4 months waiting for EDD checks and hitting dead ends trying to reach PFL/SDI reps - desperate mama here!

I got through to an actual SDI rep two days ago! I had the best luck calling right at 8:01am, but used a specific method. First, I called the main EDD number (not the disability specific one), went through the prompts for Disability Insurance, then quickly pressed 0 three times when the automated message started. Got through to a human in about 15 mins who was able to see my claim, process my missing weeks, and explain what was happening. She said there's a glitch affecting maternity claims where the system isn't automatically processing subsequent payments after the first one. Apparently they have to manually review each case when this happens. Ask specifically for a "stop payment alert" review on your account when you get through.

have you tired faxing them??? i know it sounds crazy but i faxed the same document to them 3 times in one day and got a call back the next day. i think the key is to be super annoying lol. my sister works in goverment (not EDD) and says faxes are still takn seriously

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - I went through the exact same situation last year with my maternity leave. There's a huge processing backlog for 2025 maternity claims due to their outdated systems not properly handling the new 2025 benefit amounts. The most reliable way I found to reach them was using Claimyr - it's a service that essentially waits on hold for you and calls when an agent is available. I was skeptical but it worked amazingly well after weeks of failed attempts. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Their website is claimyr.com. Once I actually got through to someone, they found that my claim had been flagged incorrectly as "return to work" when I transitioned from SDI to PFL, and they fixed it on the spot. All my back payments came within 3 days.

TYPICAL EDD INCOMPETENCE!!! This is EXACTLY why I told my wife to just skip filing altogether and go back to work early. These people CANNOT be bothered to do their jobs!!! We waited 3 MONTHS for her first disability payment and never got ANY of her PFL money. They told us we'd "eventually" get back pay but we NEVER DID!!! The entire system is BROKEN!!! Our tax dollars fund these useless agencies and we get NOTHING in return!!! EDD is the WORST government agency in the ENTIRE STATE!!!

I've been having a similar issue with my PFL claim. What worked for me was sending a message through the online portal using very specific language. Don't just say you need help - specifically say "I am requesting an immediate review of claim #X due to non-payment for X weeks. I am experiencing financial hardship and request expedited processing." I sent that message on a Monday, got a call back Thursday from a supervisor who apologized and manually processed my payments. Worth trying alongside the phone calls! Also, try the online portal at 2am - seriously. The system does maintenance at night but sometimes that's when you can actually get a message through without the system crashing.

OMG girl dont even get me started about EDD!!! So my twins are 7mo now and I just finally got my full payments sorted last week!!! I had the EXACT same prblm where I got one payment then nothing... What finally worked was having my OB write a letter confirming my delivery date and inability to work during recovery. Faxed that + a letter explaining the financial hardshp to the appeals fax (not the regular one). Got call back in 3 days. Apparently theres some stupid glitch in there system for 2025 where if your disability claim start date is within 5 days of a calendar quarter ending, it puts subsequent payments on manual review???????? Like WHO DESIGNED THIS GARBAGE SYSTEM???

Just wanted to follow up - I think there's some confusion in the comments about terminology that might be making your search for help harder. For pregnancy-related benefits, you first get Pregnancy Disability Leave (SDI) for 4 weeks before birth and 6-8 weeks after birth depending on delivery type. Then you transition to Paid Family Leave (PFL) for baby bonding (8 weeks). They're both administered by EDD but processed by different departments with different phone numbers. Since you mentioned you've only received one SDI payment so far, you need to speak with the Disability Insurance office first to fix those payments before dealing with PFL. The number for DI is 1-800-480-3287. Once your SDI is sorted out, then you can address the PFL portion.