Disability Insurance · Checklist · Reviewed July 14, 2026
Disability Insurance for your own health
Who California Disability Insurance covers, what it pays, and when the claim must be filed.
The short version
DI replaces wages during your own non-work disability
An eligible worker can receive about 70 to 90 percent of earlier wages, up to the 2026 weekly maximum of $1,765. Two clocks come with a new claim. The first seven days are generally unpaid, and EDD says to file no earlier than day 9 and no later than day 49 after the disability begins.
What changes the answer: DI pays benefits but does not protect the job. Check CFRA, FMLA, Pregnancy Disability Leave, accommodations, and employer policy on a separate track.
California Disability Insurance replaces part of lost wages for eligible workers. The first disabled day, CASDI wage record, medical certification, and filing window all matter.
How it works
The ordinary claim has five main pieces
The worker is unable to do regular work for at least eight days and loses wages because of an illness, non-work injury, pregnancy, surgery, or recovery. The worker was working or looking for work when the disability began.
The base period must include at least $300 in wages with State Disability Insurance deductions, often shown as CASDI on a pay stub. A licensed health professional must also certify the disability. EDD decides the claim after reviewing the full record.
Count the filing window from the disability start
The disability starts on the first day the condition keeps the worker from regular work. The first seven days of a new claim are a non-payable waiting period. The first payable day is normally day 8.
EDD says to submit the claim no earlier than day 9 and no later than day 49. The medical certification is part of the claim, so give the receipt number to the health professional promptly. A late reason can be reviewed, but filing late can cost benefits.
Earlier wages set the payment
EDD uses a 12-month base period with SDI-covered wages paid about 5 to 18 months before the claim starts. The highest quarter helps set the weekly amount. For 2026 claims, the estimate is about 70 to 90 percent of wages, with a $1,765 weekly ceiling.
Full DI can last up to 52 weeks or the amount of wages in the base period, whichever is less. A Notice of Computation shows a possible weekly and maximum amount. It is not an approval. EDD may still need medical or eligibility information.
Some work can continue during a DI claim
Part-time, intermittent, or reduced work can still fit when the condition causes wage loss and the other rules are met. Report every return to work and all wages. EDD may reduce the payment so wages and DI do not go over the worker's regular weekly wages.
A job-caused condition points to workers' compensation. Some employers use an EDD-approved Voluntary Plan instead of the state plan. Public workers and other groups may have a different coverage path, so the pay stub and employer benefit office matter.
Pay, leave, and an appeal are separate tracks
DI answers the wage-replacement question. CFRA, FMLA, Pregnancy Disability Leave, disability accommodation, employer policy, or a union agreement answers whether time away is protected. Start the employer leave request even while EDD reviews the DI claim.
Read every computation, request, payment notice, and extension form. A DI or PFL appeal is generally due within 30 days from the issue date on the notice. The notice controls the address and method. Keep a copy and proof that it was sent.
First moves
- 1
Write down the first day the condition kept you from doing your regular work and the last day you worked your usual schedule.
- 2
Keep pay stubs and look for CASDI or another State Disability Insurance deduction. Save employer details and wage records from the base-period months.
- 3
Confirm that the condition was not caused by work. A job-caused injury or illness belongs in the workers' compensation route first.
- 4
EDD says to submit a DI claim no earlier than nine days and no later than 49 days after the disability begins. Put both dates on the calendar.
- 5
Apply through myEDD and SDI Online or use the original paper form. Save the claim receipt and claim ID.
- 6
Ask the physician or practitioner to complete the medical certification promptly. A claim is not complete without the required certification.
- 7
Read each Notice of Computation, eligibility request, payment notice, and medical-extension form. Answer by the date on the notice.
- 8
Check job protection separately through CFRA, FMLA, pregnancy disability leave, accommodation rules, employer policy, or a union agreement.
Watch for
- 1
DI is for the worker's own non-work health condition. Paid Family Leave is for family care, bonding, or military assist.
- 2
Basic eligibility includes being unable to do regular work for at least eight days, losing wages, and having the required SDI-covered wages and medical certification.
- 3
EDD lists at least $300 in base-period wages with SDI deductions as one basic requirement. The base period and full claim record control the decision.
- 4
DI can cover part-time, intermittent, or reduced work when wage loss and the other requirements are met.
- 5
Some employers use an EDD-approved Voluntary Plan instead of the state plan. The employer's benefit office should identify that route.
- 6
DI pays benefits but does not protect the job. Leave and accommodation rights need a separate check.
- 7
A late claim can lose benefits. EDD can consider a late reason, but do not plan around an exception.
- 8
A DI or PFL appeal is generally due within 30 days from the issue date on the notice. Use the notice and current EDD appeal instructions.
Official sources
Where to confirm this
Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.
Use this as a map. It does not decide your rights, tell you what to file, or say someone broke the law. If a deadline, denial, eviction, firing, injury, tax bill, permit fight, or insurance dispute is on the line, use the official source or a licensed professional.