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Congratulations on the twins! 🎉 As a newcomer here, I've been reading through disability benefit posts to educate myself, and this thread has been so informative. From everything I'm seeing, you're absolutely right to file now rather than wait! The 49-day early filing rule seems designed exactly for situations like yours where you have medical documentation with a future start date. It's really smart that you're getting ahead of this - I've seen too many posts here about people scrambling at the last minute and facing payment delays. Your high-risk twin pregnancy should definitely qualify you without issues. One thing I'm wondering about (and maybe others can weigh in) - does having twins affect the timing of when you can transition from SDI to PFL later? I know you mentioned you'll switch after delivery for bonding time, but I'm curious if multiples get any special considerations for that transition period. Thank you for sharing your experience and questions - threads like this are so valuable for those of us trying to understand the system before we need it! Wishing you a smooth process and healthy babies! 💙
Hi Serene! Great question about twins and the SDI to PFL transition. From what I understand, having twins doesn't change the timing of when you *can* transition from SDI to PFL - you still need to be medically released from your disability leave first (usually 6-8 weeks after delivery). However, twins might mean you get a longer SDI recovery period initially, which could affect the overall timeline. The good news is that once you do transition to PFL, you get the full 8 weeks of bonding time regardless of how long your SDI lasted. But I'm also new to learning about all this, so hopefully some of the more experienced members can confirm if that's accurate! This community has been such a great resource for understanding these processes.
Congratulations on your twins! 🎉 As a newcomer to this community, I've been learning so much from threads like this. From everything I've read here and researched on the EDD website, it definitely sounds like you should file now with that doctor's note! The 49-day early filing window exists exactly for situations like yours. I'm really impressed by how proactive you're being - getting your specialist's documentation early and asking the right questions before you need the benefits. From all the experiences shared here, it seems like filing early gives you the best chance of avoiding payment delays and having time to address any potential paperwork issues. Your high-risk twin pregnancy should make for a very straightforward approval process. One small tip I picked up from reading other posts - when you do file online, make sure to save screenshots of every confirmation page and your claim number in multiple places. It sounds like you'll need those reference numbers throughout the process. This thread has been incredibly educational for me too as someone who might face a similar situation in the future. Thank you for asking such thoughtful questions and allowing the community to share their knowledge! Wishing you a smooth filing process and healthy babies! 💙
Thank you so much for the encouragement and helpful tips! I really appreciate everyone in this community sharing their experiences - it's made me feel so much more confident about the process. The tip about saving screenshots and confirmation numbers is definitely going on my to-do list. I'm planning to file online this week and will make sure to document everything carefully. It's amazing how supportive and knowledgeable everyone here is. Thanks again for the well wishes! 💕
Pro tip: document EVERYTHING. Keep a log of all your call attempts, emails, and any communication. It might come in handy if you need to escalate your case.
This is solid advice! I've been keeping screenshots of every error message and call log. Also heard it helps to mention specific dates and times when filing complaints with higher-ups.
I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar nightmare right now. My doctor's office filled in a return-to-work date on my last extension even though I specifically told them to leave it blank, and now my payments are completely frozen. Reading through everyone's advice here is giving me hope though! I'm definitely going to try the highlighting approach and calling first thing in the morning. It's so frustrating that such a small mistake can completely derail everything. Has anyone had success getting their doctor's office to actually understand why this matters so much? I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall when I try to explain it to them.
Welcome to the community, Ava! I totally feel your frustration - it's maddening when something so "simple" can completely mess up your benefits. What worked for me was bringing a printed copy of the EDD guidelines to my doctor's office and sitting down with the office manager to explain exactly how their "helpful" date entry was actually harmful. I also asked them to flag my file so that anyone filling out future forms would know to leave that field blank. Some offices are just on autopilot and don't realize the downstream effects. If you're still hitting a wall, you might consider asking if there's a specific staff member who handles disability paperwork - sometimes getting to the right person makes all the difference. Hang in there!
I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My doctor's office has done this THREE times despite me explaining the issue each time. What's really helped me is creating a one-page "cheat sheet" that I give them every time I need an extension form filled out. It has the specific field circled in red with "LEAVE BLANK - DO NOT FILL" written next to it, plus a brief explanation of why. I also started asking to speak directly with whoever will be filling out the form, not just the receptionist. It's extra work but it's saved me from more delays. Also, pro tip: if you do have to resubmit corrected paperwork, ask EDD for the confirmation number when you fax it - that way you have proof they received it if there are any issues later!
This is such valuable information for anyone dealing with extension timing! I'm currently on SDI and my period ends in a few weeks, so this thread came at the perfect time. It's really eye-opening to see how different people's experiences were - some got backdated with no issues while others had to call EDD dozens of times. The consensus is clear though: avoid the gap if you possibly can! For anyone else in a similar situation, it seems like the key points are: 1) Try to reschedule your appointment before your current period ends, 2) Make sure your doctor uses the DE 2525XX form for extensions, and 3) Have them document continuous disability if there is any gap. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decode EDD's confusing website!
Absolutely! This thread has been incredibly helpful for me too. I'm also dealing with my first SDI extension and was feeling really overwhelmed by all the different forms and timing requirements. Reading everyone's real experiences - both the success stories and the nightmare scenarios - really drives home how crucial it is to get that appointment scheduled before your current period ends. It's scary to think about being stuck in EDD limbo for weeks while they sort out backdating issues, especially when you're already dealing with health problems and can't work. Thanks Sofia for summarizing those key points so clearly - I'm definitely going to reference this thread when my extension time comes up!
I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago and can share what worked for me. I was in a similar panic because my disability period was ending on a Friday and my doctor couldn't see me until the following Tuesday. After reading horror stories about payment gaps and calling EDD multiple times, I decided to be proactive. I called my doctor's office and explained the urgency - that I needed the appointment before my disability period ended to avoid payment interruption. They were actually really understanding and squeezed me in during a lunch break slot. My doctor filled out the DE 2525XX extension form right there during the appointment, and I submitted it to EDD the same day. The whole process went smoothly with no payment gap at all. Looking back, I think the key was being upfront with the doctor's office about why the timing mattered so much. Most medical offices deal with workers' comp and disability paperwork regularly, so they understand these deadlines. Don't be afraid to explain your financial situation - they often have flexibility for urgent cases like this. Really glad you were able to get your appointment moved up to October 12th! That should give you plenty of buffer time before your October 14th end date.
Wesley Hallow
This thread is super helpful! I'm going through almost the exact same situation - got my first SDI payment but now waiting on the second one. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like date discrepancies between what doctors submit and the original claim are really common. I'm definitely going to call my doctor's office tomorrow to make sure they have the right certification dates. It's crazy how these small technical issues can cause weeks of delays when people are already dealing with medical recovery and financial stress. Thanks for sharing your update about getting it resolved - gives me hope that mine will get sorted out too!
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Melina Haruko
•I'm in a similar boat too! Just submitted my first certification last week and already worried about potential delays based on what I'm reading here. It's reassuring to see that most of these issues seem to have solutions once you can actually get through to someone at EDD. The date discrepancy thing seems to be a really common culprit. I'm going to be proactive and call my doctor's office this week to make sure they have all the right dates from my original claim before they submit anything. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with these frustrating system glitches!
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Mateo Martinez
This entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently on week 3 of waiting for my second SDI payment after a back surgery, and reading everyone's experiences makes me feel less alone in this frustrating process. The date discrepancy issue that Danielle discovered seems to be way more common than it should be. It's honestly ridiculous that EDD's system can't automatically flag these mismatches before they cause weeks of payment delays. I'm definitely going to call my doctor's office first thing Monday to verify they have my exact claim dates correct before submitting any more certifications. For anyone else dealing with this - it sounds like being proactive about checking those dates with your medical provider could save a lot of headaches down the road. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories and solutions!
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Diego Chavez
•Absolutely agree about being proactive! I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation - waiting on my first SDI payment after knee surgery last month. Reading through all these experiences has been both eye-opening and nerve-wracking. It's frustrating that such a critical system has these recurring issues, especially when people are already dealing with medical recovery and financial strain. I'm definitely going to call my doctor's office this week to make sure they have all my dates right from the start. Thanks to everyone for sharing - it's really helpful to know what potential issues to watch out for and that there are usually solutions once you can get through to someone at EDD.
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