The Basics
California State Disability Insurance (SDI) is a short-term public insurance program run by California's Employment Development Department (EDD). SDI pays you about 70-90% of what you used to make at work because you:
- Have a non-work-related illness or injury. These SDI payments may continue for up to a year.
- Need to take Paid Family Leave (PFL) to care for a sick relative or to bond with a new child. PFL payments are for up to eight weeks, or
- Are pregnant. Note: Pregnancy Disability Leave is not covered in this article. If you have questions about it, contact the EDD.
Important: If you are sick due to COVID-19 or caring for somebody who is sick due to COVID-19, you may qualify for SDI or PFL benefits. See EDD's questions and answers about COVID-19 and the state of California's chart of all the different benefits that may help families impacted by COVID-19.
To get SDI, you must have had California SDI taxes (usually 1.2% of your wages) taken out of your pay for a certain period of time. If you've done this, SDI will replace some of the income you’re losing when you can’t work for one of the above reasons.
There are three main ways to be covered by SDI:
- Most California employees (but not all) are automatically covered under the State Plan.
- Some employers offer private Voluntary Plans instead (these plans must provide coverage at least as good as the SDI State Plan, plus have at least one feature the State Plan doesn't have). Learn more about Voluntary Plans.
- If you are self-employed or a business owner, you can pay to get Elective Coverage, which only provides benefits for 39 weeks instead of a full year. Learn more about Elective Coverage.
The rest of this article has more details focusing on the State Plan's SDI and PFL benefits.
State Disability Insurance (SDI) provides short-term benefits if you can't work because of a non-job-related injury or illness. Other programs are sometimes confused with SDI:
- Workers' Compensation provides benefits if you can't work because of a job-related injury or illness.
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides long-term benefits to people who have paid into the system (through payroll taxes while working for at least a minimum amount of time) and can't work because of a disability.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides long-term benefits to low-income people with disabilities, who are blind, or who are at least 65.
- Unemployment Insurance (UI) is an employer-paid program that gives short-term benefits to people who are unemployed. (You cannot get SDI and UI at the same time.)
- Private Short-Term Disability Insurance and Long-Term Disability Insurance are benefits that employers may provide or that you may pay to get from private insurance companies.
DB101 cannot answer questions about your situation. If you have questions about your SDI claim or want to apply for SDI, please contact the EDD.
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Eligibility and Application
Paying into SDI
If you're like most employees in California, you have State Disability Insurance (SDI) taxes automatically taken out of your paycheck. This means that each time you get paid, 1.2% of your wages go to the SDI program. These taxes are also called SDI contributions.
Your paycheck is $1,000 before taxes. Every time you get a paycheck, 1.2% of that goes automatically to SDI. In this case, that’s $12.00. If you get this paycheck every two weeks for a year, you’ll end up paying $312 to SDI every year.
Millions of Californians are covered by SDI. Their contributions go into a state fund, and that money is used to pay SDI benefits.
Who Is Not Covered By SDI
Most California employees are covered by SDI, but some aren't.
Those who are not covered include:
- Most government workers, like federal, state, county, or city employees. Some government workers are covered by Non-industrial Disability Insurance (NDI). Learn more about NDI.
- Some domestic workers
- Interstate Railroad employees
- Some employees of non-profit organizations
- Self-employed workers or business owners who do not pay for Elective Coverage
Types of SDI Plans
There are three different SDI plans.
1. Most California employees are covered by the State Plan, which includes Paid Family Leave. This is the SDI plan described in this section.
2. Some employers offer Voluntary Plans. These are private disability insurance plans that have been approved by SDI. These plans must offer coverage that’s at least as good as the State Plan plus at least one feature that the State Plan doesn’t include. The private plan cannot be more expensive than the State Plan, and it has to be approved by a majority of employees. Learn more about Voluntary Plans.
3. If you are self-employed or a business owner, you can buy Elective Coverage through SDI. Some of the rules are different. For example, Elective Coverage is only for 39 weeks, and premiums are based on a percentage of your profit from the previous year. Learn more about Elective Coverage.
Eligibility for the SDI Benefit
SDI gives you a cash benefit if you have paid payroll taxes into it and can’t work for one of these reasons:
- You have a disability not related to your job. SDI defines disability as “any mental or physical illness or injury which prevents you from performing your regular and customary work.” This is a less strict definition than the one used by the federal Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI).
- You need to take Paid Family Leave (PFL), which replaces part of your income when you miss work to care for a sick relative or to bond with a new child. Learn more about who can get Paid Family Leave.
- You are pregnant. Although pregnancy isn’t an “illness or injury”, it is a medical reason for missing work. Important: Pregnancy disability leave is not covered in this article. If you have questions about it, contact the EDD.
You also have to meet the following requirements:
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If you have a job, you must have a disability or miss work for more than 7 days before your benefits start.
- Note: There is no waiting period for Paid Family Leave (PFL).
- If you’re currently unemployed, you have to be actively looking for work.
- You have to be under the care of a medical provider during the first 8 days of your disability and stay under a medical provider’s care while you’re getting SDI benefits.
- You have to have earned at least $300 in wages during your base period.
When you file your claim, you must list the day you became unable to work due to your disability, which becomes both the official day your disability began and your claim start date. This date is used to decide if you meet all of these requirements. After your claim is filed, your start date cannot be changed.
If you are sick due to COVID-19, you may qualify for SDI benefits. If you are caring for somebody who is sick due to COVID-19, you may qualify for PFL. See EDD's questions and answers about COVID-19 and the state of California's chart of all the different benefits that may help families impacted by COVID-19.
Application Process
The SDI program is run by California's Employment Development Department (EDD).
For a non-work-related injury or illness
To get SDI benefits when you are unable to work because of a non-work-related injury or illness, you can apply:
- Online at SDI Online. EDD provides written instructions and a video explaining how to file an SDI claim online.
- By mail. You can get a paper form at an SDI office, your employer, your doctor/medical practitioner's office, or by ordering a form online from EDD's Online Forms and Publications (the form will be mailed to you). EDD explains how to file an SDI claim by mail.
The earliest you can submit your application is 9 days after your disability began (you became unable to work), and you must apply within 49 days of when your disability began, or you might not get benefits. If you apply after 49 days, include a letter explaining why you are filing late.
The application has two parts: you fill out Part A and your doctor/medical practitioner fills out Part B, the medical certifcation of your disability. Your claim will not be processed until both Part A and Part B have been correctly submitted.
You are responsible for getting your doctor/medical practitioner to fill out Part B, which can be done online or by mail. Not all medical offices handle SDI claims the same way, so ask your doctor/medical practitioner's office what you need to do to have them submit their part of your SDI claim.
For Paid Family Leave
The forms to apply for Paid Family Leave are different, but the options for applying are the same:
- Online at SDI Online. EDD gives written instructions for how to apply for PFL online, and provides a how-to video for applying for PFL online.
- By mail. EDD explains how to apply for PFL by mail and provides a how-to video for applying for PFL by mail.
There are several parts to the PFL application. You must complete Part A; the person you are caring for must sign page 2 and complete Part C (if they are unable to do this, call 1-877-238-4373 for instructions and required forms); and the doctor/medical practitioner for the person you are caring for must complete and sign Part D.
Note: If there are no problems with your forms, you’ll usually start getting SDI or PFL benefits about two weeks after submitting your claim. Do not file more than one copy of the same claim, as this makes it take longer for you to get benefits.
If SDI decides you don't qualify for SDI or PFL benefits, they send you a Disqualification Notice and an Appeal From. You have 30 days from the date of the notice to appeal SDI's decision online or in writing. EDD will look at your appeal, and either decide to give you benefit payments or send your appeal to the local Office of Appeals of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board, which will schedule a hearing.
EDD has instructions for filing an appeal and preparing for a hearing.
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The SDI/PFL Benefit
Benefit Amount
SDI generally pays 70-90% of your average wages for up to 52 weeks of having a disability. However, your income may change from month to month, season to season, or year to year, making it hard to know what your exact average weekly income has been.
When SDI looks at your earnings to figure out how much you should get in benefits, they look at how much you earned in the 12 months between:
- Roughly 17 months before your disability started and
- About 5 months before your disability started.
These 12 months are called your base period. To get SDI benefits you must have earned at least $300 in your base period and you must have paid SDI taxes on those earnings.
SDI then takes that 12-month base period and divides it into four quarters. The quarter when you earned the most money is the quarter they use to decide your benefit amount. Learn more about the SDI base period.
Your disability began in January of 2025, which means that your base period will be from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. SDI divides your base period in 4 quarters, and looks at your wages during those quarters:
- In October, November, and December of 2023, you had $1,000 in wages.
- In January, February, and March of 2024, you had $13,000 in wages.
- In April, May, and June of 2024, you had no wages.
- In July, August, and September of 2024, you had $11,000 in wages.
You earned the most ($13,000) in January, February, and March of 2024, so that is the income SDI will use to figure how much to give you in benefit payments.
SDI takes the quarter when you earned the most money, and calculates your average weekly wages during that time. Your weekly SDI benefits will usually be 70-90% of those average weekly wages, with a minimum benefit of $50 per week and a maximum of $1,681.
Note: The exact benefit calculation is based on a sliding scale from 70-90%. People with very low income usually get the higher percentage, while most people get the lower percentage.
In the above example, SDI figured out that your maximum quarterly wages were $13,000. Since a quarter of a year is 13 weeks, you made $1,000 per week during that quarter ($13,000 ÷ 13). Your weekly SDI benefit amount is about 60% of these weekly wages, or $600 per week ($1,000 × .60).
SDI allows for the fact that your wages could have been low during your base period because of things beyond your control. It's possible to use your wages from a quarter before the standard base period, giving you a higher SDI benefit or helping you qualify if your wages were not high enough for you to qualify for SDI.
You might be able to use your income from an earlier quarter if you were:
- In the military
- Receiving Workers’ Compensation
- Not working because of a labor dispute
- Unemployed for more than 60 days during a quarter (this only applies if you did not qualify for SDI at the time)
Benefit Period
You generally get your first benefit payment within two weeks of filing your claim and you'll get payments every two weeks until your benefit period is over. Most people get their payments through a debit card that you can use to buy things or that you can set to automatically deposit your benefit to a bank account. If you prefer, you can choose to get checks mailed to you.
Your benefit period usually ends on the date your doctor/medical provider listed on your claim form as the date by which you should be able to go back to work. When that date comes, SDI tells you that your benefit is ending. If you still can't work because of your disability, you and your medical provider can fill out a form asking for a longer benefit period.
While you are getting benefit payments, EDD will periodically ask you to file a "continued claim certification," which can be done online through your SDI Online account or by mail. You must tell EDD immediately if you have returned to part-time or full-time work, recovered from your disability, or get any other type of income. You must also immediately report the death of a person getting SDI payments. If you do not tell EDD, they may pay you more than you are supposed to get. This is called an overpayment, and they will make you pay it back.
SDI is meant to replace income for up to 52 weeks. That means that you can receive a benefit up until you have been paid 52 times your weekly benefit amount. If you’re working part-time or have your benefit reduced for another reason, you can receive a benefit for longer than 52 weeks. See the next section for details if you work part-time.
Note: The maximum benefit period for Elective Coverage is 39 weeks, and you can only get up to 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave per year.
Part-time Work
If you return to work part-time, you might continue to get SDI benefits. If the total amount of money you get from SDI benefits plus your part-time work is less than what you earned each week just before your disability began, you’ll continue to get your full SDI benefit amount.
You earned $1,000 a week right before your disability, and you are getting $700 weekly in SDI. You go back to work part-time and earn $200 a week. Adding together your part-time wages and SDI benefit, you get $900 a week. Since this is less than the $1,000 you were making before your disability, you still get the full SDI benefit.
If your part-time wages plus SDI benefit are more than than what you earned before your disability began, your SDI payment goes down.
You earned $1,000 a week before your disability and your SDI benefit amount is $700 a week. You go back to work and make $600 a week. If your SDI benefit stayed at $700, that would be $1,300 a week total, which is more than you made working full time. To make sure your total income is not more than your weekly wage of $1,000, SDI cuts your benefit amount to $400 a week, which means you have that $400 plus the $600 you earn, giving you the $1,000 that you made before you became disabled.
Other Benefit Reductions
Your benefit might go down for reasons other than part-time work. SDI counts certain other types of income like they were wages. Depending on your situation, some or all of the following may reduce your SDI benefit:
- Commissions
- Bonuses
- Holiday pay
- Sick Leave pay
- Workers’ Compensation payments
- Military Pay
- Other income
SDI does not count vacation time income. Note: Any type of income must be reported to SDI, even if it does not affect your benefit payments.
If you get a partial benefit, you can get it until the total amount of your benefit is paid, even if that takes longer than 52 weeks.
You get an SDI benefit of $100 a week, which means that you are entitled to 52 weeks of that benefit, or $5,200. In 6 months, you have been paid half that amount, or $2,600. If you go back to work part-time and your benefit goes down to $50 a week, you get that $50 benefit until you’ve been paid $2,600 in benefits, which will be in another year.
Paid Family Leave (PFL)
PFL is part of the SDI program. You do not pay separately for PFL: if you've had SDI taxes taken out of your paychecks, then you can get PFL to care for a seriously ill relative (child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or registered domestic partner) or to bond with a new child.
Weekly PFL benefit amounts are calculated the same as for SDI, using a base period and calculating your average weekly wages during the quarter when you earned the most money. And like SDI, your benefit amount may go down if you get income from other sources, like sick leave, holiday pay, commissions, or bonuses.
However, there are some differences for PFL:
- PFL uses a different claim form. EDD provides videos explaining how to apply for PFL online and how to apply for PFL by mail.
- If you are taking PFL to care for a sick relative, a doctor has to certify their illness.
-
You can only get 8 weeks of PFL per year.
- Note: Before July 1, 2020, you could only have 6 weeks of PFL per year.
- PFL doesn’t necessarily protect your job, although some employers have to follow state and federal laws about leave.
- There is no 7-day waiting period for PFL.
Pregnancy
SDI views pregnancy as a condition that can stop you from being able to work. For pregnancies without complications, the benefit period is generally from 4 weeks before your due date to 6 weeks after delivery. If your pregnancy or recovery prevents you from working beyond that time, your doctor needs to show that on the claim form, and then it is treated just like any other medical condition that stops you from working. EDD answers frequently asked questions about SDI and pregnancy
After you have your child, you don’t then have to apply for a separate PFL claim for time off to bond with your new child. They will send you a form to fill out after your SDI benefit ends. You’ll have the same benefit check as you did during your pregnancy. So, if you are covered by SDI and have a pregnancy without complications, you’ll get SDI for 4 weeks before and 6 weeks after giving birth, and then have the option of getting a PFL benefit for more time to bond with your child for an additional 6 weeks. EDD provides a video with step-by-step instructions for transfering from SDI to PFL.
Note: This article focuses on SDI for people with disabilities and Paid Family Leave (PFL) for people taking care of a person with a disability. If you have questions about Pregnancy Disability Leave, contact the EDD.
- Getting SDI does not stop an employer from firing you while you’re on SDI benefits. If this happens, SDI suggests contacting the Department of Industrial Relations or the Civil Rights Department to learn more about your rights.
- SDI also does not stop an employer from ending your health insurance coverage while you’re on SDI benefits. You may be able to find more affordable health coverage through Covered California or pay to keep your current coverage through COBRA.
- The SDI website is an excellent resource for questions related to the program. They have detailed FAQs that cover a wide range of topics.
- If you aren't sure if you should file a claim, go ahead and file. The SDI program encourages people to apply.
Note: DB101 cannot answer your questions about your SDI claim. If you want to apply for SDI, or have questions about your claim, please contact the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
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SDI and Other Programs
Social Security Disability Programs
State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits generally last a year or less. If you and your doctor/medical provider think that you are going to be disabled for longer than a year, you should apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), a federal disability insurance program that you pay into through payroll taxes. If you’ve paid into the system for a long enough period of time, you can get this benefit. SSDI requires that your disability last longer than a year, so it can pick up where SDI leaves off. If you are on SSDI and SDI at the same time, your SSDI will be reduced.
You should also consider applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if you expect your disability to last longer than a year, or if you haven't worked long enough to get SSDI. This is a federal income program that provides a benefit for low-income people who have a disability, are blind, or are at least 65. If you get SSI and SDI at the same time, your SSI benefit goes down.
For both of these programs, you should apply right away, as claims can take more than a year to be processed.
Workers’ Compensation
SDI is for non-work-related disabilities. If your injury or illness happens on the job, it's covered under an employer-paid insurance program called Workers’ Compensation (WC). You generally cannot get WC and SDI at the same time. However, you can get SDI while waiting for a WC claim to be approved. For more details, the Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Workers’ Compensation explains What to Do If You're Injured at Work and provides A Guidebook for Injured Workers.
Unemployment Insurance
There’s also a separate insurance program for the unemployed. If you’re out of work and disabled, it’s generally a good idea to apply for SDI benefits before applying for Unemployment Insurance.
- SDI can give you a larger benefit for a longer period of time than UI.
- You won't get UI benefits if you're not able to look for work and accept work if it's offered, and
- You can't get UI and SDI at the same time.
Learn more about Unemployment Insurance.
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Example
Tom's Story
Tom leaves his construction job early on an afternoon in December because of a really sharp pain in his side. He calls his doctor, who tells him he might have appendicitis, and needs to go to the Emergency Room. Tom ends up having an operation to have his appendix removed, and must stay in the hospital for a few days.
When it's time for Tom to go home from the hospital, his surgeon, Dr. Taylor, talks to him about how long it will probably take him to get better. She asks what kind of job he has and Tom explains that he works in construction, and does heavy lifting and manual labor. The doctor tells Tom he will probably not be able to work for two months or so while he heals.
“Taking that much time off work might be a problem," Tom tells Dr. Taylor. "I’ve used up all of my sick time and I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t have any money coming in for that long.”
“Don’t worry,” the doctor says reassuringly. “I think there’s a program that can help you. I'll have a social worker meet with you before you leave the hospital.”
A little while later, a social worker named James stops by, and Tom explains the situation to him. James asks Tom if he is covered by State Disability Insurance. Tom looks confused, so James asks him if he ever noticed something about “SDI” on his paystub.
“I’ve always wondered what that stands for,” Tom says. “Can you say it again?”
James explains that SDI is State Disability Insurance, a California program that replaces people’s income when they can’t work because of a disability.
“So,” Tom asks, “If I fall off my ladder at work, I get SDI?”
“No,” James explains, “SDI is for injuries or illnesses that don’t have to do with your job.”
“Like appendicitis?” Tom asks with a smile.
“Exactly,” James replies. “There’s a separate Workers’ Compensation program for on-the-job injuries.”
“Got it,” Tom says as he nods. “So, how do I get this SDI, and how much money will it pay me?”
“Well, to get it, you need to apply online at SDI Online, and then have Dr. Taylor submit medical details about your injury, including how long you might be out of work. You can only get SDI if you are going to be out of work for more than seven days” James said. "I could give you a paper form to mail in, but doing it online is faster,"
James explains how to start the application process online, and suggests that Tom can talk to Dr. Taylor about the SDI claim during Tom's follow-up appointment.
"How much you’ll get from SDI depends on how much money you make," James adds. "You’ll generally get 70-90% of your wages. It's a sliding scale. People with very low income get the higher percentage, but like most people you'll probably get the lower percentage of your income."
“But I make more money during certain times of the year,” Tom interrupted. “How do they figure out what my income is?”
James explains that SDI looks at a 12 month base period from roughly 17 months to roughly 5 months before the start of a disability. He shows Tom a simple breakdown of the rules so he could see that for disabilities that begin in December, the base period starts on July 1 of the previous year and ends 12 months later.
“They’ll divide those 12 months into quarters, and then use the quarter with the highest wages to calculate your benefit," James says. "But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. You can't file your claim until 9 days after the start of your disability, but you shouldn't wait too long because you have to submit your claim within 49 days of the start of your disability or it will be too late. The first step is for you to register for an SDI Online account, fill out the online application, and write down your Form Receipt Number. Give that number to Dr. Taylor during your follow-up visit, so she can file your medical information with your claim."
“Are there any other programs that can help me while I can't work?” Tom asks.
“Well,” James answers, “ If anything happens that makes you or Dr. Taylor think you’ll be out of work for more than a year, you can apply for the federal Social Security Disability Insurance benefit. If it looks like that's going to happen, you should apply to SSDI as soon as possible. You may also want to talk to your company's human resources department to see if you are on any Short-Term Disability insurance. But for now, let’s get you on SDI.”
Tom thanks James for his help, and heads home. When the 9-day waiting period is up, Tom registers online and files his SDI claim. At his follow-up appointment a few days later he gives Dr. Taylor his Form Receipt Number. She estimates that Tom will not be able to work for two months, and files the required details with SDI.
Two weeks later, Tom starts getting a benefit of $600 a week. He remembers that James told him SDI pays 70-90% of his income, and that unless he earns a really low income, he'll get the lower percentage rate. For half of the past year he made $1,000 a week, so it makes sense to Tom that his benefit is $600 a week.
When the two-month recovery period that Dr. Taylor estimated on the SDI claim form is up, Tom is able to return to work full time, and his SDI benefits end.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program?
SDI is an insurance program run by the California Employment Development Department that pays weekly benefits of 70-90% of your average wages for up to a year if you are unable to work because you:
- Have a non-work-related illness or injury
- Are pregnant, or
-
Need to take Paid Family Leave (PFL) to care for a sick relative or to bond with a new child.
- Note: PFL only provides benefits for up to eight weeks.
The program is paid for by SDI taxes that are taken out of most employees' paychecks. If you are self-employed or a business owner, you can pay to get Elective Coverage, which only provides benefits for 39 weeks instead of a year.
If you are sick due to COVID-19, you may qualify for SDI benefits. If you are caring for somebody who is sick due to COVID-19, you may qualify for PFL. See EDD's questions and answers about COVID-19 and the state of California's chart of all the different benefits that may help families impacted by COVID-19.
How do I contact the SDI program?
To get help with questions about the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program, including Paid Family Leave (PFL), you need to contact the Employment Development Department (EDD) of California. EDD provides a list of ways to contact them about SDI or PFL, including online chat, phone numbers, and office locations.
Tip: If you are contacting EDD by telephone, consider calling one of the non-English phone numbers -- it can be quicker to get through on those phones, and the people who answer them know all about SDI and PFL, and speak English in addition to the other language.
Note: DB101 cannot answer questions about your SDI claim. If you have questions, please contact EDD.
Who Pays for SDI?
Employees pay for State Disability Insurance through a small SDI tax (1.2% of earnings) that is automatically taken out of their paychecks. That money is put into a fund, and used to pay for SDI benefits (including Paid Family Leave). People who are self-employed or business owners can choose to buy elective coverage by paying premiums based on their profits from the previous year.
Who is covered by SDI?
Most California employees are covered by SDI.
Some groups of employees are not covered, including:
- Interstate Railroad workers
- Some domestic workers
- Most government employees
- Some employees of non-profit organizations
- Self-employed workers or business owners who do not pay for elective coverage
What is Paid Family Leave?
Paid Family Leave (PFL) is part of the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program. PFL replaces some of the income you lose when you miss work to care for a sick relative or bond with a new child, for up to eight weeks in a year. Your benefit amount is calculated the same way as SDI, but there's a different form to apply for PFL.
Note: Before July 1, 2020, you could only have six weeks of PFL per year.
How is the SDI benefit calculated?
The SDI program generally pays 70-90% of the average wages you earned before the start of your disability. To calculate your average income, SDI looks at a yearlong period that starts around 17 months before your disability, and ends around 5 months before your disability. Those 12 months are called your base period. SDI divides your base period into 4 quarters and uses the quarter when you had the highest wages to figure your average income, and your benefit amount.
Learn more about Calculating SDI Benefits, and check the chart of Weekly Benefit Amounts.
How is a base period determined?
For SDI or PFL benefits, your base period is the 12 months from roughly 17 months to roughly 5 months before the start of your disability.
In 2025, the base periods are:
Claims beginning in the months of January, February, or March of 2025:
The base period is the 12 months from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.
Claims beginning in the months of April, May, or June of 2025:
The base period is the 12 months from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
Claims beginning in the months of July, August, or September of 2025:
The base period is the 12 months from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
Claims beginning in the months of October, November, or December of 2025:
The base period is the 12 months from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
How long does the SDI benefit last?
It's a little complicated. The simple answer is that your benefit period usually ends on the date your medical provider lists on your claim form, saying you should be able to work by that date. After that date, if you still can't work because of your disability, you and your medical provider can ask for a longer benefit period.
However, SDI is designed to replace your income for up to 52 weeks of missing work because of your disability (39 weeks for elective coverage and 8 weeks for Paid Family Leave). You can get SDI benefits of up to 52 times your weekly benefit amount, if your medical provider certifies that you still can't work because of your disability.
If you can go back to work part-time or get other income before your benefit period ends, your weekly payment might go down, and you can get benefits for longer than 52 weeks, until you get the total amount you qualify for.
For example, Sam gets an SDI benefit of $200 a week, and qualifies for up to $10,400 in total SDI payments ($200 x 52 = $10,400). After 6 months, Sam has gotten $5,200 in benefits, or half his total. Sam goes back to work part-time, and his weekly benefit drops to $200 a week. His medical provider says Sam continues to be unable to work full time because of his disability, so Sam keeps getting his $200 weekly SDI payment for another 12 months, until he reaches his $10,400 limit.
What are the medical eligibility requirements for SDI?
SDI gives cash payments to employees who are unable to work because of a non-work-related disability, and SDI defines a disability as "... an illness or injury, either physical or mental, which prevents you from performing your regular and customary work." The definition also includes elective surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical conditions. Your medical provider has to certify that your condition meets this definition.
To get Paid Family Leave because you are caring for a sick relative, the relative has to have a mental or physical condition that requires at-home care or in-patient care in a hosptial, hospice, or residential medical facility, with continuing treatment by a doctor or other health care provider.
Does what I have in the bank or what I own, such as a home or car, affect my eligibility for SDI?
No. SDI has no limits on what you can own or have in the bank.
How do I apply for SDI?
To get SDI benefits when you are unable to work because of a non-work-related injury or illness, you can apply:
- Online at SDI Online. EDD provides written instructions and a video explaining how to file an SDI claim online (video is also available in Spanish).
- By mail. You can get a paper form at an SDI office, your employer, your doctor/medical practitioner's office, or by ordering a form online from EDD's Online Forms and Publications (the form will be mailed to you). EDD explains how to file an SDI claim by mail.
To apply for Paid Family Leave to care for a relative with a disability, the forms are different but the options for applying are the same:
- Online at SDI Online. EDD explains how to apply for PFL online.
- By mail. EDD explains how to apply for PFL by mail.
How soon after applying will I be eligible for benefits from SDI?
There is a seven-day waiting period, which means you won't get any SDI benefits for the first week you're off work because of a non-work-related injury or illness. Benefits start on the eighth day. It typically takes SDI 14 days to process an application, so you usually start getting your benefit payments two weeks after you file your claim.
Note: There is no waiting period for Paid Family Leave (PFL).
What is the difference between State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Social Security disability programs?
California State Disability Insurance (SDI) is a state program that provides short-term benefits (up to a year) if you can't work because of a non-job-related injury or illness. Employees pay into the system through SDI taxes that are taken out of their paychecks. People who are self-employed or business owners can choose to pay for elective coverage. SDI covers a wide range of disabilities lasting more than seven days. It also offers Paid Family Leave (up to eight weeks) for those who are caring for a sick relative or bonding with a new child.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal program giving long-term cash benefits to people who have paid into the system (through income taxes while working for at least a minimum amount of time) and can't work because of a disability.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program providing long-term cash benefits to low-income people who have a disability, are blind, or are 65 or older.
To qualify for SSDI or SSI, the disability be a total disability lasting for at least 12 months (in a row) or that can be expected to result in death. The person must not only be unable to do his or her previous work, but also that he or she cannot -- considering age, education, and work experience -- do any other kind of work that exists in the national economy.
Can I qualify for SDI benefits while I am getting SSI or SSDI?
Yes. It's possible to qualify for California's State Disability Insurance (SDI) while you are on one or both of the federal programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). However, getting SDI benefits might make your SSI or SSDI benefits either go down or stop altogether.
How do I stay in the SDI program? How often do I have to reapply?
You do not have to reapply. However, you must tell SDI immediately if you:
- Go back to work part time or full time
- Recover from your disability, or
- Get any other type of income.
You must also imemdiately report the death of a person getting SDI payments.
At certain times SDI asks you to "certify" (fill out a form online or by mail) that you still qualify for benefits, and if you do not do this your benefits stop. If you are getting automatic payments, you are asked to certify after 10 weeks of getting benefits. If you are not getting automatic payments, you have to fill out a certification form every two weeks.
Once you are on SDI, as long as you are still unable to work because of your disability your benefit payments will continue up until the "return to work" date your medical provider listed on your application. If your disability lasts past that date, you and your medical provider must ask to extend your benefit period. SDI benefits replace up to 52 weeks of lost income, but if you get a partial benefit you might get payments for longer.
For details, see How long does the SDI benefit last?
Are there rules for immigrants to qualify for SDI?
The SDI application does not require any sort of proof of citizenship or immigration status.
Can I get SDI if I am currently still working but need to cut my work hours because of my disability?
Yes. You can get a partial or full benefit if you are working less than your regular hours.
Can I get both Unemployment Insurance and SDI benefits?
No. You cannot get Unemployment Insurance and SDI benefits at the same time. You should consider applying for Unemployment Insurance if you are now able to work and looking for work. You should apply for SDI if you are unable to work because of a non-work-related disability.
What happens if I work while getting SDI benefits?
If you can go back to work full time, you no longer get SDI benefits. If you return to work part-time, SDI looks at how much your SDI payments and your part-time wages are when added together. If that is less than what you earned before the start of your disability, you continue to get your full SDI benefit. However, if your SDI benefit added to your part-time wages is more than what you earned before your disability began, your SDI payment may go down.
For example, Sam earned $1,000 a week before his illness, and now gets $600 a week from SDI. After several months he's able to go back to work part-time, and earns $500 a week. His $600 SDI payment plus his $500 in wages is $1,100, which is more than the $1,000 Sam earned before he got sick. So his SDI payment drops to $500, but he continues to get this partial SDI payment.
If you get a partial SDI benefit, you might get SDI payments for more than the 52 week maximum (39 weeks for elective coverage). For details, see How long does the SDI benefit last?
When should I file my claim?
You must file your claim between 9 and 49 days after the start of your disability. You cannot submit your application until the 9th day, and if you wait too long you may lose your benefits. If you file your claim after the 49th day, include a letter explaining why you couldn't submit your claim on time.
Does SDI cover pregnancy?
Yes. For a pregnancy without complications, the benefit period is generally from four weeks before your due date to six weeks after your delivery. If your pregnancy prevents you from working before or after that period, your doctor has to explain why on the claim form.
Note: This article focuses on SDI for people with disabilities and Paid Family Leave (PFL) for people taking care of a person with a disability. If you have questions about Pregnancy Disability Leave, contact the EDD.
Learn more
Common Pitfalls
Getting Unemployment Insurance when you could be getting SDI instead
If you got laid off, but you can't actually work because of a non-work-related disability, it can be a mistake to apply for Unemployment Insurance (UI).
Many people don't know about the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program, and apply for UI instead. However, SDI can give you a larger benefit for a longer period of time than UI, and you won't get UI benefits if you're not able to look for work and accept work if it's offered. Plus, you can't get UI and SDI at the same time. So even if you are unemployed, it's better to apply for SDI if you have a non-work-related injury or illness that keeps you from being able to work. If you learn about SDI after applying for UI, you can transfer from UI to SDI instead of staying on UI benefits.
Giving up on EDD because they are difficult to reach
It can be frustrating trying to contact the California Employment Development Department (EDD) about State Disability Insurance (SDI) or Paid Family Leave (PFL) because EDD staff are often extremely busy and hard to reach, but it is important to keep trying, especially if you have questions about your application or what's happening with your benefits. EDD provides a list of ways to contact them, including online chat, phone, local offices, and by mail. You may need to try more than one way to contact EDD.
Tip: If you are contacting them by phone, the main English phone line is often busy, and you might want to call one of the non-English phone numbers -- the people who answer those lines are knowledgeable about SDI and speak English in addition to the other language.
Note: DB101 cannot answer questions about your SDI claim. If you have questions, please contact EDD.
Denying to yourself that you have a disability
Many people take a long time to learn to cope with a new condition, and in the beginning won't admit to themselves, their family, and their medical provider that they have an injury or illness that stops them from being able to work. Because of this, at first you might not be giving your medical providers an accurate or full understanding of your condition or how much it affects your day-to-day activities. It's extremely important that you let your medical provider know exactly what is going on, because in most cases State Disability Insurance (SDI) relies on your medical provider to let them know how serious your disability is, and how long it might last. If you haven't been completely honest with your medical provider and then apply for SDI, the report about your disability might be inaccurate or incomplete, and you might be turned down or you might be given benefits for a shorter period of time than you need. Note: In some cases, EDD may order (and pay for) an independent medical examination.
Not letting your medical provider know you're applying for SDI
Many people do not tell their medical providers about their plans to apply for State Disability Insurance (SDI). This can be a mistake, because SDI relies on your medical provider to let them know how serious your condition is, and how long it might last. Before applying, it's good to talk with your medical provider about your SDI application and your condition, how your condition affects your day-to-day life, and how long it might last. If the medical report sent to the SDI is inaccurate or incomplete, you might get turned down for benefits, or get them for a shorter period of time than you need them.
Filing late for benefits
You cannot apply for State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits until 9 days after the start of your disability, and you must apply withint 49 days from the date your disability began. Many people don't know about SDI, so they miss their chance to get benefits because they don't file by the deadline. If you do file more than 49 days after the start of your disability, include a letter telling SDI why you missed the deadline. You may be able to change the start date of your disability so you can still file your claim.
Not having paid into SDI, or not having earned enough in your base period
In addition to having a non-work-related injury or illness, to get SDI benefits:
- If you're an employee, you must have had California SDI taxes taken out of your paychecks, and you must have earned at least $300 in your base period (from roughly 17 months to roughly 5 months before the start of your disability).
- If you're an independent contractor or business owner, you must have paid into Elective Coverage for at least 6 months.
If you have not paid California SDI taxes during the base period, you do not qualify for SDI.
Example: For the last three years, you've been working for a company in Phoenix, Arizona. Three months ago, you got a promotion and were transferred to their office in San Diego. Since working in the San Diego office, 1.2% of your pay has gone to SDI. However, you don't qualify for SDI yet, because during your base period, you lived in Arizona and weren't paying into SDI.
Not keeping good records of your condition
The more records you have of your symptoms and how your disability affects your day-to-day life, the easier it will be to get approved for SDI benefits and, if needed, make a case for continuing your benefit payments past the date your medical provider originally said you should be able to return to work. Keeping a daily journal of even minor symptoms can help quite a bit, and can jog your memory when you are talking with medical providers about your medical condition. If your disability makes you unable to keep a journal yourself, a friend or relative can do it for you.
Learn more
Resources
SDI Resources
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) offers:
- An SDI website with detailed information on the program, including Paid Family Leave (PFL)
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Details about how to contact the SDI or PFL programs by online chat, over the phone, or at an office. You may need to try different methods to contact the EDD, because the main English phone line is often busy.
- Tip: If you plan to call by phone, you might try calling one of the non-English phone numbers -- the people who answer them are knowledgeable about SDI and speak English in addition to the other language.
- Instructions for applying for SDI online.
- Instructions for applying for SDI by mail
- Instructions for applying for PFL online.
- Instructions for applying for PFL by mail.
Note: DB101 cannot answer questions about your SDI claim. If you have questions, please contact EDD.
If you are a California State Government employee who is not covered by SDI, call 1-866-758-9768 for information on the Non-industrial Disability Insurance program.
For professionals and advocates looking for more details on the State Disability Insurance program, the California law governing SDI is found in the Unemployment Insurance Code, Sections 2601 – 3306. Plus, EDD provides a detailed Overivew of California's Paid Family Leave Program for policy makers, program administartors, and stakeholders.
Getting Help with Your Benefits
If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB), and you're looking for a job, a trained Benefits Planner can help you avoid problems with your job plan. If you need help or have questions about your situation, you can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY), Monday through Friday.
View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.
Community-Based Organizations
Various community-based organizations guide people through state, federal, public, and private health and income programs. Some organizations may work with specific populations while others work with people with any type of disability. Here are a few examples
Goodwill Industries services range from personal evaluation and office skills training to career counseling, childcare, and transportation. Some Goodwill Industries centers also do benefits planning for people who get SSI, SSDI, and Medicare. Find locations at www.Goodwill.org, or by calling (voice) 1-800-466-3945.
The California Foundation for Independent Living Centers lists centers serving people with all disabilities. Many of these centers do benefits planning for people who get SSI, SSDI, and Medicare. If they don't offer benefits planning themselves, Independent Living Centers can refer you to local benefits planners. Find the list of independent living centers at www.CFILC.org, or by calling (voice) 1-916-325-1690 or (TTY) 1-916-325-1695.
The California Department of Public Health's Office of AIDS lists 1,300 organizations offering HIV/AIDS services throughout California. Some of these organizations provide case management, benefits planning, and benefits counseling services that can include help with public and private benefits programs. You can search the list online, or call (voice) 1-800-367-AIDS (2437) or (TTY) 1-888-225-AIDS (2437).
Disability Rights California provides representation for consumers of public programs who are disabled. Website publications include topics on health care, benefit programs, and In-Home Supportive Services.