How to Calculate Your CA SDI Benefits
Navigate the complexities of CA SDI. Discover how your payments are assessed and the financial assistance you're entitled to.
California State Disability Insurance (CA SDI) is a state-mandated program providing partial wage replacement to eligible workers. This program helps individuals who experience a loss of wages when they are unable to work due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. It is entirely funded through employee payroll deductions. CA SDI includes two components: Disability Insurance (DI) for personal illness or injury, and Paid Family Leave (PFL) for caring for a seriously ill family member or bonding with a new child.
Calculating Your CA SDI Contributions
CA SDI is funded solely by employee contributions, which are deducted from payroll. For 2025, the SDI withholding rate for employees is 1.2 percent, an increase from 1.1 percent in 2024. This rate can change annually, so it is helpful to verify the current rate each year.
Effective January 1, 2024, the taxable wage limit was removed, meaning all wages are now subject to SDI contributions. Prior to this, there was an annual wage cap, such as $153,164 in 2023.
To calculate your SDI contribution, multiply your gross wages by the current SDI contribution rate. For example, if an employee earns $5,000 in a pay period, their SDI contribution would be $5,000 multiplied by 0.012 (1.2%), resulting in a $60 deduction. If an employee earns $800,000 annually, their SDI annual contribution for 2025 would be $9,600 (0.012 x $800,000). These deductions typically appear on pay stubs labeled as “SDI,” “CA SDI,” or “CASDI”.
Calculating Your CA SDI Benefit Amount
The calculation of your CA SDI benefit amount begins with identifying your “base period”. This is a 12-month period that ends before the last complete calendar quarter immediately preceding the start of your claim. For instance, if your claim begins in February 2025, your base period would be from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024.
The Employment Development Department (EDD) uses the quarter within this 12-month base period where you earned the highest wages to determine your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA). To be eligible for benefits, you must have earned at least $300 in wages subject to SDI deductions during your base period.
For claims beginning on or after January 1, 2025, benefits will generally provide 70%-90% wage replacement. Specifically, individuals earning 70% or less of the state average quarterly wage will receive up to 90% of their wages. Those earning more than 70% of the state average quarterly wage will receive 70% of their wages, or 63% of the state average weekly wage, whichever is greater.
The maximum Weekly Benefit Amount for 2025 is $1,681. Regardless of how high your earnings were in your base period, your WBA cannot exceed this cap. The total benefit amount you can receive is your WBA multiplied by the maximum duration of benefits, which is up to 52 weeks for Disability Insurance. For Paid Family Leave, benefits are available for up to 8 weeks.
To illustrate, consider an individual whose disability began in January 2025, with a base period of October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Suppose their highest earning quarter was Quarter 2 (Jan-Mar 2024) with $13,000. Dividing this by 13 weeks gives an average weekly wage of $1,000 for that quarter. If this individual falls into the 90% wage replacement tier, their WBA would be $900 ($1,000 x 0.90). If they fall into the 70% tier, their WBA would be $700 ($1,000 x 0.70).
Applying for CA SDI Benefits
Applying for CA SDI benefits typically involves submitting a claim through the Employment Development Department (EDD). The primary method for application is online via SDI Online, which is the fastest way to have a claim processed. Paper applications can also be requested and submitted by mail.
Before applying, it is helpful to gather information such as your Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and relevant medical records. A medical certification from a licensed physician or practitioner is required to verify your disability. This certification must be provided within the first eight days of your disability.
After creating an account and logging into the SDI Online portal, complete the application form, providing personal, employment, and medical details. It is important to submit your claim no earlier than nine days after your disability begins, but no later than 49 days, to avoid potential loss of benefits. Once a properly completed claim is received, the EDD determines eligibility within 14 days.