Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (DIEC)

DI provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to eligible DIEC participants when you can’t work and lose wages because of a non-work-related:

• Illness or injury (either physical or mental).
• Pregnancy, childbirth, or other related conditions.
• Surgery (including elective).
• Alcohol or drug rehabilitation (some restrictions apply).

If your disability is work-related and you have workers’ compensation insurance, your workers’ compensation benefits are used before your DI benefits.

PFL provides up to 8 weeks of benefits in a 12-month period when you need to take time off work to:

• Bond with a new child: For birth mothers transitioning from pregnancy disability benefits and new mothers (without a pregnancy disability claim), fathers, and foster or adoptive parents welcoming a new child into the family.
• Care for a seriously ill family member: For individuals who become a caregiver for a child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, spouse, or registered domestic partner.
• Military Assist: For workers taking time off to support a military-family member deploying to a foreign country. (Spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, or child)

The weekly benefit amounts are the same for DI and PFL claims. For calendar year 2026, the DIEC benefit amounts are:

• Minimum weekly benefit amount is $50.
• Maximum weekly benefit amount is $1,765.

We base benefits on net profits (income credits) reported to the IRS on your tax forms up to four years prior, depending on the timing of your claim. It is not based on your actual earnings during the base period quarters.

For weekly benefit amounts, check out the Disability Insurance (DI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) Weekly Benefit Amounts in Dollar Increments (DE 2589) (PDF).

The DIEC program is for:

• Sole proprietors.
• Independent contractors.
• Partnerships.
  • General Partnership.
    • A general partnership can include married couple co-owners who are active in managing the business. Not all active general partners need to be listed on the application.
  • Limited Partnership (LP).
    • Only those designated as general partners are eligible. Limited partners are not eligible because they are considered employees. They are subject to the mandatory provisions of the California Unemployment Insurance Code.
  • Limited Liability Partnership (LLP).
• Co-ownerships.
• Managing members of a Limited Liability Company, if taxed as sole proprietor for federal income tax.

To take part in the program you must:

• Be a sole proprietor of a business with employees or a self-employed individual.
• The regular trade, business, or occupation operates year-round, not seasonally.
• Have a valid license if your trade requires one.
• Report at least $4,600 in annual net profit on the Internal Revenue Service's Form 1040 Schedule SE.
• Earn more than half of your income from self-employment or sole proprietor activities.
• Plan to continue working as a self-employed individual or sole proprietor in California for at least the next eight calendar quarters.
• Wait 18 months after canceling a previous DIEC account before rejoining the program.

Review the following information if you are a:

• Public-school employee
• Public agency employee
• Community college district employee
• Member of an Indian tribe
• Employee of another organization that does not qualify as an employer or whose workers are excluded from coverage.

For More Information

• Specialized Coverage (Elective Coverage For Exempt Workers) (DE 231sc) (PDF)
• Information Concerning Elective Coverage for State Disability Insurance* ONLY Under Section 702.6, 710.4, 710.5, 710.6, or 710.9 of the California Unemployment Insurance Code (CUIC) (DE 1378p) (PDF)
• Employer Types – See Public School Employers, Public Entity Employers, and Indian Tribe Employers for more information.

You can apply for the DIEC program by completing an application and mailing it to the address on the form. You can download any of the following forms or call 1-916-554-7104 to receive them by mail:

• Application for Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (DE 1378DI) (PDF)
• Application for Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, and Paid Family Leave Elective Coverage Under Section 708(A) of the Unemployment Insurance Code (DE 1378A) (PDF)
• Application for Unemployment Insurance and State Disability Insurance Elective Coverage for Employees Exempted Under the California Unemployment Insurance Code (CUIC) (DE1378) (PDF)

For more information or help with forms and the application process, call the Taxpayer Assistance line at 1-888-745-3886.

Once you have an approved DIEC account:

• You must participate in DIEC for at least six months from the approved start date of your plan. After that, you are usually eligible to apply for DI or PFL benefits. You must pay all contributions to qualify for benefits.
• The best way to apply for your DI or Paid Family Leave benefits is by filing online. You must create a myEDD account before you can log in or apply for benefits using SDI Online.

Log In or Create Account

If you need more information, you can view more about benefits or your options to file for:

• Disability Insurance (DI)
• Paid Family Leave (PFL)

For calendar year 2026, we base DIEC premiums on the net profit you reported on your 2024 IRS Form 1040, Schedule SE, or Schedule C. We count 25 percent of that amount as wage credits each quarter.

The DIEC premium rate for 2026 is 8.84 percent of your net profit. The premium includes contributions for DI and PFL benefits.

Premiums by Net Profit

If the net profit shown on your 2024 IRS Form 1040, Schedule SE, line 3 or Schedule C, line 31 is:

• $4,600 or less, you will pay a 2026 annual premium of $406.64 in four equal quarterly installments.
• $4,601 or more, multiply your net profit by 8.84 percent to determine your 2026 annual premium. You will pay the premium in four equal quarterly installments.

For more information, review Disability Insurance Elective Coverage Rate Notice and Instructions for Computing Annual Premiums (DE 3DI-I) (PDF).

You can cancel your DIEC account but there are some rules:

• After choosing elective coverage, you must stay in the plan for two full calendar years. After that, you can stop your coverage.
• To cancel, send us a written request on or before January 31. Your cancellation will take effect on January 1 of the year you filed the request.

Send your written request to:

Employment Development Department
DIEC Unit, MIC 5
PO Box 826880
Sacramento, CA 94280‑0001

• We may cancel your coverage if your net profit is less than $4,600 for three consecutive years.
• We may choose to cancel your DIEC account if you no longer meet any program requirements. The cancellation will take effect in the quarter you no longer qualify for the program.

To speak with an agent, call:

• DIEC Unit at 1-916-654-6288.
• EDD Taxpayer Assistance Center at 1-888-745-3886.
• TTY users dial the California Relay Service at 711.

We are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Offices are closed weekends and holidays.

Send mail to:

Employment Development Department
DIEC Unit, MIC 5
PO Box 826880
Sacramento, CA 94280-0001

Questions about filing a DI or PFL claim? Visit the Contact State Disability Insurance page to talk to us by telephone, in person, or mail.