I'm so sorry you're going through this stressful situation, but I'm really glad you were able to get through to EDD and get official confirmation! Reading through all the responses here, it's clear that you're in good hands with this community's support and advice. As someone who's currently dealing with my own SDI claim (though thankfully still employed), I just wanted to say how helpful this entire thread has been. The information about SDI continuing regardless of employment status, the tips about planning for the unemployment transition, and all the practical advice about documentation and health insurance options - it's exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's so hard to find elsewhere. Your situation really highlights how important it is to understand these benefits as insurance we've already paid into, not handouts. It sounds like you're handling everything really well despite the circumstances, and you clearly have a solid plan moving forward. Focus on your recovery - you've got the benefits side figured out, and this community has shown there are so many people who've successfully navigated similar transitions. Wishing you a smooth healing process and hoping everything goes smoothly with the unemployment application when the time comes!

I'm really glad you got the confirmation from EDD and that this thread has been so helpful! As someone who's been through a similar workers' comp situation, I wanted to add one more thing to consider - make sure to ask your doctor about getting a detailed work capacity evaluation before you're fully released. This document can be really valuable for both your workers' comp case and for potential future employers, as it clearly outlines what you can and can't do physically. Also, since you mentioned your recovery is taking longer than expected, don't feel pressured to rush back to work before you're truly ready. I made that mistake and ended up re-injuring myself, which set my recovery back by months. Your SDI benefits are there specifically to give you the time you need to heal properly. The silver lining in all this is that you'll probably end up with a much better understanding of your rights and the benefit systems than most people ever get. That knowledge could be really valuable if you ever face health challenges again in the future. Keep focusing on your recovery - sounds like you've got everything else well organized!

Congratulations on successfully making the transition @Matthew Sanchez! Your experience is really encouraging to hear. I'm particularly interested in how you handled that question about why you're no longer working - explaining that you can now work with restrictions while actively seeking suitable employment sounds like the perfect way to frame it. I'm about 4 weeks away from my SDI ending and have been following a lot of the advice from this thread. Already got my work capacity letter from my doctor and have been applying to office jobs that fit my limitations. One quick question - when you were doing your job search while still on disability, did you have any concerns about potential employers calling for immediate interviews or job offers while you were still technically on medical leave? I'm getting some interview requests and wondering how to handle the timing. Thanks for sharing your successful experience - it's giving me a lot of confidence that I'm on the right track!

I'm going through this exact transition right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My SDI ends in about 3 weeks and I've been really anxious about the process. After reading everyone's experiences, I feel much more prepared. I already scheduled an appointment with my doctor to get that work capacity evaluation letter focusing on what I CAN do rather than just restrictions. I've also started applying for remote customer service and data entry jobs since those would work perfectly with my limitations. One thing I'm still figuring out is the timing - it sounds like I should wait until the day after my final SDI payment posts to apply for UI, but I'm worried about that gap period. Has anyone tried to expedite the UI process by calling EDD after applying online, or is it better to just be patient and let it process normally? Also keeping detailed records of all my job applications like others suggested. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support means everything when you're dealing with this stressful transition!

Wow, what a rollercoaster! I'm so relieved you got this resolved, Olivia. Your story really highlights how broken the EDD system can be - it's ridiculous that approved claims can just vanish from the portal without any notification. I'm bookmarking this thread because the advice about calling right at 8am, contacting state reps, and using services like Claimyr could be invaluable if I ever face a similar situation. It's honestly shameful that people have to jump through so many hoops just to get the benefits they're legally entitled to. Hopefully your experience helps other folks who find themselves in the same nightmare situation!

This is exactly the kind of post that should be pinned at the top of this community! As someone who's dealt with EDD nightmares myself, I can't stress enough how important it is to document EVERYTHING - screenshots, confirmation numbers, dates of calls, etc. The fact that your claim completely disappeared from the system but you had all your documentation saved your case. For anyone else reading this, also consider filing a complaint with the California Department of Consumer Affairs if you're getting nowhere with EDD directly. They have an ombudsman program that can sometimes cut through the red tape. So glad you got your backpay, Olivia - stories like yours give the rest of us hope that these issues can eventually be resolved!

I'm dealing with the same issue right now! Just got married three weeks ago and EDD's system is being such a pain. Reading through all these comments is giving me hope though. I think I'll try calling that technical support line first like Emma suggested - that sounds like a really smart approach to get the account flagged before dealing with the regular claims department. Also definitely going to make sure I have my Social Security name change done first. This whole thread is a goldmine of info! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. Sometimes it really helps to know you're not alone in dealing with these bureaucratic headaches! 🤗

I went through this exact same frustration when I got married last year! The EDD name change process is definitely not user-friendly. Here's what finally worked for me: Call the EDD disability line first thing in the morning (like 8:01 AM sharp) and immediately ask to speak with someone about updating your name after marriage. Have your marriage certificate, old ID, new ID, and Social Security card ready. The key thing is that you MUST update your name with Social Security first - EDD won't process the change without that being completed. When I finally got through, the agent was actually really helpful and walked me through uploading a scanned copy of my marriage certificate to their secure portal. The whole thing took about 10 business days to process once I had all the right documents. Don't let the system frustrate you too much - it's definitely doable, just takes some persistence! Congrats on your marriage! 💕

I'm new to this community but unfortunately joining because I'm facing this exact same situation! My Workers' Comp case closed about 3 weeks ago and I just received my SDI denial yesterday with that same frustrating automated message about "temporary disability payments from Workers' Compensation." Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and honestly such a relief - I was starting to panic thinking I had done something wrong in my application. It's clear that EDD's system has a major flaw in handling these legitimate transitions from Workers' Comp to SDI. Based on all the excellent advice shared in this thread, I'm planning to tackle this systematically: 1. File my appeal this weekend using form DE 1000M with all my Workers' Comp closure documentation 2. Get my doctor to complete a new DE 2501 form that specifically emphasizes the ongoing nature of my disability after Workers' Comp ended 3. Try the early morning calling strategy (7:30 AM) that so many people have had success with 4. Create a chronological timeline document showing the continuous disability from Workers' Comp through to my SDI application The insight about emphasizing "continuous disability" rather than making it look like separate claims is particularly valuable. And hearing from multiple people that EDD reps consider these cases "routine" once they get proper human review gives me a lot of hope! Thank you to everyone who shared their detailed experiences and strategies. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding that this is a systemic issue that does get resolved with persistence. Hoping to add my own success story to this thread soon!

I'm new to this community but dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! My Workers' Comp case closed about 2 weeks ago and I just received my SDI denial yesterday with that identical automated message. Reading through all the detailed experiences and advice here has been incredibly reassuring - I was starting to think I had somehow messed up my application, but it's clear this is a widespread EDD system issue. The comprehensive strategies everyone has shared are so helpful. I'm particularly grateful for the specific timing advice about calling at 7:30-8:00 AM, the emphasis on documenting "continuous disability" rather than separate claims, and that brilliant timeline approach to show the seamless transition from Workers' Comp to SDI for the same ongoing condition. Based on everything I've learned here, I'm planning to file my appeal this weekend with form DE 1000M, get my doctor to complete a fresh DE 2501 emphasizing the ongoing nature of my disability, and start making those early morning calls to EDD on Monday. It's so encouraging to hear from multiple people that these cases are considered "routine" once they get human review - gives me hope that persistence will pay off! Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and specific strategies. This community has been a lifeline for understanding how to navigate what otherwise feels like an impossible bureaucratic system. Hoping to add my own success story soon!