When do you certify for CA State Disability (SDI)? Different from EDD unemployment?

Oh wow, thank you! That makes so much more sense. So I don't need to log in and certify online like with unemployment? They just mail the forms? I was checking the website daily thinking I was missing something.

Wait, you can certify for disability online?! My doctor told me I HAD to use the paper forms! Where do you go to do it online? I've been waiting 5-7 days for payments every time because of stupid mail delays with these forms.

This is SO helpful, thank you!! I've been checking SDI Online daily and got worried when nothing showed up. I'll keep an eye on both my email and mail for when it's time to certify. You're right - I did just get approved so maybe I'm still in that first period.

I had the same problem but I used Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep. It's a service that calls EDD for you and connects you when they get through. Saved me hours of redial hell. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Worth it when you're desperate to talk to someone about your claim issues.

also dont forget SDI pays WAY better than regular unemployment!! my SDI was like 300 more than i got on UI last year for the same job

No, disability (SDI) and unemployment (UI) are completely different programs that just happen to be administered by the same agency (EDD). They have different rules, different certification schedules, and different requirements. Only UI requires Sunday certifications. SDI certifications depend on your claim start date and happen approximately every two weeks.

Glad it worked out! And thanks for coming back to update - it helps others who might have the same question in the future.

This is really important advice! I didn't realize you could have issues with overlapping claims. When you say "close your UI claim properly" - do you mean you have to call EDD to officially close it, or is there something you can do online? I'm worried because I was on UI for a few months before my injury and I just started my SDI application. I don't want to end up with the overpayment nightmare you described!

You need to actively stop certifying for UI - don't just let it sit there! When you stop certifying for UI benefits, the claim becomes inactive after a few weeks of non-certification. But to be completely safe, I'd recommend calling EDD to officially inform them you're switching to SDI. The problem is if you certify for both programs during overlapping periods, EDD considers that double-dipping and will demand repayment of one of the benefits. It's a bureaucratic nightmare to untangle. You can also try logging into UI Online and there should be an option to close/withdraw your claim, but calling is more definitive. Better to spend the time on hold now than deal with overpayment issues later!

You should definitely close your UI claim before your SDI starts paying out! You can do it online through UI Online - just log in and there should be an option to "Stop Claim" or "Cancel Claim" in your account dashboard. Don't wait to call because you'll be on hold forever. I learned this the hard way when I had both running for like 2 weeks and got hit with a $1,200 overpayment notice. EDD treated it like I was double-dipping even though it was an honest mistake. The good news is that once you close UI properly and your SDI is approved, you can always reopen your UI claim later if your disability ends and you're still unemployed. Just make sure to document when you closed UI and when SDI started in case there are any questions later.

You can actually close your UI claim online through UI Online - there's an option to "stop claim" or "withdraw claim" in your account dashboard. But honestly, I'd recommend calling EDD first to make sure they coordinate it properly between the two programs. The phone wait is terrible but it's worth it to avoid overpayment issues. When I had my overlap problem, they told me the computer systems don't automatically talk to each other, so having a rep put notes on both claims helped prevent future issues. Document everything - dates you called, rep names, confirmation numbers. The whole process is frustrating but better to be safe than deal with collections later!

@00e42bc8e69f can probably give you the exact steps, but from what I understand you should call EDD to officially close your UI claim before starting SDI. There might be an online option too but calling ensures it's properly documented. The key is making sure there's no overlap in the benefit periods - even a single day can trigger overpayment issues. I'd recommend calling the UI line first to close that claim, then proceed with your SDI application. Better to be safe than deal with months of paperwork and potential debt collection later!

You can close your UI claim online through UI Online - there's usually an option to "stop claim" or "withdraw claim" in your account dashboard. But honestly, I'd recommend calling EDD first to make sure you do it right because the consequences of messing this up are pretty severe. The rep can walk you through the process and make sure there's a clean break between your UI and SDI claims. I learned this the hard way when I had to pay back like $2,000 in UI benefits because of the overlap. Better to spend an hour on hold than deal with months of overpayment headaches! @Fatima Al-Hashemi probably has more specific details about the process.

@Anastasia Kozlov You should be able to stop certifying for UI online through UI Online, but I d'recommend calling EDD to make sure both claims don t'overlap. When I had this issue, the rep told me that even one week of overlap can trigger overpayment issues. You can also send a message through your UI Online account asking them to close the UI claim effective the date your disability started. Just make sure to keep documentation of when you requested the closure in case there are any disputes later. Better to be safe than deal with the overpayment headache!

You can actually close your UI claim online through your UI Online account! Just log in and look for the option to "Stop Claim" or "End Claim" - it's usually in the account settings or claim management section. Don't wait to call because getting through to EDD by phone can take forever. I learned this the hard way when I had both claims running simultaneously. The system should ask you for the date you want your UI claim to end, so make sure you use the date before your SDI claim starts. Also keep screenshots of everything for your records! @Fatima Al-Hashemi probably has more specific details about the overpayment issues if needed.

You can close your UI claim online through your UI Online account - just go to the homepage and look for "Stop Claim" or "Close Claim" option. But honestly, I'd recommend calling EDD first to make sure there won't be any overlap issues. When I had both claims running, the rep told me they should have automatically suspended my UI when SDI started, but their systems didn't communicate properly. You might also want to document the exact dates when you stopped being able to work (for UI purposes) versus when your disability began - having clear documentation helped me prove there was no fraudulent double-dipping when they investigated my case. Better to be over-prepared than deal with the headache later!

You should be able to stop certifying for UI online through your UI Online account, but I'd definitely call EDD to make sure both claims don't overlap. When I had this issue, the rep told me that you technically can't collect both benefits simultaneously since they're for different situations (unemployed vs disabled and unable to work). The overpayment happened because I kept certifying for UI out of habit while my SDI was processing. If you're still in the early stages of your SDI application, you might want to pause your UI certifications until you know if your disability claim gets approved. Better safe than sorry with EDD - they're not forgiving with overpayments!

You should definitely close your UI claim before starting SDI to avoid complications! You can do this online through your UI Online account - there's an option to "Stop Claim" or you can call the UI customer service line. I'd recommend doing it online first and then calling to confirm it's been properly closed. The key is to make sure there's no overlap in the benefit periods. When I had my issue, I was still certifying for UI while my SDI claim was being processed, and EDD flagged it as potential fraud even though it was an honest mistake. Better to be safe and close the UI claim cleanly before your SDI benefits start. Keep documentation of when you closed the UI claim too - screenshot the confirmation page if you do it online.

You can actually close your UI claim online through UI Online - just go to your claim summary and there should be an option to "Stop Claim" or "Close Claim." But honestly, I'd recommend calling to make sure it's done properly since the systems don't always talk to each other. When I had the overlap issue, the rep told me that even though both programs are EDD, they're processed by different departments and the computer systems don't automatically flag conflicts. Better to spend the time on hold now than deal with months of overpayment headaches later! @Fatima Al-Hashemi might have other suggestions since she went through this mess.

You definitely want to handle this carefully! From my experience, you should call EDD to officially close your UI claim before your SDI benefits start. There's not really a clean way to do it online - you have to speak to a representative. The tricky part is getting through to someone, which is why services like Claimyr that @Amara Nwosu mentioned earlier can be helpful. When you call, tell them you re'transitioning from UI to SDI due to a disability and need to close your unemployment claim to avoid any conflicts. Get a confirmation number if possible. The key is timing - you want to close UI right before or as soon as your SDI starts paying to avoid any overlap period. I learned this the hard way when I had both programs sending me money for two weeks and then had to pay back the UI portion with penalties. It was a mess! Better to be proactive now than deal with overpayment issues later.

You need to call EDD to properly close your UI claim - there's no online option for this unfortunately. I learned this the hard way! When you call, tell them you want to "withdraw" or "cancel" your UI claim because you're transitioning to SDI due to disability. They'll ask for the effective date (use your last day of work due to injury). Get a confirmation number and write down who you spoke with. The key is doing this BEFORE your first SDI payment hits, otherwise they might flag both claims as fraudulent even though you're being honest. I waited too long and had to pay back 3 weeks of UI benefits even though I never double-dipped. The phone wait times are brutal but it's worth it to avoid months of headaches later!

You can close your UI claim online through the UI Online portal! Go to your UI account, look for "Manage Claim" or "Claim Status" and there should be an option to "Stop Claim" or "Close Claim." You can also call but honestly the online method is way easier and faster. Do it BEFORE you start receiving SDI payments to avoid any overlap issues. I learned this the hard way when I had to pay back like $1,200 in overpayments because EDD said I was "double dipping" even though I had no idea that was even possible!

You can close your UI claim online through your EDD portal - just go to "Manage Claim" and there should be an option to "Stop Claim" or "Close Claim." You'll need to select a reason (like "returned to work" or "no longer able/available for work due to disability"). Make sure you do this BEFORE your SDI claim gets approved to avoid any overlap. If you've already started the SDI application, you might want to call EDD just to be safe and confirm both claims won't be active at the same time. Better to spend an hour on hold than deal with months of overpayment headaches! @Fatima Al-Hashemi - thanks for sharing that tip, could have saved me a lot of trouble if I d'known that earlier.

You can usually close your UI claim online through UI Online - there should be an option to "stop claim" or "withdraw claim" in your account dashboard. But honestly, I'd recommend calling EDD to make sure it's done properly since the consequences of having both open can be so messy. The phone lines are terrible but it's worth the wait to avoid overpayment issues. When I had my overlap problem, they told me I should have called to inform them about starting SDI even though it seems like something their system should handle automatically. Better safe than sorry with EDD!