How to Apply for Disability in California: SDI, SSDI, and SSI

To apply for disability in California, you file with one of two systems depending on how long your condition will keep you out of work. For a short-term illness, injury, or pregnancy, you file a State Disability Insurance (SDI) claim with the Employment Development Department. For a condition expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, you apply to the Social Security Administration for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both. The two systems have different eligibility rules, different forms, and different timelines, and many Californians end up using both.

Decide Which Program Fits Your Situation

SDI is a state program funded by payroll deductions. It replaces part of your wages when a non-work-related condition keeps you from your regular job, and it pays for up to 52 weeks.¹ It is not workers’ compensation, which covers on-the-job injuries, and it is not unemployment.

SSDI and SSI are federal. SSDI is for people who have worked and paid Social Security taxes long enough to earn work credits. SSI is needs-based and ignores work history, but requires very limited income and assets. Both require a condition severe enough that you cannot perform any substantial gainful activity, and expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.² That standard is far stricter than SDI’s, which only asks whether you can do your own job.

If your condition is temporary, file for SDI. If it is clearly long-term, file for federal benefits. If you are not sure, file SDI first because it pays faster, then apply for SSDI or SSI if the condition drags on. You can have a federal claim pending while SDI pays you.

Applying for California SDI

Who Qualifies

Three requirements have to line up. You must have earned at least $300 in wages that had SDI tax withheld during a base period of 5 to 18 months before your claim.¹ You must be unable to do your regular work. And the disability must keep you out of work for at least eight consecutive days.

Most W-2 workers in California have SDI deductions taken automatically. Check your pay stub for a line labeled “CASDI.” Self-employed people are generally not covered unless they signed up for elective coverage.

File Within the 49-Day Window

You can file as early as nine days after your disability starts, but you have to file within 49 days of the start date or you risk losing benefits.¹ Mark the date your disability began and get the paperwork moving. The fastest route is the SDI Online portal at myEDD. You can also file the paper form (DE 2501) by mail, but it takes longer to process.

Both Parts of the Form Have to Arrive

An SDI claim has two parts, and nothing moves until the EDD has both.

Part A is the Claimant’s Statement. You complete it with your personal, employment, and disability information.
Part B is the Physician/Practitioner’s Certificate. Your treating doctor or licensed practitioner fills it out, confirms the diagnosis, and estimates how long you will be out. They can submit it through SDI Online or on paper.³

Talk to your doctor before you submit Part A. If your statement arrives weeks before the medical certificate, your claim sits idle. Once both parts are in, expect information by mail in about two weeks.¹

What SDI Pays

SDI replaces 70% to 90% of your base-period wages, with lower earners getting the higher replacement rate. The calculation uses your highest-earning quarter in the base period. For 2026, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,765.⁴ Payments come every two weeks by check or direct deposit after a seven-day unpaid waiting period at the start of the claim.

Applying for Federal SSDI or SSI

Who Qualifies

Social Security does not pay for partial or short-term disability. Your condition has to prevent any substantial gainful activity, not just your previous job, and last at least 12 months or be expected to result in death.²

For SSDI, you need enough work credits. If you are 31 or older, that generally means at least 20 credits earned in the 10 years before your disability began; younger workers need fewer.⁵ Without the work history, SSDI is off the table no matter how severe your condition is.

For SSI, there is no work requirement, but the income and asset limits are strict. You will have to document every bank account and source of income, which is why SSI applications almost always involve an in-person appointment at a local Social Security office.

Watch the Substantial Gainful Activity Limit

One number can end a federal claim before anyone looks at your medical records. In 2026, the substantial gainful activity threshold for non-blind applicants is $1,690 per month.⁶ If you are earning above that when you apply, the SSA will deny your claim at the first step. If you are working part-time near the threshold, document how your condition limits your hours and productivity.

Where to File and What to Bring

You can file SSDI online at ssa.gov, by phone, or at a local Social Security office. SSI usually requires an in-person visit because of the financial review. Both programs use two main forms: the Application for Benefits and the Adult Disability Report, which asks about your medical conditions, treatments, and work limits.

Gather everything before you start. Incomplete applications stall.

Medical records and contacts: names, addresses, and phone numbers for every doctor, hospital, and clinic that has treated you, with dates of treatment, medications, and any test results you have.
Work history for the 15 years before your disability began, including the physical and mental demands of each job.
Financial records: W-2s or self-employment tax returns to verify earnings. SSI applicants also need bank statements and documentation of assets.
Personal identification: Social Security card, birth certificate, and proof of citizenship or lawful residency.

What Happens After You File

Once the Social Security field office confirms you meet the non-medical requirements, your claim goes to Disability Determination Services for the medical evaluation.² A DDS examiner pulls records from the providers you listed and applies a five-step process that looks at severity, whether your condition matches a listed impairment, and whether you can realistically do any work given your age, education, and experience. If your records are thin, DDS may send you to an independent doctor for a consultative exam at no cost. That brief exam is usually less helpful than a detailed report from a doctor who knows your history, so build your file with your own providers while you can.

The Five-Month SSDI Waiting Period

Even after approval, SSDI benefits do not start right away. There is a mandatory five-month waiting period from the date your disability began, and your first payment covers the sixth full month after onset. If the claim takes a year to process, you receive back pay for the months after that waiting period. The one exception: if your disability is caused by ALS, the waiting period is waived.⁷ SSI has no waiting period, though processing times still create a gap.

Collecting SDI and SSDI Together

You can receive both, but the SSA generally reduces your SSDI payment to account for the SDI you are getting. This offset applies to most private-sector employees. State and local government workers whose employment is covered under a Section 218 agreement with Social Security are generally exempt.⁸ If you are approved for both, your combined benefits will not exceed a set percentage of your pre-disability earnings. The SDI amount itself is not reduced; the adjustment happens on the SSDI side.

If Your Claim Is Denied

First-time denials are common, especially at the federal level. A denial letter is a deadline, not an ending.

For SDI, the EDD’s Notice of Determination prints your appeal deadline on the notice itself.¹ SDI appeals are usually straightforward because the medical standard is lower. A clear letter from your doctor explaining why you cannot do your regular job will often resolve the dispute.

Federal appeals run on a 60-day clock from the date you receive the denial, and the SSA assumes you got the letter five days after it was mailed. The first step is reconsideration, where a new examiner reviews your file from scratch. If that fails, you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, which is your first chance to appear in person and present testimony. ALJ hearings have a noticeably higher approval rate than the earlier stages. Beyond that, you can ask the SSA’s Appeals Council to review the ALJ decision, and as a last resort file a civil suit in U.S. District Court. Miss a deadline and the claim can end entirely, forcing you to start over.

Disability attorneys and non-attorney representatives typically work on contingency. For federal claims, the fee is capped at 25% of your back pay or $9,200, whichever is lower, and the SSA pays the representative directly out of your back pay. Most applicants find representation most valuable at the ALJ hearing, where someone who knows how to present medical evidence and question vocational experts can change the outcome.

1
Employment Development Department. Instruction and Information for Disability Insurance Benefits
2
Social Security Administration. How Does Someone Become Eligible?
3
Employment Development Department. Disability Insurance – Step 3 Have a Medical Certification Completed
4
Employment Development Department (EDD). Contribution Rates and Benefit Amounts
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Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits and Benefit Eligibility
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Social Security Administration. Substantial Gainful Activity
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Social Security Administration. Is There a Waiting Period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits?
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Social Security Administration. California Public Disability Benefits (PDB)