If you cannot work due to an injury or illness unrelated to work or to a pregnancy, California provides wage replacement benefits. California state disability insurance (SDI) provides short-term benefits equivalent to a percentage of your wages.
California is one of only five states that provide short-term benefits. This article explores SDI to explain the California disability benefits and other features, including how much disability pays in the state. If you have questions or need assistance, the disability lawyers at Sackett and Associates have been there for people with disabilities throughout California for the past 45 years.
Who does the SDI program cover?
California SDI benefits are available to workers who lost wages from being disabled and unable to work for a minimum of eight days. A person must have been employed and working when they became disabled, but coverage also applies to someone who was looking for work at the time of their disability.
The disability must be short-term and the result of one or more of the following:
- Illness or injury that was not work related.
- Pregnancy or childbirth.
- Elective or non-elective surgery.
- Rehabilitation for alcohol or drug use.
Applicants for SDI benefits must be under the care of a physician or medical practitioner who must certify that the person has a disability requiring time away from working.
SDI does not provide short-term benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses. If a person cannot work because of an illness or injury related to their job, their source of benefits would be workers’ compensation.
How Much Does California SDI Pay?
The SDI payment amount a person could receive each week ranges from $50 to $1,681 for as long as 52 weeks. The disability payment California works can receive depends on how much they earned in wages.
Applicants for SDI must have earned at least $300 with SDI payroll deductions during what is called a base period. California calculates a person’s SDI payment amount using the wages they earned during the five to 18-month period before the start of their claim.
The SDI disability payment California residents may be entitled to receive is a percentage of their wages during the five to 18-month base period. The maximum SDI weekly benefit payment is $1,681.
Applying for SDI in California
If you have a disability as certified by your doctor, you may apply for SDI benefits even if you are not working full-time. Working part-time, intermittently, or with reduced hours or wages does not prevent you from applying and being approved for SDI wage replacement benefits.
You must be disabled and miss work for seven days before you can receive SDI benefits. You must be under the care of a healthcare provider during the entire period of disability while receiving SDI benefits.
The state recommends that you do not apply sooner than nine days after becoming disabled. Do not wait too long because applications must be submitted within 49 days from when your disability began. Applying too late could result in a loss of benefits.
Applications for SDI may be completed and filed online or through the mail. It is up to you to request, and ensure that your healthcare provider completes, the medical certification required as part of the application process. As with the application itself, the medical certification may be completed and filed online or by mail.
It takes about two weeks from its receipt of your application and the medical provider’s certification for the state to process your claim for SDI benefits. If you are approved, you receive a notice that includes the payment amount. If you are not approved for SDI benefits, the notice sent by the state contains information about the reason and the appeal process.
Appeal an SDI Denial
A denial of benefits may be appealed, but you must do so within 30 days. The time to appeal runs from the date of the notice of denial of benefits, and not from the date that you receive it.
If you miss the deadline to appeal a decision, submit the appeal with an explanation that includes the reasons for not submitting it within the 30-day deadline. The administrative law judge assigned to decide the appeal reviews the explanation that you provide.
If it is determined that you had good cause for not appealing on time, the judge considers the grounds for your appeal of the denial. An administrative law judge may approve your claim for SDI or agree with the original denial of benefits.
Consult A Disability Benefits Lawyer
Whether applying for California short-term disability through SDI or long-term disability through the Social Security Administration, make Sackett and Associates your choice for advice and representation. Learn more by contacting Sackett Law today for a free consultation and claim evaluation.
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