CALIFORNIA, USA — More than 18 million California workers are covered by the California State Disability insurance Program.
Joseph Roca told ABC10 he is having trouble with his application. He wrote in to ABC10 and asked, "When is a good time or day to apply for disability benefits?"
He said he is employed and will be out of work for several weeks due to surgery. He applied for disability insurance through the state's Employment Development Department (EDD), but he hasn't heard back.
EDD told ABC10 the day people become unable to work due to disability is the day disability begins.
EDD has requirements in submitting claims, which includes waiting nine days after becoming disabled to file a claim and filing a claim within 49 days of becoming disabled to avoid losing benefits.
But a huge volume of new claims is adding to an already large backlog.
EDD said filling out an application online is the fastest way to file a claim.
According to EDD, most benefit payments are issued within two weeks after they get a completed claim online or by mail.
There are videos on EDD's website that guide people through online registration and claim filing process. For more information, view the video below. You can also visit the disability insurance for EDD HERE.
Editor's Note: This story previously included statistics regarding backlogged EDD claims for unemployment.
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