How to Apply for Disability in California

It is frustrating to not have the ability to work any longer, but there are still bills to pay and mouths to feed, so most likely you will need to file for disability. If you live in California and can no longer work due to a recent disability, you can apply for disability through the Employment Development Department. California has a specific form you will need to fill out, and you will need to send this form out to them within 49 days of the injury or illness.

Instructions

• 1

  The Employment Development Department has a new electronic claim filing system called SDI Online. You can file a claim and view claim information conveniently and securely online. State Disability Insurance claims can be filed electronically using SDI Online, or by ordering the Claim for Disability Insurance Benefits, DE 2501 Rev (12-03) Optical Character Recognition (OCR) form. Any claims received by SDI after March 1, 2013 must use the current forms; obsolete versions of the DE 2501 will be returned to you.

• 2

  Call the Employment Development Department office at 800-480-3287 (alternately, 866-658-8846 in Spanish or 800-563-2441 for TTY) if you are unable to fill the form out yourself because of your disability.

• 3

  Have your licensed medical care provider fill out the Doctor's Certificate of DE 2501. Your medical provider may register for SDI Online and submit the Doctor’s Certification online once you've submitted your claim. (Online submission is faster than mailing a paper form.)

  The only medical professionals that qualify to fill out the doctor’s certificate are a licensed medical doctor, psychologist, licensed midwife or a nurse practitioner.

• 4

  If you choose not to file online, but instead want to mail the DE 2501 Rev (12-03) Optical Character Recognition (OCR) form, mail it to the Employment Development Department after it has been completely filled out.