Hey Emma! Just wanted to add my experience since I went through my first SDI payment about 2 months ago. The fact that your status changed to 'Paid' on Friday is actually really great timing! I had the exact same situation - certified Thursday, status changed Friday, and the money hit my account Tuesday morning (I bank with Chase). The weekend definitely feels like torture when you're waiting, but once EDD processes it and marks it 'Paid', you're golden. One thing that helped my anxiety was remembering that EDD has already done the hard part - verifying your claim and sending the payment. Now it's just up to the banking system which is much more predictable. Try to enjoy your weekend knowing the money is on its way! And yes, definitely set up those bank alerts everyone mentioned - total game changer for peace of mind.

Emma, congratulations on getting your status changed to 'Paid'! I just went through my first SDI payment cycle a few weeks ago and totally understand that anxious feeling. Since you certified Thursday and got 'Paid' status Friday, you're right on track with normal timing. With direct deposit, you'll most likely see the money hit your account Monday morning, though it could be Tuesday depending on your bank's processing schedule. The weekend wait is definitely the hardest part, but once EDD marks it as 'Paid' you're basically home free - it's just banking timelines from here. One tip that saved my sanity: set up mobile banking alerts for deposits so you get notified immediately instead of constantly checking your balance. The first payment is always the most nerve-wracking because everything is unknown, but once you get through this one, future payments become incredibly predictable. Hang in there, you're almost done with the waiting game!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the EDD system can be incredibly confusing and unforgiving. I went through something similar a couple years ago with a different medical condition. Here's what I learned that might help: For the SDI backdating, don't give up after the first rejection. I had to submit THREE separate written requests with increasingly detailed medical documentation before they finally approved my backdate. Make sure your doctor's letter is very specific about when your condition began, how it prevented you from working, and why you couldn't have known to file for SDI initially. For the UI overpayment appeal, focus on these key points: 1) You had no knowledge of the SDI program, 2) You were acting in good faith trying to support yourself, 3) You have medical evidence proving you were genuinely unable to work. I also included a statement from my doctor explaining that my condition affected my cognitive ability to understand complex benefit systems. The appeals process took about 6 months for me, but I ultimately got the overpayment waived and my SDI claim backdated. Don't let them intimidate you - you have rights, and honest mistakes happen all the time with these programs. Document EVERYTHING and keep fighting!

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this nightmare - the EDD system is so confusing and they don't make it easy to understand which program you should use. I went through something similar last year when I had surgery and was out of work for months. One thing that might help is documenting exactly when you first learned about SDI vs UI. If you can show that reasonable people in your situation wouldn't have known about the distinction (like getting advice from friends, family, or even EDD representatives who didn't explain the difference), that could strengthen both your backdating request and your overpayment appeal. Also, I'd suggest reaching out to a disability rights organization in your area - many offer free consultations and can help you navigate the appeals process. They often know which specific arguments work best with EDD and can help you frame your case more effectively. Don't let that one commenter get to you about it being "not complicated" - the system IS confusing, especially when you're dealing with a medical condition that affects your ability to process complex information. You're not alone in making this mistake, and there are paths forward even if they're not easy. Keep all your documentation organized and don't give up!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! My SDI benefits stopped about 10 days ago and that certification form just vanished from my account. I've been honestly reporting my part-time work at a local restaurant, and it's like the system punishes you for being transparent about income. That DE 2517-25 notice is completely useless - no clear instructions, no deadline, just "complete required documentation" like we're supposed to be mind readers! I've tried calling probably 100+ times with zero success getting through. Reading through all these comments has been both reassuring and frustrating. It's clear this is a massive system-wide issue affecting tons of people. I'm definitely going to try some of the strategies folks have shared: - The late-night login trick to find hidden messages - Calling right at 8 AM with the 1-2-1 prompts - That backdoor employer services transfer approach sounds genius - Reaching out to my assembly member's office It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become EDD experts and crowdsource solutions just to access benefits we've paid into. But knowing there's a whole community dealing with this broken system makes it feel less hopeless. Thanks for starting this thread, OP! Sometimes just knowing you're not alone in bureaucratic hell makes all the difference. We'll get through this! 💪

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare! My SDI benefits stopped about a week ago and that certification form completely disappeared from my account too. I've been working part-time at a local pharmacy and reported everything properly, but it's like their system has a meltdown whenever there's any income change. That DE 2517-25 notice is absolutely infuriating - "complete required documentation" but they don't specify WHAT documentation or WHERE to find it! It's like they deliberately made it as confusing as possible. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I tried the late-night login trick around 1 AM and actually found a "pending review" notification that's completely invisible during normal hours. Still can't access whatever mystery form they want though. I'm planning to try that employer services transfer approach tomorrow - calling their employer line and asking to be transferred to disability claims sounds way smarter than hitting the same brick wall on the main number. It's both comforting and maddening to see so many people dealing with identical issues. At least we know it's a widespread system problem and not something we did wrong! Thanks for starting this conversation OP - knowing we're all in this bureaucratic mess together definitely helps. I'll update if the phone transfer trick works! 🤞

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been through this exact situation! I was on SDI for about 8 months last year after a back injury and was so confused about taxes too. Everyone here is absolutely right - California SDI is NOT taxable and you won't get any tax forms for it. The key thing to remember is that SDI comes from your own after-tax payroll deductions (you can see it listed as "SDI" on your paystubs). Since you already paid taxes on that money when you earned it, they don't tax it again when it's paid out as benefits. It's basically like getting your own money back. Just make sure to keep your SDI award letter and any payment records in case you ever need to prove to the IRS that it was state disability and not some other type of taxable benefit. But for your regular tax filing, you only need to worry about your W-2 from the 5 months you worked!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who works in tax prep - I see this confusion every single year during tax season! California SDI is one of the most misunderstood benefits when it comes to taxes. The easiest way to remember it: if it came out of YOUR paycheck as a deduction (which SDI does), then it's not taxable income when you receive it back as benefits. You've already been taxed on that money! This is completely different from unemployment benefits, worker's comp settlements, or federal disability programs. Keep your SDI award letter and benefit statements just in case, but you definitely don't need to report any of those payments as income. Your tax situation should be straightforward - just your W-2 from the 5 months you worked and any other normal tax documents (1099s for interest, etc.). Hope your recovery went well!

I just went through this exact same situation a couple months ago! My SDI claim was approved on 8/29 and I didn't receive my card until 9/12 - so about 2 weeks total. What really helped me was calling Bank of America EDD card services at 1-866-692-9374 and asking specifically about card shipment status. They were able to tell me the exact date my card was mailed and even gave me a tracking number. Also, if you're really tight on money while waiting, you can ask them about emergency fund transfers to your regular bank account once the payment shows as issued in your SDI Online account. The whole process is frustrating but the money will definitely come through. Hang in there!

I'm currently dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! My SDI claim was approved on 10/22 and I'm also still waiting for my card to arrive. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly helpful - I had absolutely no idea about EDD's policy of reusing old cards from previous claims. I'm pretty sure I had an unemployment card back in 2022 that I definitely threw away when it expired, so based on everyone's experiences here, my disability payment probably got loaded onto that old expired card. It's honestly ridiculous that EDD doesn't explain this anywhere clearly - we shouldn't have to play detective just to figure out where our approved benefits went! I'm definitely calling Bank of America EDD at 1-866-692-9374 tomorrow morning like everyone recommended. This thread has provided way better customer service than anything I could get from EDD's official channels. Thank you to everyone who shared their timelines and solutions - it's such a relief to know I'm not the only one dealing with this stressful waiting game. I'll update once I get through to BofA and figure out what's going on with my payment!