This thread has been absolutely incredible to follow! As someone who's been putting off dealing with my own SDI situation (I'm at week 46), reading through all these detailed experiences and practical tips has finally given me the confidence to tackle this process. The level of support and knowledge-sharing here is just amazing. I especially appreciate all the specific advice about timing, documentation, and working with doctors. The tip about bringing a detailed list of daily limitations to the doctor appointment really resonates with me - I tend to downplay my symptoms when talking to healthcare providers, but for this form it sounds like being thorough and specific is crucial. Emma, thank you for asking the question that sparked this incredible resource thread! And to everyone who shared their experiences - both the success stories and the challenges - you've created something that's going to help so many people navigate this confusing system. I'm taking screenshots of all the key advice to reference when I start my own extension process next week. This community really shows how much easier these bureaucratic hurdles become when we support each other through them! 💙

Emma, this thread has become such an incredible resource! As someone who just finished my SDI extension process last month, I wanted to add one more tip that really helped me. When you get the DE 2525XX form filled out by your doctor, ask them to make you a copy before they submit it to EDD. This way you know exactly what was written and can reference it if EDD comes back with questions or asks for clarification. Also, I found it helpful to send the form via certified mail so you have proof of delivery and a tracking number. It cost a few extra dollars but gave me peace of mind knowing it actually reached them. The whole process was stressful but seeing how supportive this community is makes me feel so much better about going through it. You're going to do great, and you've got all the best advice right here! Good luck! 🍀

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read! I'm actually scheduled for gallbladder surgery next month and was starting to panic about the SDI filing process after hearing horror stories about EDD. But seeing everyone's detailed experiences with the early morning calling strategy (8:00-8:20 AM seems to be the magic window) and how straightforward it can be when you get the right rep has really calmed my nerves. The consistency in everyone's advice is so reassuring - have your doctor's certification completed beforehand with the surgery date, call early morning on the phone since the online system can't handle future dates, be honest about any self-employment income, and make sure to get that confirmation email with your claim number. Isabella, it sounds like you've got an amazing roadmap now thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences! I'm definitely going to follow this same approach when my time comes. And honestly, this thread should be pinned somewhere because it's way more helpful than anything on the actual EDD website. Best of luck with your spinal fusion surgery Tuesday - you're so smart to get all this sorted out beforehand rather than trying to deal with it while recovering! 🙏

Wow, this thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm actually in a very similar situation - I have carpal tunnel surgery scheduled for next Friday and I've been stressing about the SDI filing process for weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence about what to do. The consistent advice about calling at 8:00-8:20 AM is exactly what I needed to hear. I was getting nowhere with the online system (same future date rejection issue) and was starting to panic that I'd have to wait until after surgery when I'm all groggy and uncomfortable. I also have a mixed income situation - regular W-2 job at a dental office plus some part-time tutoring work - so Isabella's questions and everyone's responses about being honest regarding self-employment have been incredibly helpful. It's so reassuring to know that having mixed income won't automatically disqualify you as long as your main SDI contributions are from your regular job. One question for those who've successfully done this: did any of you have to provide additional documentation about your self-employment income during the call, or did the rep just note it in the system and move on? I want to be prepared with whatever they might need. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - you've turned what felt like an impossible bureaucratic nightmare into a manageable process with clear steps to follow! 🙏

I'm also new to this community and just received my exhaustion notice a couple days ago. This thread has been absolutely incredible - I had no idea about any of these strategies! The early morning calling tips, the hidden extension button, recording calls for accountability, county advocacy services - it's like a whole playbook I never knew existed. I'm feeling much more hopeful now knowing that people like Donna have actually made it through this process successfully. Planning to try the 8:02 AM calling strategy tomorrow and start organizing my medical records tonight. It's such a relief to find real people sharing actual experiences instead of trying to navigate the confusing official websites alone. Thank you everyone for being so generous with your knowledge and for making this scary process feel manageable! 🙏

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and unfortunately just received my exhaustion notice this morning. I'm honestly feeling pretty scared and confused about what to do next, but reading through this entire thread has been such a lifesaver! The amount of practical knowledge and real experiences shared here is incredible - I had no idea about the early morning calling strategy, the hidden extension request button, or even that you could record calls for accountability. I'm planning to try calling at 8:02 AM tomorrow like so many people have suggested, and I'm going to spend tonight organizing all my medical records and looking for that extension button in my online account. The success stories from people like Donna and Andre who actually made it through this process give me so much hope when everything felt impossible just a few hours ago. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community where we can get real help instead of just generic website information. It's amazing how much less overwhelming this feels when you know you're not alone and that there are actual pathways through this confusing system! 🙏

Hey Alfredo! I can totally relate to that panic feeling - I did the exact same thing about a year ago and was convinced I'd completely ruined my claim. But honestly, you're going to be fine! This is actually super common and the EDD folks are used to dealing with it. I called their disability line and they were able to add my missing employment info right during the call - no need to restart anything. Just have all your employment details ready (dates, employer info, wages, etc.) and call them ASAP. I'd recommend calling right at 8am when they open to avoid the crazy hold times. The rep I talked to said they literally get these calls every single day, so don't feel bad about the mistake. You caught it and you're fixing it - that's what matters! 🙂

Hey Alfredo! I totally understand the panic - I made the exact same mistake about 8 months ago and was absolutely freaking out thinking I'd ruined everything. But honestly, you're going to be completely fine! I called the EDD disability line and they updated my claim with the missing employment info right over the phone - took maybe 15 minutes once I got through. The rep was super understanding and told me they deal with this literally every day, so don't feel bad about it at all! Just have all your employment details organized (employer names, addresses, employment dates, wages earned) and call them first thing in the morning at 8am when they open - that's definitely the best time to avoid those crazy hold times everyone mentions. You absolutely do NOT need to start your whole claim over again. Just be honest about the oversight and they'll take care of you. This community has been so helpful with advice, and it's clear this happens to way more people than we realize! You've got this! 💪

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Filed my maternity SDI claim about 3 weeks ago, got approved 10 days ago, and received one tiny payment of $64 last Monday - then complete radio silence since. I've been checking my UI Online account obsessively every few hours, convinced I somehow messed up my application. Finding this thread has been such a lifesaver! It's amazing to see how many of us are experiencing this identical weird payment pattern with that random small first payment followed by nothing. The stress of being on maternity leave with unpredictable income is overwhelming, especially when you're already dealing with recovery and adjusting to life with a newborn. EDD really needs to do a better job explaining this process on their website instead of leaving new parents panicking about their finances during such a vulnerable time. Based on all the timelines and experiences shared here, it sounds like I should expect my full back payment within the next few days. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their stories - this community support means everything when you're trying to navigate such a confusing system!

I'm currently experiencing this exact same situation! Filed my maternity SDI claim about 2 weeks ago, got approved last Friday, and received one confusing payment of $127 yesterday. I've been checking my UI Online account constantly since then, totally convinced I did something wrong during the application process. Reading through all these experiences has been such a huge relief - I had no idea this weird single payment pattern was actually normal! It's so stressful being on maternity leave and not knowing when the next payment will arrive, especially when your savings are running low and you're already dealing with all the physical and emotional changes of new motherhood. The EDD website gives absolutely no explanation about why this happens, so finding this community discussion has been a lifesaver. Based on all the timelines shared here, it sounds like I should expect my full back payment within the next week or two. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it gives me so much peace of mind to know that this bizarre system actually works eventually, even though it makes no sense from our perspective!