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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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have u tried sacrificing a goat to the SDI gods? heard that speeds things up 🐐🔮
Instructions unclear. Sacrificed my bank account instead. Still no payment. 😭
Hey Haley! I just went through this same process last month. For me, the direct deposit took about 10 business days to show up after my claim was approved. You won't get a text notification, but you should get an email confirmation once the payment is processed. I'd recommend checking your SDI online account every few days - that's usually where you'll see updates first. Also make sure your banking info is correct in the system (like Ali mentioned) because that's a common holdup. Hang in there, it's frustrating but it will come through!
Thanks for sharing your experience! 10 business days sounds reasonable. Did you have to do anything special to get the email confirmation, or did it just come automatically? I'm paranoid about missing notifications.
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I'm so glad to see this thread - I'm currently going through almost the exact same situation and it's been incredibly stressful! I've been on SDI since September for chronic fatigue syndrome and just got the dreaded "FMLA exhaustion" letter from my employer last week. Like you, I had no idea they were running concurrently and was completely blindsided. Reading through everyone's experiences has been eye-opening. I never realized that disability benefits and job protection were two completely separate things handled by different systems. The whole time I thought being approved for SDI meant my job was automatically protected for the full duration. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about checking my employee handbook for extended leave policies and talking to my doctor about ADA accommodations. The part about COBRA vs company-extended health benefits is also crucial information I hadn't considered. Has anyone here had success with getting ADA accommodations approved for mental health conditions like anxiety/depression? I'm wondering if that might be a viable path forward for maintaining some job protection beyond FMLA.
Yes, I've had success with ADA accommodations for anxiety and depression! The key is having your doctor provide detailed documentation about how your condition substantially limits major life activities and what specific accommodations would help. For mental health conditions, accommodations might include flexible scheduling, work-from-home options, modified duties, or extended leave as a reasonable accommodation. The important thing to remember is that ADA accommodations are different from FMLA - they're about modifying your job or work environment to help you perform your essential functions, rather than just providing leave time. Some employers are more receptive to this approach because you're still working and contributing. I'd recommend getting your doctor to write a letter outlining your functional limitations and suggested accommodations. The interactive process with your employer is required by law, so they have to engage in good faith discussions about what's possible. Even if they can't approve everything, it opens the door for creative solutions that might work for both of you. Good luck with your situation - chronic fatigue syndrome is definitely recognized under ADA when it substantially impacts your daily activities!
I'm going through something similar right now and this whole thread has been incredibly educational! I've been on SDI for a work-related injury since October and just realized my employer has been counting FMLA time this whole time without me really understanding what that meant. What really struck me from reading everyone's experiences is how the system seems designed to confuse people. You're dealing with your medical condition, trying to navigate EDD's disability system, and then suddenly you're hit with employment law complexities that most people (myself included) don't fully understand until it's almost too late. I'm going to take the advice here about immediately checking my employee handbook for any extended leave policies and scheduling a meeting with HR. The success stories about company policies going beyond FMLA requirements give me hope that there might be options I haven't considered. One question for the group - for those who had success with extended company leave policies, did you find that having your doctor proactively provide additional documentation helped? I'm wondering if I should ask my doctor to write a more detailed letter about my recovery timeline and why additional leave would be beneficial, rather than just the basic disability certification. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's so valuable to learn from others who've navigated this confusing maze!
Absolutely yes on getting more detailed documentation from your doctor! When I went through this process, my initial disability certification was pretty basic - just stating that I couldn't work. But when I was facing the FMLA exhaustion, my doctor wrote a much more comprehensive letter that included my specific functional limitations, treatment plan, expected recovery timeline, and why continued leave was medically necessary rather than just beneficial. That detailed documentation made all the difference when HR was reviewing my case for their extended leave policy. They could see it wasn't just a vague "needs more time" but had specific medical reasoning behind it. My doctor also included information about how a premature return to work could potentially worsen my condition or delay recovery, which I think really helped show the medical necessity. I'd also suggest asking your doctor to specifically address whether your condition might qualify for ADA accommodations - either now or when you do return to work. Having that groundwork laid early can open up additional options for job protection through the accommodation process. The whole system really is designed in a confusing way, but having that thorough medical documentation gives you the best shot at accessing whatever extended protections might be available through your specific employer. Good luck with your HR meeting!
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am i the only 1 who thinks its ridiculous we have to jump through all these hoops just to get whats owed to us? the system is broken af 😤
Preach! 🙌 It's like they make it complicated on purpose to discourage people
Totally agree. We need serious reform in how unemployment is handled. This isn't working for anyone.
Just went through this same situation last month! The form you're talking about is likely the DE 4581 (Physician/Practitioner's Certificate) if you're on disability, or the continued claim cert if it's regular unemployment. For disability forms, your doctor needs to fill out the medical portion, but you handle the personal info sections. To get hard copies, call the main EDD number (1-800-480-3287) early in the morning - like 8:01 AM sharp. Have your SSN and claim number ready. They can mail forms to you, usually takes about a week. Don't wait too long though - missing deadlines can mess up your payments!
This is exactly what I needed to know! Thank you so much for the specific form number and phone number. I'll definitely try calling right at 8:01 AM - that's a great tip. Quick question: do you know if there's any grace period if I'm a day or two late with the form, or are they pretty strict about the deadlines?
They're pretty strict about deadlines, unfortunately. I've heard of people getting their benefits suspended for being just a few days late. If you do miss it, call immediately and explain - sometimes they'll give you a one-time extension, but don't count on it. Better to be safe and get that form in on time! Also, if you mail it back, use certified mail so you have proof of when it was sent.
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Protip: If you're having trouble with the online system, try using a different browser. Chrome seems to work best for me.
Firefox worked for me when Chrome was acting up. Worth a shot!
Just wanted to add my experience to this thread! I recently made the SDI to PFL transition and here are a few things I wish I had known: • You can actually overlap the applications slightly - I applied for PFL about 10 days before my SDI ended and there was no gap in payments • The weekly benefit amount might be slightly different due to how they calculate it, but it's usually within $10-20 of your SDI amount • Make sure your employer knows you're switching from SDI to PFL - they might need to update their records • If you're using direct deposit, the account info carries over automatically which is nice Also, regarding the documents @Emma Johnson mentioned - for adoption cases like @Finley Garrett asked about, you'll need either the adoption decree or placement documentation from the agency. Birth certificates are only needed for biological children. Hope this helps someone! The transition was way less stressful than I expected once I got the timing right.
This is exactly what I needed to hear! I'm a couple weeks away from my SDI ending and was getting really anxious about the timing. The overlap tip is gold - I had no idea you could do that. Also super helpful about the employer notification, I wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks for sharing your experience! 🙏
@Brooklyn Knight Thanks for the detailed info! Quick follow-up question - when you say the weekly benefit amount might be different by $10-20, is that usually higher or lower than SDI? Just trying to budget for the transition. Also, did you have to do anything special to notify your employer or did EDD handle that automatically?
Santiago Martinez
I'm dealing with something similar! My payment period dropped from 14 to 10 days last week with zero explanation. What's really frustrating is that when I tried to call EDD, I was on hold for 3+ hours before the line just disconnected. Has anyone found a reliable way to get through to someone who can actually explain these changes? I'm worried this might affect my future payments too.
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Giovanni Rossi
•I feel your pain! The same thing happened to me - payment period suddenly dropped and no one to explain why. Have you tried using one of those auto-dialer services that others mentioned? I'm hesitant about paying for it but might be worth it to avoid those 3+ hour holds that lead nowhere. Also, maybe try calling right when they open? I've heard you have better luck getting through early in the morning.
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Dylan Evans
This exact thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago! My payment period randomly dropped from 14 to 11 days and I was so confused. After reading through all these comments, I think @Sofía Rodríguez is right about it being a system glitch. I ended up having to call multiple times over several days before I finally got through to someone. The rep told me it was indeed a processing error and they were able to correct it, but it took about 2 weeks for the adjustment to show up in my account. For the missing receipt, check your account messages section online - mine showed up there instead of my email for some reason. Also, definitely keep calling even though it's frustrating. I found that calling right at 8am when they open gave me the best chance of getting through. Don't give up! You're entitled to the correct payment period and they need to fix this for you.
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