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

SDI doesn't work like regular unemployment. For disability, you don't certify weekly like UI. Instead, you'll receive a form called a DE 2500A (Continued Claim Certification) about every two weeks. You complete this form and return it to continue receiving benefits. There's no specific day of the week for everyone - it depends on when your claim started. The form will have a date on it showing when to complete and return it. If you just got approved, you should receive your first payment automatically within 7-10 days. After that initial payment, you'll start getting those DE 2500A forms about every two weeks.

they mail u the forms OR u can do it online its ur choice. i do mine online cuz its faster. u get paid faster if u do online too but ya its not a sunday thing like regular edd its every 2 wks from whenever ur claim started

Just to clarify what others have said: 1. SDI certification is NOT on a fixed day of the week like unemployment. 2. SDI certifications happen approximately every two weeks based on your claim start date. 3. You can certify for SDI online through SDI Online (https://edd.ca.gov/SDI_Online) OR by mailing in the paper forms (DE 2500A). 4. For paper forms, they'll mail you the form when it's time to certify. 5. For online certification, you'll get an email notification when it's time to certify. If your claim shows 'active' but doesn't have certification available yet, it means you're still in your first certification period. The first payment is typically automatic after approval, then regular certifications begin.

i was on disability last year and the certification thing was a nightmare!!! kept calling EDD but never got through. finally gave up and just waited for payment but it put me behind on bills for like 3 weeks

Everyone else has covered most points, but I wanted to add that the SDI system is VERY different from regular unemployment. Key differences: - Certification periods aren't standardized to a specific day like UI's Sunday certifications - Your doctor will need to verify your ongoing disability at certain points - You don't have to do work search activities like with UI - The payment amounts are calculated differently (about 60-70% of wages vs UI's lower percentage) - The maximum benefit duration is different (52 weeks for SDI vs 26 weeks for UI) If your claim is showing active but you don't see certification options yet, give it a few days. After initial approval, there's often a processing period before the certification cycle begins.

Im so confused with all these differnt EDD programs!!!! So for disability you DONT certify every week? I have been on UI before but this is my first time on disability. I thought ALL EDD programs make you certify on Sundays???

Thanks everyone for the super helpful info! I finally got my first payment yesterday (automatic like you all said) and also received an email about my first certification period coming up next week. Makes so much more sense now. For anyone else confused like me - the SDI Online dashboard eventually updates with your certification schedule once your claim is fully processed.

This thread is gold! I'm starting my SDI claim next week after a back injury and was totally confused about the whole process. Reading through everyone's experiences really helped me understand what to expect. Quick question - does anyone know if there's a grace period if you're late submitting your certification? Like with UI you have a few days, but wasn't sure if SDI has the same flexibility. Don't want to mess up my first certification!

Just wanted to add something that might help others - if you're switching from UI to SDI (like if you were unemployed and then got injured), make sure to close your UI claim properly before starting SDI. I made the mistake of having both claims open at the same time and it created a huge mess with overpayments that took months to sort out. EDD doesn't automatically coordinate between the two programs even though they're the same agency. Also, keep all your medical documentation organized because SDI requires periodic medical reviews to continue benefits, unlike UI where you just need to show you're looking for work. The income replacement is definitely better with SDI but the medical requirements are much stricter.