EDD Disability is short-term wage replacement for California workers who can’t do their job because of a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. It’s run by California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) and is one half of the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program, the other half being Paid Family Leave. You pay into it every paycheck through the CASDI deduction, and you draw from it when a doctor certifies you can’t work. As of 2026, it replaces 70% to 90% of your wages, up to $1,765 a week, for as long as 52 weeks. Here’s how it works, who qualifies, what it pays, and how to file.
What EDD Disability Insurance Covers
Disability Insurance (DI) pays you part of your wages when a non-work-related condition stops you from doing your regular job. That covers illness, injury, surgery, pregnancy, and childbirth. Work-related injuries go through workers’ compensation instead, not DI.
DI replaces income. It does not protect your job. Job protection comes from separate laws like the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), and you may qualify for those at the same time you’re collecting DI. They run on parallel tracks.
DI is funded entirely by workers. Employers withhold the SDI contribution from your paycheck and send it to the EDD. For 2026 the withholding rate is 1.3% of wages, and since 2024 there’s no wage cap on it, so the deduction applies to every dollar you earn. You’ll see it on your paystub listed as CASDI.
Who Qualifies for EDD Disability Insurance
To get DI benefits you have to meet all of the following. You must be unable to do your regular or customary work for at least eight days. You must have lost wages because of the disability, or be self-employed and paying into Disability Insurance Elective Coverage. You must have been employed or actively looking for work when the disability started. You must have earned at least $300 in wages that had SDI deducted during your base period. And you have to be under the care of a licensed physician or practitioner within the first eight days of becoming disabled, with that provider completing the medical certification.
The $300 base-period earnings test is the one most people overlook. Your base period is a 12-month window of wages paid roughly 5 to 18 months before your claim starts. It does not include the wages you were earning right before you stopped working.
The 7-day waiting period
DI has a seven-day unpaid waiting period. You don’t get paid for the first week you’re off. Benefits start on the eighth day of your disability. Note that the waiting period runs from the first day your doctor says you were disabled, not from the day you filed. Paid Family Leave dropped its waiting period in 2025, but DI still has one.
How Much EDD Disability Pays in 2026
Your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) is 70% to 90% of the wages from your highest-earning quarter in the base period. Lower earners get the higher percentage. For claims starting on or after January 1, 2026, the maximum is $1,765 per week and the minimum is $50 per week. Here’s how the brackets break down, straight from the EDD:
| Annual income (12 months) | Highest-quarter earnings | Approximate weekly benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $1,199.96 | Less than $300 | Not eligible |
| $1,200 to $2,889.96 | $300 to $722.49 | $50 |
| $2,890 to $65,119.60 | $722.50 to $16,279.90 | 90% of weekly wages |
| $65,119.64 to $83,725.20 | $16,279.91 to $20,931.30 | $1,127 |
| More than $83,725.24 | $20,931.31 or more | 70% of weekly wages, up to $1,765 |
The jump to 90% for most middle-income earners came from Senate Bill 951, which took effect for claims starting January 1, 2025. Before that, DI paid 60% to 70%. Anyone still seeing the old 60% figure is reading outdated information. Over a full 52 weeks at the maximum, total benefits top out at roughly $91,780.
How your base period is set
The quarter you file in decides which 12 months count. If your claim starts in January, February, or March, the base period is the 12 months ending the prior September 30. A claim starting February 14, 2026, for example, uses October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. Claims starting April through June use the 12 months ending December 31. July through September use the 12 months ending March 31. October through December use the 12 months ending June 30.
You can’t change your claim start date or your base period once the claim is valid, and the start date affects both your weekly amount and how long you can collect. If your start date is on the edge of a quarter, call DI at 1-800-480-3287 before you file. The EDD also has an estimator at edd.ca.gov if you want a ballpark number first.
How Long EDD Disability Lasts
The maximum is 52 weeks of benefits for a single disability. Most claims run shorter, ending when your doctor clears you to return to work. Your benefits can also be cut if you have a prior EDD overpayment, owe court-ordered child or spousal support, or work part time while collecting. On the part-time point: if your part-time wages plus your weekly benefit add up to more than your regular weekly wage, the EDD trims your benefit by the overage.
How EDD Pays You
Once your claim is approved, the EDD pays through the Money Network debit card or, if you ask for it, direct deposit. You can also choose payment by check. Most people see their first payment within a couple of weeks of approval, and after that benefits are generally issued every two weeks for as long as your doctor keeps certifying the disability.
How to Apply for EDD Disability
The fastest way to file is online through myEDD, the EDD’s account portal, which gives you access to SDI Online. Mail is the slower alternative using the paper Claim for Disability Insurance (DI) Benefits form, DE 2501, which you can order from the EDD.
Timing matters. File no earlier than nine days after your disability begins and no later than 49 days. File too late and you can lose benefits for the days you missed. You’ll need your Social Security number, your most recent employer’s name and address, your last day worked, and the date your disability started. The other required piece is the medical certification, which your physician or practitioner submits, also within 49 days. The claim isn’t complete until that certification is in.
Special Base Periods and Other Situations
If your normal base period doesn’t reflect what you actually earn, you may be able to ask for a special one. This applies if your base period was hurt by military service, an industrial (work-related) disability, a trade dispute, or long-term unemployment. If you don’t have enough base-period wages, you may be able to establish a valid claim with a later start date, or substitute wages from other quarters if you were looking for work for 60 days or more in a quarter. Call DI at 1-800-480-3287 to sort any of these out before filing.
Appealing an EDD Decision
If the EDD denies your claim or sets a benefit amount you disagree with, you can appeal. Send your appeal in writing to the DI office within the deadline on your notice. From there you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, and if that goes against you, take it to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. You’re entitled to know the reasoning behind any decision on your benefits, so ask for it.
EDD Disability vs. Paid Family Leave
People mix these up because they’re both part of SDI and paid the same way. Disability Insurance is for your own non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Paid Family Leave is for time off to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. Same wage-replacement rates, same paycheck deduction, different reasons. If you’re recovering from childbirth you typically take DI first, then move to PFL for bonding time.
EDD Disability FAQs
Who is eligible for EDD disability benefits?
California workers who can’t do their regular job for at least eight days due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy, who lost wages because of it, who paid at least $300 into SDI during their base period, and who are under the care of a licensed physician. Self-employed people who bought Disability Insurance Elective Coverage can also qualify.
How much does EDD disability pay in 2026?
Between 70% and 90% of your highest-quarter wages, depending on income, up to a maximum of $1,765 a week and a minimum of $50 a week. Most earners now get 90% under SB 951.
How long do EDD disability benefits last?
Up to 52 weeks for one disability. Payments stop sooner if your doctor clears you to return to work.
Is there a waiting period for EDD disability?
Yes. DI has a seven-day unpaid waiting period, so benefits begin on the eighth day of your disability. The waiting period runs from the first day your doctor certifies you were disabled.
How do I apply for EDD disability?
File online through myEDD and SDI Online, or by mailing the paper DE 2501 form. File no earlier than nine days and no later than 49 days after your disability begins, and make sure your doctor submits the medical certification within 49 days.
What’s the difference between EDD disability and Paid Family Leave?
Disability Insurance covers your own illness, injury, or pregnancy. Paid Family Leave covers caring for a sick family member or bonding with a new child. Both are part of SDI and use the same wage-replacement rates.
Is EDD disability taxable?
DI benefits are generally not taxable, with one exception: if you’re receiving DI as a substitute for unemployment benefits, that portion may be taxable and reported on a 1099G. PFL benefits, by contrast, are federally taxable.
For the official eligibility rules and to file a claim, go to the EDD Disability Insurance pages at edd.ca.gov or call 1-800-480-3287.
See Also
Long Term Disability Insurance
Dental Insurance for Senior Citizens
