the application question about my "last day worked." I stopped working on 8/15/23 before my disability began, but I've been on SDI for about 8 months now. When filing for UI, should I put 8/15/23 as my last day worked even though it was so long ago? I don't want to mess up my claim by putting incorrect information - we all know how EDD loves to delay benefits over small details! Has anyone gone through this SDI to UI transition recently who can help?
15 comments
Join the conversation
StarStrider
put the actual last day u worked before disability. thats what they want to know. my friend did this wrong and her claim got all messed up
0 coins
Ethan Clark
•Thank you! That's what I was thinking but wasn't 100% sure. Did your friend have to call EDD to fix it or did they just reject the claim entirely?
0 coins
Yuki Sato
You should absolutely enter 8/15/23 as your last day worked. EDD needs to know the actual date you last performed work for an employer before your disability began. This is important because they use this information to determine your base period for calculating your weekly benefit amount. If you enter any other date, it will likely trigger an eligibility interview and delay your benefits. When transitioning from SDI to UI, make sure you have a doctor's release stating you're able to work again. You'll need this if EDD asks why there's such a long gap between your last work date and your UI application.
0 coins
Carmen Ruiz
•I'm in a similar situation but I worked part-time for a few weeks during my disability period when I was feeling better (before getting worse again). Should I use THAT date or the original date before my disability started??? EDD's website is SO CONFUSING and I'm afraid of doing it wrong!!!
0 coins
Andre Lefebvre
I went thru this last year. Yes use the actual last day you physically worked before going on disability. Also make sure you have your disability award letter handy because they might ask for it. good luck!
0 coins
Zoe Alexopoulos
The system is designed to trick you! They WANT you to put the wrong date so they can deny your claim and save money. I put my last day as the day my disability ended and got disqualified. Had to appeal and it took 3 months to get a single dollar. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US!!!
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
•While it's frustrating to have claims denied, the question isn't designed to trick you. It specifically asks for your last day worked because this affects your base period calculation. The last day worked and the last day of disability are two different dates that serve different purposes in the claim process. Always read the questions carefully and answer exactly what's being asked. The system can definitely be confusing though!
0 coins
Mei Wong
I had the exact same problem trying to reach someone at EDD to confirm this. I kept getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message for DAYS. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through and an EDD rep confirmed that yes, you need to use the actual last physical day of work before disability began. The rep also told me to make sure I had my disability case number ready for the UI application. Check out their video demo if you're stuck trying to reach someone: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - it saved me at least a week of frustration.
0 coins
Ethan Clark
•Thanks, I'll check that out if I need to call them. Did you have to provide any other documentation when transitioning from SDI to UI?
0 coins
Mei Wong
•Yes, have your final SDI award letter ready and a doctor's note saying you're cleared to work. They didn't ask me for it right away but requested it about a week after I filed. Better to have it ready than scramble later.
0 coins
StarStrider
wait i just remembered something important - make sure ur disability claim is actually CLOSED before u apply for unemployment. my sister tried to apply when she still had 1 week left on disability and they flagged her account for fraud investigation!
0 coins
Ethan Clark
•Oh wow, I didn't even think about that! My last SDI payment should be coming this week, so I'll wait until I'm sure that's processed before filing for UI. Thanks for the heads up!
0 coins
Andre Lefebvre
My cousin works for EDD and says they're extra picky about the transition from disability to unemployment lately. Something about too many covid claims or whatever. Just saying be super careful with all your dates.
0 coins
Carmen Ruiz
I'm so confused now after reading all these responses! Does anyone know if this is different for PFL vs. regular disability? I was on paid family leave not medical disability so maybe it's different rules???
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
•For UI purposes, both SDI and PFL are treated similarly. In either case, you should enter the last actual day you physically worked before beginning your leave/disability period. The key difference is that with PFL, you typically have job protection through CFRA/FMLA, meaning you have a job to return to, which might affect your UI eligibility since you'd need to be unemployed to qualify for UI benefits.
0 coins