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Stuck waiting for PFL benefits after transitioning from SDI - no payment after 3 weeks!

Hey everyone - I'm feeling totally lost in EDD paperwork purgatory right now! I just had my baby 2 months ago and was on regular disability (SDI) for recovery. Now I'm trying to transition to Paid Family Leave to bond with my little one, but it's been a complete mess. I submitted the DE 2501FP form for new mothers through SDI Online about 3 weeks ago, and I've heard absolutely NOTHING back. No confirmation, no updates, no payments... just silence. My disability benefits already ran out last week, so I'm starting to panic about bills. Is there something else I was supposed to do? Did I miss a step in the process? Do I need to call them (ugh)? Has anyone successfully transitioned from disability to PFL recently without issues? This is my first baby and I'm already overwhelmed without adding financial stress!

Micah Trail

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congrats on the baby! same thing happened 2 me in january. took like 4 weeks to get paid even tho they say it should be faster for transitions. just wait a few more days, they're always behind

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Kristin Frank

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4 weeks?? That's ridiculous! Did you have to do anything to push it through or did it just suddenly start working? I'm getting really stressed because I budgeted for these payments to start right after my disability ended.

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Nia Watson

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There are a few things you should check to make sure your transition from SDI to PFL is processing correctly: 1. Verify in your SDI Online account that your DE 2501FP shows as "received" not just "submitted" 2. Make sure you completed the bonding certification questions when you submitted the form 3. Check if there are any outstanding items in your SDI Online inbox requiring action In my experience, the transition from disability to PFL for new mothers should be pretty smooth since you're already in their system. The standard processing time is 14 calendar days, but they've been running behind lately. If you're approaching week 4 with no updates, you should definitely call them.

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Kristin Frank

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Thank you for the detailed checklist! I just checked and my form does show as "received" in the system, and I don't see any outstanding items in my inbox. I'm pretty sure I completed all the bonding certification questions too. Guess I need to call them... which I've been avoiding because I've heard the wait times are insane.

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I just went through this last month! One thing no one tells you - did you check if your doctor submitted the correct end date for your disability? If there's an overlap between when your disability ends and when your PFL claim starts, the system gets confused and puts you in limbo. That might be why you're not hearing anything back.

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Kristin Frank

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Hmmm, that's interesting. My doctor did submit my release to return to work date, but I never thought about a potential overlap issue. How would I even check that? Is that something I can see in my SDI Online account?

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Yes! Go to your claim details for your disability claim and look at the end date. Then check when your PFL claim is set to start. There shouldn't be even one day of overlap. If there is, you definitely need to call and get it fixed.

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This happened to ME too! The EDD system is TERRIBLE for new mothers!!! I was on regular disability after giving birth and when I tried to switch to PFL they made me wait SIX WEEKS with no money at all! I called like 50 times and never got through. Then one day the payments just randomly started coming. They didn't even backpay me for the first week because they said I "didn't certify properly" which was a complete LIE! The whole system is designed to frustrate new mothers when we're at our most vulnerable and sleep deprived. It's CRIMINAL how they treat us!!

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Marcus Marsh

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I understand your frustration, but there is actually a standard 7-day waiting period built into the SDI program structure (though not for PFL). The transition issues are usually due to processing delays rather than intentional obstacles. While it's extremely frustrating, I've found that understanding the technical process helps navigate it better. The system isn't designed to be difficult - it's just poorly implemented and understaffed.

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Hailey O'Leary

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did u actually submit through SDI Online or did u just mail the form? cuz when i did mine i thought the online part was enough but then i found out u still have to answer the certification questions every 2 weeks even for pfl or they dont pay you.

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Kristin Frank

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I definitely submitted through SDI Online, not by mail. And I thought PFL didn't require bi-weekly certifications like regular disability does? Now I'm confused...

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Marcus Marsh

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To clarify: PFL does NOT require bi-weekly certifications like regular disability. For PFL bonding claims, you certify once at the beginning for the entire bonding period (up to 8 weeks). Don't worry about missing bi-weekly certifications for PFL - that's not the issue here.

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Cedric Chung

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I just went through this transition in March this year. What worked for me was using Claimyr to get through to an actual EDD rep on the phone. I spent days trying to call myself with no luck, but with Claimyr I got through in about 20 minutes. The rep found that my PFL claim was stuck in processing because of some technical glitch on their end! Something about the system not properly linking my existing SDI claim to the new PFL claim even though I did everything right. They fixed it right away and my payments started the next week with backpay. You can see how it works at claimyr.com or check their demo video: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. Definitely worth it when you're dealing with time-sensitive benefits.

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Kristin Frank

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Thanks for the tip! I hadn't heard of this service before. Did they explain what the specific glitch was? I'm wondering if I might be dealing with something similar.

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Cedric Chung

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The rep said something about my claims being "siloed" in their system - basically my PFL application wasn't being connected to my existing SDI claim history even though they should automatically link since I was using the transition form. She had to manually flag it for the claims processing team to review. Apparently it's a common issue right now.

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Talia Klein

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Have you checked if your employer reported your wages correctly? I had a similar issue when transitioning from SDI to PFL with my second baby and it turned out my employer had reported different quarterly wages to EDD than what I had on my pay stubs. This caused a delay while EDD tried to reconcile the difference. Might be worth checking your wage statement in your SDI Online account against your actual pay records. Also, while waiting, make sure you're documenting everything - take screenshots of your submitted forms, note down dates of any phone calls, etc. This will help if you need to request retroactive payments later. The system is frustrating but most transition delays do eventually get resolved with full back pay.

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Kristin Frank

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That's a good idea about documenting everything. I'll start doing that right away. I didn't think about potential wage reporting issues - I'm going to check that right now. Thanks for the suggestion!

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Nia Watson

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One more thing to check: Did you select the correct "Claim Type" when you submitted your DE 2501FP? There are three options for new mothers: 1. Disability Insurance Claim Only (for pregnancy/birth recovery) 2. Paid Family Leave Claim Only (if you're just filing for bonding) 3. Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave Claims (for transitioning from one to the other) If you didn't select option #3, that could explain the delay. You'd need to call EDD to correct it.

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Kristin Frank

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Oh wow, I think this might be it! I'm trying to remember which option I selected, and I'm not 100% sure I picked #3. Is there any way to check what I selected now, or do I absolutely have to call them to find out?

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Nia Watson

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Unfortunately there's no way to view your original selection after submission. You'll need to call EDD to verify which option was selected and have them correct it if needed. If this is the issue, they can usually fix it while you're on the phone and expedite processing of your PFL claim.

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Marcus Marsh

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Based on your situation and timeline, I would recommend calling EDD directly. While the standard processing time for PFL claims is 14 days, transitions from SDI sometimes require manual review, especially if there was any change in your personal information or employment status. When you call, specifically ask the representative to check for: 1. Any "stop payments" on your claim 2. Whether your PFL claim is properly linked to your previous SDI claim 3. If there are any identity verification issues pending 4. Whether your claim is in the "computation queue" (where they calculate your benefit amount) Make sure to call the specific PFL number (1-877-238-4373) rather than the general EDD number. Best times to call are Tuesday-Thursday right when they open at 8:00 AM or during lunch hours (12-1 PM) when call volume tends to be slightly lower. I completely understand how stressful this is while caring for a newborn. The good news is that once resolved, they will backpay all benefits owed from your PFL start date.

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Kristin Frank

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Thank you so much for this detailed advice! I'll try calling tomorrow morning right at 8:00 AM with your list of specific questions. It's a relief to know they'll backpay the benefits once this gets resolved. Fingers crossed I can actually get through to someone!

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