Disability Information

Employees who pay into the California State Disability Insurance fund are eligible to take both Pregnancy Disability Leave and Paid Family Leave.  This is a payroll deduction noted as CASDI on your paystub.  These programs are different from the federal FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) program.  The SDI programs help employees in California to replace a portion of their income while they are unable to work after having a baby.

You are eligible to take disability leave starting up to 4 weeks prior to your due date.  The amount of unused time prior to delivery may NOT be added to your postpartum disability leave.  It’s only available prior to your baby’s birth.

Once your baby has been delivered, you will be given 6 weeks to recover from a vaginal delivery or 8 weeks to recover from a cesarean delivery.  Disability pay is non-taxable income.

Disability can be extended only for certain specific medical reasons which prevent you from being physically or mentally able to perform your job duties. Please make an appointment to see your doctor, NP or PA if you feel you may have a disability which would require an extension.

After your disability leave has expired, you may take an additional 8 weeks of leave through the Paid Family Leave Program.  Paid family leave benefits are taxable income.  You may take the leave anytime during your baby’s first year of life, but most new moms go directly from Disability to Paid Family Leave so you have more time at home with your newborn.  Spouses who have paid into CASDI are also eligible to take 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave during the first year of your baby’s life. 

There is a 7 day waiting period at the beginning of any claim, which means that you will not be paid through the SDI program for the first 7 days of your leave.  You may take sick time, vacation or PTO if available through your company to make up for this loss of income.

These guidelines apply only to the SDI program through the State of California. They do not apply to private disability insurance purchased by you or your company or to certain state and federal government employees and independent contractors who do not pay into the SDI program. You should check with your HR department to find the specific disability policy of your employer. 

You are not able to file for disability in advance and must wait until after your last date worked has passed.  Once your filing is complete, you will get a receipt number. You will need to provide your receipt number (i.e.R00000000) to the office so our staff can provide medical certification of your disability leave. This can be done via phone, patient portal, email or in person. Our office charges a small processing fee which can be paid at the front desk. 

Please visit edd.ca.gov for more information about eligibility, calculating your benefits and answers to frequently asked questions.