SDI vs. Paid Family Leave: What's the Difference?
Both are paid from the same payroll deduction and use the same benefit formula. What each covers, how long it lasts, and how they fit together around a new baby.
State Disability Insurance (SDI) is the umbrella. Its Disability Insurance program pays when you can't work because of an illness, injury or pregnancy, for up to 52 weeks. Paid Family Leave (PFL) pays when you take time off to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member, for up to 8 weeks. Both come from the same 1.3% paycheck deduction and pay the same weekly amount, up to $1,765 in 2026.
Side by side
| Disability Insurance (DI) | Paid Family Leave (PFL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Your own illness, injury, pregnancy, childbirth recovery | Bonding with a new child; caring for a seriously ill family member; a family member's military deployment |
| Maximum length | 52 weeks per disability | 8 weeks in 12 months |
| Waiting period | 7 unpaid days | None |
| Weekly benefit | 90% of weekly wage for lower earners, 70% for others; $50 to $1,765 (2026) | |
| Certification | Your doctor or other licensed provider | The care recipient's provider (care), or proof of birth, adoption or placement (bonding) |
| Eligibility | At least $300 in base-period wages with SDI withheld | |
| Funded by | The 1.3% SDI deduction on all wages (no wage cap since 2024) | |
| Job protection | None in itself; see below | |
Disability Insurance: your own health
DI replaces part of your wages when a physical or mental condition keeps you from doing your regular work, including pregnancy and recovery from childbirth. The first 7 days are an unpaid waiting period, and benefits can continue for up to 52 weeks as long as a licensed health professional keeps certifying the disability. Details in how SDI benefits are calculated.
Paid Family Leave: someone else
PFL pays for time off to bond with a child in the first year after birth, adoption or foster placement; to care for a seriously ill child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or registered domestic partner; or for a qualifying event related to a family member's military deployment. It can be taken in pieces, such as a day a week, and there's no waiting period. Details in how Paid Family Leave works.
How they work together after a birth
- Before and after delivery (DI): EDD normally pays the birth parent from up to 4 weeks before the due date to 6 weeks after a vaginal birth or 8 weeks after a C-section, longer if a doctor certifies it.
- Bonding (PFL): when the disability period ends, the birth parent can switch to a PFL bonding claim for up to 8 more weeks.
- The other parent can file their own PFL bonding claim at any time in the child's first year, so both parents can get 8 weeks each.
You can't collect DI and PFL for the same days.
Same formula, same pay
Since 2025 (SB 951), both programs pay 90% of your weekly wage if it's below a cutoff tied to the state average weekly wage, and 70% (with a floor) above it, up to $1,765 a week in 2026. Your weekly wage is your highest-paid quarter in the base period divided by 13. The SDI calculator and PFL calculator give the same weekly amount for the same wages.
Getting your job back
Neither program guarantees your job. That comes from separate laws:
- CFRA: up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for bonding or family care at employers with 5 or more employees, after more than 12 months of service and 1,250 hours in the past year.
- Pregnancy Disability Leave: up to 4 months for pregnancy-related disability, at employers with 5 or more employees.
- FMLA: the federal law, at employers with 50 or more employees.
See CFRA vs. FMLA or check with the CFRA eligibility checker.
Taxes
California doesn't tax either benefit. Federally, DI benefits generally aren't taxable, while PFL benefits are reported on a Form 1099-G and are generally taxable. See California vs. federal tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paid Family Leave part of SDI?
Yes. Both are programs of State Disability Insurance, funded by the same 1.3% payroll deduction and run by EDD. Disability Insurance (DI) covers your own health; Paid Family Leave (PFL) covers caring for or bonding with someone else.
Do SDI and PFL pay the same amount?
Yes. Both use the same formula: 90% or 70% of your weekly wage from your highest-paid quarter, from $50 up to $1,765 a week in 2026.
How long do SDI and PFL last?
Disability Insurance can last up to 52 weeks for one disability. Paid Family Leave lasts up to 8 weeks in a 12-month period.
Can I get SDI and PFL for the same baby?
Yes, one after the other. A birth parent usually gets DI for pregnancy and recovery, then can file a PFL bonding claim for up to 8 more weeks. You can't receive both for the same days.
Do SDI or PFL protect my job?
No. They only pay benefits. Job protection comes from other laws: CFRA (up to 12 weeks at employers with 5+ employees), Pregnancy Disability Leave, and federal FMLA.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Sources: EDD Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave program pages and 2026 benefit table; Unemployment Insurance Code 2627 and 2655 (SB 951); Government Code 12945.2 (CFRA).