State Disability Insurance

California State Disability Insurance (SDI)

How Does California State Disability Insurance Work?

California State Disability Insurance (SDI) pays about 70 to 90 percent of your past wages, up to $1,765 a week for claims beginning in 2026, when a non-work illness, injury or pregnancy keeps you from your regular work. It pays for up to 52 weeks after a 7-day unpaid waiting period. You apply online through myEDD between 9 and 49 days after your disability starts. Compare it with other states on the state disability insurance page.

Reviewed by Michael Rupe ·October 1, 2026

A pregnant woman sits on a green sofa typing on a laptop — Photo: Yan Krukau / Pexels

What California State Disability Insurance Pays

California State Disability Insurance (SDI) is the state program that pays you when you can’t work because of a health problem that didn’t come from your job. Its Disability Insurance (DI) part covers:

physical or mental illness or injury,
pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions,
surgery, including elective surgery, and
alcohol or drug rehabilitation, with some limits.

You can get between $50 and $1,765 a week for up to 52 weeks. The $1,765 maximum applies to claims beginning on or after January 1, 2026. Your weekly benefit amount is roughly 70 to 90 percent of what you earned, with lower earners getting the higher share.

EDD bases your benefit on the three-month quarter when you earned the most during your base period. The base period is 12 months of wages paid about 5 to 18 months before your claim starts.

Highest quarter of earnings	Annual income	Weekly benefit (approximate)
Less than $300	Up to $1,199.96	Not eligible
$300 to $722.49	$1,200 to $2,889.96	$50
$722.50 to $16,279.90	$2,890 to $65,119.60	90% of weekly wages
$16,279.91 to $20,931.30	$65,119.64 to $83,725.20	$1,127
$20,931.31 or more	More than $83,725.24	70% of weekly wages, up to $1,765

Your claim start date sets your base period. A claim that begins June 20, 2026, for example, uses wages from January 1 through December 31, 2025. EDD’s online calculator gives an estimate, and your actual amount is confirmed when your claim is approved.

Who Qualifies for EDD Disability

You may be eligible if all of these are true:

you can’t do your regular work for at least eight days,
you’ve lost wages because of your disability,
you were working or looking for work when the disability started,
you earned at least $300 with SDI taken out of your pay during your base period (it shows as “CASDI” on your paystub), and
a licensed health professional certifies your disability.

There’s no minimum number of hours or days you must have worked. Part-time workers and people with reduced hours can qualify. Your job must be based in California, but where you live doesn’t matter. Citizenship and immigration status don’t affect eligibility.

You need to be a patient of a licensed health professional within the first eight days of your disability, and stay under care to keep getting benefits. Physicians, chiropractors, psychologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, podiatrists and optometrists can all certify. Licensed midwives can certify normal pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum conditions.

The 7-Day Waiting Period

The first seven days of every DI claim are a non-payable waiting period. If your employer pays you wages for those days, it doesn’t affect your DI benefits.

After the first week, other pay matters:

Vacation pay: you can receive it at the same time as DI.
Full sick leave pay: you can’t receive DI for those days.
Partial sick leave: you may get full or partial DI.
Holiday pay and other pay: report it so EDD can confirm your eligibility.

You also can’t get Disability Insurance and Unemployment Insurance at the same time. If you get sick while collecting unemployment, stop certifying for unemployment, then apply for DI.

How to File With SDI Online

The fastest way to apply is online through myEDD, which opens SDI Online. You’ll create a myEDD account first. Then:

Wait until at least 9 days after your disability starts, and apply no later than 49 days after. Filing on the first day can cause delays or a denial.
Complete your part of the claim (Part A of the DE 2501) in SDI Online. If you file late, explain why on the claim.
Give your doctor or practitioner your receipt number so they can submit the medical certification (Part B) online. If they only use paper, give them Part B with your receipt number filled in.
Wait for EDD to receive both parts. It won’t process the claim until it has Parts A and B, and filing the same claim twice slows it down.
Watch for your first payment. EDD says processing takes about two weeks, and payments go to a Money Network prepaid debit card unless you choose direct deposit or a check.

You’ll need a paper application instead if you don’t have a valid California driver’s license or ID, don’t have a valid Social Security number, recently changed your name, or are under 18. Call DI at 1-800-480-3287 for help, or if you have questions about your claim start date before you file.

If your employer has an EDD-approved Voluntary Plan instead of SDI, get the claim form from your employer’s personnel or payroll office.

Pregnancy Disability Leave Benefits in California

DI covers pregnancy the same way it covers any other disability. Pregnancy benefits usually last 10 to 12 weeks:

Without complications: up to four weeks before your estimated delivery date and up to six weeks after delivery.
Cesarean delivery: up to four weeks before and up to eight weeks after.
With complications: your provider can certify a longer period, before or after birth.

You can start earlier than four weeks before your due date if a pregnancy-related condition requires it. Your provider may also certify you if your job puts you or your baby at risk, such as heavy lifting, continuous standing or regular chemical exposure. You can’t send in a claim before you stop working, because your claim begins when you lose wages.

After your last DI payment, once your provider clears you, EDD sends you a claim for Paid Family Leave (form DE 2501FP) to bond with your baby. Paid Family Leave pays up to 8 weeks in a 12-month period, at $50 to $1,765 a week. If you’re self-employed, EDD’s Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (DIEC) is how you buy into these benefits.

What Can Change Your Weekly Benefit

Once you’re approved, a few things can lower your payment or affect your claim:

Working part time. You may still get benefits while working reduced hours. If your part-time wages plus your weekly benefit add up to more than your regular weekly pay, EDD lowers the benefit by the difference. EDD’s own example: with regular pay of $1,000 a week, part-time wages of $500 and a $600 benefit, the total of $1,100 is $100 over, so the benefit drops to $500. With part-time wages of $300, the total stays under $1,000 and the full $600 is paid.
Old overpayments. A prior Unemployment Insurance, Paid Family Leave or DI overpayment can reduce your benefit.
Child or spousal support. Late court-ordered support payments can be taken from your benefit.
An independent medical exam. EDD may ask for a second opinion to decide your first or continuing eligibility.

Report all of your income. EDD warns that unreported income can lead to an overpayment, penalties and a false statement disqualification.

If your base period was hurt by military service, a work injury, a trade dispute or long-term unemployment, you can ask for a special base period. If you don’t have enough base period wages, call DI before filing. A later claim start date may give you a valid claim.

Is Your Job Protected While You’re on SDI?

No, not by SDI itself. EDD says Disability Insurance pays benefits but doesn’t protect your job. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) may protect it, depending on your employer and work history.

EDD tells your employer that you filed a claim, but it keeps your medical information private. If you need changes at work when you return, read about workplace accommodations under the ADA.

When to Apply for SSDI Too

SDI is short-term: it stops after 52 weeks. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is for conditions that have lasted or are expected to last at least 12 months, and it has a 5-month waiting period of its own.

If your doctor expects your condition to last a year or more, apply for SSDI while you’re still on SDI rather than waiting for SDI to run out. The SSDI guide explains who qualifies, and how to apply for disability walks through SSA’s application. The eligibility screener checks whether you have enough work credits.

If SDI ends and your income drops, California’s Medi-Cal may help with health coverage. See Medicaid for people with disabilities and the California disability help page for state programs, ABLE and vocational rehabilitation.

How California Compares With Other States

California’s program pays the highest weekly maximum and the longest duration of the six state programs. New Jersey pays up to $1,119 a week in 2026 for 26 weeks (see the New Jersey temporary disability guide), and New York’s employer-provided benefit is currently capped at $170 a week (see New York disability benefits).

If you’re caring for a family member rather than recovering yourself, California’s Paid Family Leave care benefits and other options are covered in how to get paid as a family caregiver. For every state’s rules, start at disability help by state.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Get My First EDD Disability Payment?

EDD says it takes about two weeks to process a new application and issue payment, once it has your completed application and your provider's medical certification. Payments go to a Money Network prepaid debit card unless you choose another option in myEDD.

Can I Get SDI if I Was Laid Off or Quit?

You can file, but you must have been working or looking for work when your disability began. If you were collecting unemployment, you stop certifying for unemployment and then apply for Disability Insurance, because you can't get both for the same days.

Does Immigration Status Affect California SDI?

No. EDD says citizenship and immigration status do not affect eligibility. You still need at least $300 in base period wages with SDI withheld.

Will My Employer Find Out Why I'm on Disability?

EDD notifies your employer that you filed a claim, but it says your medical information is private and is not shared with your employer.

Does SDI Cover Elective or Cosmetic Surgery?

It can. EDD says elective and cosmetic surgeries may qualify if your physician or practitioner certifies that you can't do your usual job duties because of the surgery.

Does SDI Cover Drug or Alcohol Treatment?

In some cases. EDD may pay up to 30 days for a licensed residential alcohol rehabilitation facility, plus up to 60 more days if certified, and up to 45 days for a licensed residential drug-free facility, plus up to 45 more. It doesn't pay when treatment is ordered because of a criminal violation.

More on State Disability Insurance

This guide explains official rules in plain language. It isn't legal advice, and only the agency that runs a program can decide your case.