Sdi Calculator California

California SDI Benefit Calculator

Estimate your potential weekly and total State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits in California.

Enter the total wages you earned in your highest-paid calendar quarter during your SDI base period. This is typically the 12 months ending before the last complete calendar quarter prior to your claim's effective date.

function calculateSDIBenefits() { var highestQuarterEarningsInput = document.getElementById("highestQuarterEarnings"); var highestQuarterEarnings = parseFloat(highestQuarterEarningsInput.value); // Constants for 2024 (these can be updated annually based on EDD announcements) var MAX_WEEKLY_BENEFIT = 1620; // For claims beginning on or after January 1, 2024 var MIN_WEEKLY_BENEFIT = 50; // Thresholds for benefit rate calculation based on EDD guidelines for 2024 var THRESHOLD_70_PERCENT_MAX_EARNINGS = 7154.29; // Earnings up to this amount get 70% var THRESHOLD_MIN_BENEFIT_EARNINGS = 929.20; // Earnings up to this amount get $50 if (isNaN(highestQuarterEarnings) || highestQuarterEarnings < 0) { document.getElementById("weeklyBenefit").innerText = "Please enter a valid positive number for earnings."; document.getElementById("totalBenefit").innerText = ""; return; } var weeklyBenefitAmount; var averageWeeklyWageInQuarter = highestQuarterEarnings / 13; // 13 weeks in a quarter if (highestQuarterEarnings <= THRESHOLD_MIN_BENEFIT_EARNINGS) { weeklyBenefitAmount = MIN_WEEKLY_BENEFIT; } else if (highestQuarterEarnings THRESHOLD_70_PERCENT_MAX_EARNINGS (i.e., >= 7154.30) weeklyBenefitAmount = averageWeeklyWageInQuarter * 0.60; } // Apply minimum and maximum weekly benefit caps weeklyBenefitAmount = Math.max(MIN_WEEKLY_BENEFIT, weeklyBenefitAmount); weeklyBenefitAmount = Math.min(MAX_WEEKLY_BENEFIT, weeklyBenefitAmount); var totalBenefitAmount = weeklyBenefitAmount * 52; // Maximum 52 weeks of benefits document.getElementById("weeklyBenefit").innerText = "$" + weeklyBenefitAmount.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("totalBenefit").innerText = "$" + totalBenefitAmount.toFixed(2); } // Run calculation on page load with default value document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() { calculateSDIBenefits(); });

Understanding California State Disability Insurance (SDI)

California's State Disability Insurance (SDI) program provides short-term wage replacement benefits to eligible workers who are unable to work due to a non-work-related illness or injury, or a pregnancy. This includes both Disability Insurance (DI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits, though this calculator focuses on DI benefits.

Who is Eligible for SDI?

To be eligible for SDI benefits, you must:

• Be unable to do your regular work for at least eight consecutive days due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy.
• Be employed or actively looking for work at the time your disability began.
• Have earned at least $300 in wages subject to SDI deductions during your SDI base period.
• Have a physician/practitioner certify your disability.
• Have lost wages due to your disability.

What is the SDI Base Period?

Your SDI benefits are calculated based on the wages you earned during a specific 12-month period called the "base period." The base period is typically the 12 months ending before the last complete calendar quarter prior to the start date of your disability claim. For example, if your disability began on April 15, 2024 (in the second quarter of 2024), your base period would be the 12 months from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.

The California Employment Development Department (EDD) uses the quarter in your base period where you earned the highest wages to determine your weekly benefit amount.

How are SDI Benefits Calculated?

Your weekly SDI benefit amount is generally 60 to 70 percent of the wages you earned in your highest-paid quarter of your base period. However, there are minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts set by the EDD, which are updated annually. For claims beginning on or after January 1, 2024, the minimum weekly benefit is $50, and the maximum weekly benefit is $1,620.

The calculation roughly follows these steps:

1. Identify Highest Quarterly Earnings: The EDD determines your highest-paid calendar quarter within your base period.
2. Calculate Average Weekly Wage: Your highest quarterly earnings are divided by 13 (the number of weeks in a quarter) to get an average weekly wage for that quarter.
3. Determine Benefit Rate:
   • If your highest quarterly earnings are very low (e.g., $929.20 or less for 2024), your weekly benefit will be the minimum of $50.
   • If your highest quarterly earnings are moderate (e.g., between $929.21 and $7,154.29 for 2024), your weekly benefit is approximately 70% of your average weekly wage in that quarter.
   • If your highest quarterly earnings are higher (e.g., $7,154.30 or more for 2024), your weekly benefit is approximately 60% of your average weekly wage in that quarter.
4. Apply Caps: The calculated amount is then capped by the current minimum ($50) and maximum ($1,620 for 2024) weekly benefit amounts.

The maximum duration for SDI benefits is 52 weeks, meaning the total benefit you can receive is your weekly benefit amount multiplied by 52.

Example Scenarios:

• Scenario 1: Low Earnings
  If your highest quarterly earnings were $500, your estimated weekly benefit would be the minimum of $50. Total estimated benefit: $50 x 52 = $2,600.
• Scenario 2: Moderate Earnings
  If your highest quarterly earnings were $5,000, your average weekly wage in that quarter would be $5,000 / 13 = $384.62. Your estimated weekly benefit (70%) would be $384.62 x 0.70 = $269.23. Total estimated benefit: $269.23 x 52 = $13,999.96.
• Scenario 3: High Earnings (60% tier)
  If your highest quarterly earnings were $20,000, your average weekly wage in that quarter would be $20,000 / 13 = $1,538.46. Your estimated weekly benefit (60%) would be $1,538.46 x 0.60 = $923.08. Total estimated benefit: $923.08 x 52 = $47,999.96.
• Scenario 4: Maximum Benefits
  If your highest quarterly earnings were $40,000, your average weekly wage in that quarter would be $40,000 / 13 = $3,076.92. Your estimated weekly benefit (60%) would be $3,076.92 x 0.60 = $1,846.15. However, this is capped at the maximum weekly benefit of $1,620. Total estimated benefit: $1,620 x 52 = $84,240.00.

Remember, this calculator provides an estimate. The EDD makes the final determination of eligibility and benefit amounts based on your specific claim details and the laws in effect at the time of your claim.