Californians out of work because of an illness or injury can keep their income up during their time off by getting disability insurance (DI) payments. The benefits that are part of the state unemployment insurance program replace some of their lost income.

Benefits payments can average an amount a worker can live on during the days they are unable to work.

A Guaranteed Income

The earnings a worker made before they took time off to recover their health, or spend time going though pregnancy and childbirth, counts for a lot. The Employment Development Department (EDD) uses the earnings paid during the first 4 quarters of the last full 5 quarters to calculate the weekly benefits amount. No one can get a higher total benefit amount than the amount they earned during their 12 month base period.

When an employer keeps paying their worker wages, the benefits amount will be lower. The earnings and benefits can not add up to more than regular weekly wages. Vacation pay does not change the benefits amount.

Highest Amount Paid

There is a limit to how long a worker can get disability benefits. Fifty two weeks is the longest period for payments in the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program.

Eligible Workers

A typical claim for benefits can be changed to make a worker eligible or increase the benefits amount. Unemployed workers might have been unable to make any money during the 4 quarters in their base period or made too little money to get an amount they can live on. If they looked for work for at least 60 days they spent out of work, they can substitute wages they earned before those 4 quarters.

Employed Californians might also have a justification for using substitute wages made in earlier quarters. Military service during the base period is one justification. Living on an income that was partly or totally workers' compensation benefits that do not count in the base period wages keeps that earnings count low. They can substitute wages. Staying out of work because of a labor dispute is not unemployment, but it is a period no earnings were made. Substitute wages can change the earnings to an amount large enough to get a disability insurance income that pays for the costs of living.

Payments on Debit Card

When a payment is due, the worker does not need to walk into an office to pick up a check. Or, even wait for it to come in the mail. Payments are made on Bank of America debit card the EDD sends to workers. They have been since 2011.

Payments begin after a seven day waiting period. The payment period is typically two weeks. Workers still eligible to get benefits at the end of the benefits period can send in a Continued Claim form to get more benefits.

Source:

California Employment Development Development Department, Disability Insurance Provisions (May 2010).