That's awesome that you got your first payment so quickly! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - make sure to keep track of your certification deadlines because if you miss one, it can really mess up your payment schedule. I almost missed my third certification and had to wait an extra week for that payment. Also, if you're planning to return to work before your full 8 weeks are up, you'll need to let EDD know or they might overpay you and then want it back later. Learned that one from a coworker who had to deal with that headache!

Just want to chime in as someone who's been through this process twice! The bi-weekly payments are definitely the norm, and I actually found it helpful for budgeting since it spreads out the income over the leave period. One tip I wish someone had told me - if you have any issues with your certification forms not showing up in UI Online (which happened to me once), you can actually call the automated phone line to complete your certification over the phone. The number is 1-866-333-4606. It saved me when the website was down during my certification window. Also, keep screenshots or records of when you complete each certification just in case there are any disputes later. EDD's system isn't perfect and having your own documentation can be a lifesaver!

As a new member who's currently 7 months pregnant and has been researching PFL extensively, this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I came here with the exact same question about doing some part-time consulting work during my upcoming leave, but after reading through everyone's real experiences and advice, I've completely changed my perspective. The key points that really convinced me: 1. The dollar-for-dollar benefit reduction essentially eliminates any financial benefit 2. EDD's strict interpretation of "bonding purpose" could lead to serious consequences 3. Multiple parents confirming that newborns are far more demanding than anticipated 4. The stress of managing work obligations would interfere with the actual bonding process I had no idea about resources like WIC, CalFresh, diaper banks, and community assistance programs for new families. This seems like a much smarter and safer approach than risking PFL violations. I'm also going to follow the excellent advice about meal prepping and stocking up on essentials before baby arrives. Thank you to everyone who shared such honest, detailed experiences - especially those who mentioned the reality of newborn sleep schedules and energy levels. This discussion has helped me understand that those 12 weeks should be treated as sacred bonding time, not an opportunity to multitask. I'm actually excited now to have that dedicated period to focus entirely on my baby and adjusting to parenthood without any work distractions!

As someone who just joined this community while researching PFL rules for my upcoming leave, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed and honest experiences! I was actually planning to do some remote marketing work during my 12 weeks, thinking I could manage it around baby's schedule, but this thread has been a complete wake-up call. The math on dollar-for-dollar benefit reduction really hits home - there's essentially no financial gain if my PFL gets reduced by whatever I earn elsewhere. Plus hearing from multiple parents about how unpredictable and exhausting those first months are makes me realize I was being way too optimistic about having reliable work time. The point about EDD viewing regular work as contradictory to the bonding purpose really concerns me - I definitely don't want to risk having to pay back benefits or face fraud penalties. That sounds like it could be financially devastating, way worse than just tightening our budget for a few months. I'm definitely going to look into WIC, CalFresh, and those local assistance programs everyone mentioned. I had no idea so many resources existed for new families! The suggestions about meal prepping and stocking up beforehand also make so much sense. This discussion has completely reframed my thinking - instead of viewing PFL as "time off where I could squeeze in some work," I now understand it's meant to be dedicated bonding time. Those 12 weeks sound like they'll be precious and irreplaceable. Thanks for helping me avoid what could have been a costly mistake!

I'm going through almost the exact same thing right now! My PFL claim for baby bonding has been showing "payments issued" for the past 2 weeks, but I haven't received any debit card or checks either. It's incredibly stressful when you're already dealing with a newborn and financial pressure. After reading through all these responses, it sounds like this is unfortunately way more common than it should be. I'm definitely going to try calling Bank of America's EDD card services at 1-866-692-9374 first thing tomorrow morning to see if they have any record of a card being issued to my address. If that doesn't work, I'll look into using Claimyr to actually get through to an EDD representative. It's so frustrating that EDD doesn't clearly explain these potential delays during the application process - when you're counting on this income, the last thing you need is to be left wondering where your approved payments disappeared to. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions here - this thread is going to help so many people dealing with similar issues!

I just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this exact nightmare last year! My husband's PFL payments showed "issued" for THREE WEEKS before we got anything. Turns out there were actually multiple issues - first the card got sent to our old apartment (even though we thought we'd updated everything), then when we finally got through to EDD they had to reissue it, and THEN Bank of America had some kind of processing delay on their end. The key things that finally worked for us: 1) Calling BofA EDD card services first at 1-866-692-9374 to confirm if a card was even issued, 2) When that didn't work, using one of those callback services to actually reach an EDD rep (sounds like several people here had success with Claimyr), and 3) Being really persistent about escalating to supervisors when regular reps couldn't see the full picture. The whole experience was absolutely maddening when we had a 6-week-old and bills piling up. But everyone I've talked to eventually gets their money - it's just that EDD's system has so many failure points that something almost always goes wrong initially. Hang in there, you WILL get this sorted out!

I'm a new mom who just went through this process last month! I used "Salary Continuation Benefits" on my DE2501 form and it was approved quickly. What really saved me was creating a simple checklist: 1) Get HR's official term for the program, 2) Get written confirmation of payment amounts and schedule, 3) Confirm whether they report to EDD directly or if I need to self-report, and 4) Ask for a contact person in HR for any follow-up questions during leave. The whole thing was much smoother once I had all these details nailed down upfront. Don't stress too much about the exact wording - EDD seems pretty flexible as long as it's clear your employer is supplementing your disability pay!

I'm also dealing with this right now and it's so helpful to see everyone's different experiences! My HR department calls it "Disability Income Supplement" but after reading all these responses, I'm realizing the most important thing is just being consistent with whatever term my company uses officially. One thing I'm curious about - for those whose companies coordinate payments directly with EDD, did you notice any delays in when you actually received your combined benefits? I'm trying to figure out if I should expect any timing differences between the EDD portion and the employer portion of my pay during leave.

Wow, reading through all these experiences has been both reassuring and frustrating! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - submitted my PFL claim about 10 days ago after finishing pregnancy disability and it's just sitting there saying "pending" with zero communication. After reading @Yara Assad's update about the SDI-to-PFL transition issue being the culprit, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what's happening with my claim too. The fact that EDD has known about this transition problem for years but hasn't fixed it is absolutely maddening. We're already stressed about finances with a new baby, and then we have to become detective-advocates just to get benefits we've been paying into! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service and use that "inter-program transition" phrase that @Nora Brooks mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and solutions - this thread is like a masterclass in navigating EDD's broken system. It's sad that we need to rely on community knowledge sharing to access our own state benefits, but I'm so grateful for everyone who took the time to document their experiences here!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - submitted my PFL claim for baby bonding about 12 days ago and seeing nothing but "pending" status. Reading through everyone's experiences, especially @Yara Assad's resolution, has given me so much clarity about what might be going wrong. I'm also transitioning from SDI to PFL and now I'm pretty convinced that's where my claim is stuck too. The advice about using Claimyr and asking specifically about "inter-program transitions" is gold - thank you @Nora Brooks and @Christian Bierman for those insider tips! It's honestly ridiculous that we need to become EDD experts just to access benefits we've already paid for, but this community knowledge sharing is invaluable. I'm going to try calling tomorrow morning right at 8:01 AM with all the magic phrases you've shared. For any other new parents reading this who are feeling stressed about delayed PFL claims - this thread proves that persistence pays off and we're definitely not alone in dealing with EDD's broken system. Thanks everyone for taking the time to share your experiences and solutions!