Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this process recently! I'm a freelance photographer and enrolled in Elective Coverage when I was about 10 weeks pregnant. One thing I wish I had known earlier is that your benefit amount is calculated based on your REPORTED income, not what you actually earned. So if you're conservative with your income estimate (like I was), your benefits will be lower even if your actual business income ends up being higher. Also, keep really good records of all your business expenses and income from the moment you enroll. When you file your actual disability claim, having organized financial records makes the process SO much smoother. I used a simple spreadsheet to track everything monthly and it saved me hours of scrambling later. Good luck with everything - the timeline is tight but definitely doable if you move quickly! And congratulations on your little one on the way! 💕

Just to add to all the great advice here - I'm a self-employed web developer who went through this exact process in 2024. One crucial thing I learned: when you're calculating your projected income for the DE1378N form, be realistic but don't lowball yourself too much. I was overly conservative and reported way less than what I actually ended up making, which limited my benefit amount to about $200/week when it could have been closer to $400. Also, pro tip: once you get your Elective Coverage approval, you can make your quarterly payments online through EDD's e-Services portal. Much faster than mailing checks! And definitely keep copies of EVERYTHING - your enrollment form, approval letter, payment confirmations, etc. You'll need them when you file your actual claims later. The fact that you're being proactive about this now gives you a real shot at making it work. Most people don't even realize self-employed folks can get these benefits! Wishing you the best with your application and congrats again on the baby! 🍼

Quick update on timeline expectations: For my PFL baby bonding claim after pregnancy disability, it took: - 2 days for the claim to show up in the system after filing - 7 more days for them to review and approve it - 1 more day for payment to hit my account So about 10 days total from filing to payment. Much faster than I expected based on horror stories I'd heard. This was just last month, so hopefully your experience will be similar.

Hey Malik! I just went through this exact transition last month and wanted to share a few tips that really helped me: 1. File your PFL claim online TONIGHT if possible - don't wait until Monday. The sooner you get it in, the sooner they start processing. 2. When you're filling out the application, there's a section where you can specify your desired start date. Since your SDI ended 1/15/25, put that date as your PFL start date to avoid any gap. 3. Have your baby's info ready (birth date, hospital records, etc.) but don't stress if you don't have the official birth certificate yet - the hospital paperwork works fine initially. 4. After you submit, you should get a confirmation email with your new claim number. Screenshot it! You'll need it if you have to call later. My whole process took about 8 business days from filing to first payment, which was way better than I expected. The key is getting that application submitted ASAP. Good luck!

I want to share one more thing that trips people up with the SDI to PFL transition. If your SDI claim was extended beyond the standard time due to your complications, make absolutely sure that your doctor has submitted the final medical certification with a clear end date. Sometimes this is where claims get stuck - when the disability end date isn't clearly documented. This ensures a clean transition to PFL.

Just wanted to update everyone - I successfully submitted my PFL application today and it went through without any issues! The online system was actually pretty straightforward once I got started. For anyone else in this situation, here's what I learned: 1) Apply immediately after your disability ends (don't wait for final payment), 2) Select "baby bonding" not "caregiving", 3) Make sure your doctor submitted the final medical cert with a clear end date, and 4) put today's date as your PFL start date to avoid gaps. Thanks to everyone who helped clarify this - you probably saved me weeks of headaches! 🙏

This entire thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm 30 weeks pregnant and due in mid-March, but after reading everyone's experiences here, I feel so much more prepared for whatever timing surprises my baby might have in store. @Summer Green, first off - huge congratulations on your little one! 🎉 Your question was absolutely perfect because it addressed such a common real-world scenario that the official EDD materials don't really explain clearly. The fact that your baby arrived on your last work day before the holidays is like the ultimate test case for how these benefits work! What really clicked for me reading through all the responses is @Gael Robinson's explanation that SDI and employer holiday pay are two completely separate systems that just coordinate with each other. I had been stressing about having to "choose" between them somehow, but now I understand you can receive both - EDD just adjusts your benefit amount based on what wages you report. The wage tracking advice from @Owen Jenkins and others is brilliant and something I'm implementing right now. Even though I'm still weeks away from potentially needing it, I can already see how having those amounts organized would make the certification process so much smoother when you're sleep-deprived with a newborn. I also really appreciated @Liam Murphy's HR perspective - it's reassuring to know that employers actually prefer transparency in these situations rather than employees trying to game the system somehow. This community is amazing for getting real-world guidance that goes way beyond what you can find in official materials. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is definitely getting bookmarked for future reference! 💕

This thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant and due in late February, and honestly, I had no idea how complex the timing could get with maternity leave benefits until I read through everyone's experiences here. @Summer Green - congratulations on your little one! 🎉 Your situation is like the perfect storm of timing complications, but it's so helpful to see how you worked through it with everyone's guidance. The fact that your baby decided to arrive on your exact last work day before holidays is both stressful and oddly convenient in a way! What really helped me understand this was how @Gael Robinson broke it down - that SDI and employer pay are two separate systems that just coordinate together. I was definitely overthinking this and worried about somehow "double-dipping" or getting in trouble, but now I see that transparency and proper reporting is what makes it all work. The wage tracking tips from @Owen Jenkins and others are so practical - I'm setting up a simple system now before I need it. And @Liam Murphy's HR perspective was really reassuring about employers actually wanting employees to be upfront about these situations. I'm bookmarking this entire thread because I have a feeling I'll need to reference it when my time comes! Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this community is such a lifesaver for navigating these confusing benefits. The official EDD materials make it sound so complicated, but hearing from people who've actually been through it makes it feel totally manageable. Hope you're enjoying those newborn snuggles @Summer Green despite all the paperwork stress! 💕👶

Just found this community while desperately searching for solutions to this exact same "system exception" error! I've been stuck with this message for my PFL claim for almost 2 weeks now and was starting to think I had somehow broken my application. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - I genuinely had no idea this was a widespread issue affecting so many new parents. I'm definitely going to try that automated phone system at 1-800-300-5616 that @Zainab mentioned first thing tomorrow morning. It sounds like that's been the most reliable workaround for people to at least confirm their claim status while the online system is completely broken. It's absolutely insane that we have to deal with this technical nightmare when we're already exhausted from caring for a newborn and really need this financial support to come through. The fact that EDD's system is this broken during such a critical time for families is just unacceptable. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and experiences - finding this community has honestly been a lifesaver during this whole mess!

Just joined this community after finding it through a desperate Google search about this exact "system exception" error! I've been dealing with this nightmare for my PFL claim for about 2.5 weeks now and was absolutely convinced I had somehow messed up my application. Reading through all these experiences has been such a massive relief - I had no idea this was affecting so many other new parents. I immediately tried the automated phone system at 1-800-300-5616 after seeing @Zainab's tip mentioned throughout this thread, and was finally able to confirm my claim is approved with payment issued on 2/13! Still haven't received anything yet though, so I'm going to search for any old EDD debit cards and try calling that tech support number 877-238-4373 that @TechNinja shared. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become system troubleshooters and payment detectives just to access basic information about our own benefits when we're already sleep-deprived and stressed about finances with a new baby. The fact that EDD's system is this broken during such a vulnerable time for families is just unacceptable. Thank you everyone for sharing your workarounds and experiences - finding this community has honestly been the only thing keeping me from completely losing my mind over this mess! At least now I know my claim exists and there's hope for getting my payment sorted out.