California State Disability Insurance (SDI) is a disability program under the Employment Development Department’s wing, where a portion of the employee’s income is routed to a state fund that offers short-term-disability benefits. SDI defines disability as any form of mental illness or physical injury that hinders one from performing regular and customary work. SDI pays 60%-70% of your wages for up to a year of being disabled.

After you have claimed for a disability benefit, you will receive your first check within two weeks.

If you have paid for the SDI, then you will be eligible for disability benefits under the following circumstances:

• You have a disability that is unrelated to the job.
• You are unable to work during pregnancy.
• You need to take a Paid Family Leave (PFL) to tend to a sick relative or bond with a new child.

You must also meet a few additional requirements to be eligible for an SDI:

• You have to be disabled or miss work for over seven days if you are an employee.
• You must be actively applying for jobs if you are not an employee and want to claim an SDI
• You need to have $300 in wages during the base period
• In order to receive SDI benefits, you must be under the direct care of a medical provider for the first eight days of your disability.

Note that if you get an injury due to work-related reasons, you can claim benefits from a separate program called Workers’ compensation.