This thread has been such a goldmine of information! I'm an IHSS provider for my disabled mom and also work part-time at a pharmacy. My fiancé and I are getting married next year and hoping to start our family shortly after, so I've been trying to research all of this ahead of time. What's really encouraging is seeing how many people have successfully managed both IHSS and EDD benefits with proper planning. The recurring advice about early communication with your social worker, transparency with both agencies, and understanding that these are truly separate employment situations makes so much sense. I'm planning to bring this up at our next IHSS review meeting, even though we're still months away from actually trying to conceive. It seems like the people who had the smoothest experiences were the ones who got all their ducks in a row beforehand. Also definitely saving that Claimyr service info - after reading about everyone's struggles with EDD's phone system, having a reliable way to actually speak to someone seems like it would be worth its weight in gold! Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their real experiences here. This kind of practical, detailed advice is exactly what you need but can never find on official websites. You've all given me so much more confidence that we can actually make this work without sacrificing our financial stability through IHSS. Truly appreciate this amazing community support!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm an IHSS provider for my disabled teenage daughter and also work part-time at a local dental office. My husband and I have been hesitant to have another child specifically because I was terrified about how it might affect our IHSS benefits - which are honestly our primary source of income. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has completely changed my perspective. The fact that so many people have successfully maintained both IHSS payments and received SDI/PFL benefits gives me real hope that this is actually doable. What I'm taking away from all the success stories is that the key factors are: 1) Having that proactive conversation with your IHSS social worker well before you need benefits, 2) Being completely upfront with both agencies about your dual employment situation, 3) Understanding that SDI/PFL only covers your regular W-2 job while IHSS operates independently, and 4) Planning for temporary assistance with any physical care tasks you might not be able to perform during recovery. I'm definitely going to reach out to our social worker at our next quarterly meeting to discuss this scenario, even though we're still just considering expanding our family. Better to understand the process now than scramble to figure it out when we actually need it. And like everyone else, I'm absolutely bookmarking that Claimyr service! The EDD phone system horror stories are genuinely frightening - having a way to actually reach a human when needed seems like it could save so much stress and confusion. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences here, especially those who provided step-by-step guidance. This discussion has transformed what felt like an impossible choice into a manageable plan with proper preparation!

One small but important detail to add - make sure you keep detailed records of your wages from both jobs during your base period (the 12-18 months before your claim). Sometimes EDD's wage records aren't complete, especially if you recently started one of the jobs. Having your own pay stubs can help resolve any discrepancies quickly. Also, if either employer changes their payroll system or gets acquired by another company, that can sometimes cause wage reporting delays that could affect your claim timing. Good luck with everything!

I’m trying to apply for PFL for baby bonding but when go on the application it only lets me list one employer even after in choose yes on the option that I have a second job? Should I submitted two separate claims or how should I go about it if I can’t submitted second employer information and get ahold of Edd thank you

I'm also new here and currently going through this exact nightmare! My baby bonding PFL was supposed to end this Friday but my employer just approved extending it through June 5th. I've been absolutely stressed trying to figure out how to get this updated before my benefits stop. Like everyone else, I've had zero luck with phone calls - tried the main EDD line at least 14 times over the past week with nothing but busy signals or disconnections after endless hold music. The online portal is also completely useless for me because ID.me keeps having verification issues with my address. This thread has been an absolute game-changer! I had no clue about the fax option or that dedicated PFL phone number. Based on all the amazing success stories shared here, I'm definitely going to fax my request to 1-916-319-4576 tomorrow morning. I'll use that straightforward format @Nathan Kim recommended - claim ID, SSN, original return date vs new return date (June 5th), clear request for the change, plus contact details. I'm also planning to follow up with a call to 1-877-238-4373 in a few days to confirm receipt, and I'll definitely keep certifying throughout the process like @Amara Chukwu mentioned about maintaining continuous certification. Thank you all for sharing practical solutions that actually work! Managing this bureaucratic maze while sleep-deprived with a newborn feels overwhelming, but seeing so many real success stories gives me hope that this can actually get resolved. I'll update once I hear back! 🤞

I'm also new to this community and dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! My baby bonding PFL was supposed to end next Tuesday but my employer just approved extending it until June 8th. I've been completely panicking about getting this changed with EDD before my benefits get cut off. Like so many others here, I've had absolutely zero success with phone calls - tried the main EDD line probably 19 times over the past 9 days with nothing but busy signals or those awful disconnections after sitting on hold for what feels like forever. The online portal won't work for me either because of some ID.me glitch that keeps rejecting my information due to a recent address change. This thread has been such a lifesaver! I had no idea about the fax option or that PFL-specific phone number everyone's been mentioning. Based on all the incredible success stories shared here, I'm definitely going to fax my request to 1-916-319-4576 first thing tomorrow morning. I'll use that simple, direct format that @Nathan Kim shared - just include my claim ID, SSN, original return date vs new return date (June 8th), clear statement requesting the change, and my contact information. I'm also planning to follow up with a call to 1-877-238-4373 in a few days to confirm they received it, and I'll absolutely keep certifying while waiting for the change to process based on what @Amara Chukwu mentioned about maintaining continuous certification. Thank you all SO much for sharing real solutions that actually work instead of just the standard "call EDD" advice that helps nobody! Navigating this bureaucracy while exhausted with a newborn feels impossible, but reading these genuine success stories gives me so much hope. I'll definitely update once I hear back about my request! 🙏

have u checked ur online account? sometimes they update stuff there without notifying u

Unpopular opinion: the system works fine if you just follow the instructions carefully. I had zero issues with my claim. 🤷‍♂️

Just wanted to add my experience from having my baby last fall - one thing that really helped me was keeping a simple calendar/checklist of all the deadlines and forms. I wrote down when to file SDI (day I stopped working), when to follow up with my doctor about their certification, when to apply for PFL (2 weeks before SDI ended), etc. Also, don't panic if there's a small gap between your SDI ending and PFL starting - mine had about a 3-day gap but they backdated the PFL payments so I didn't lose any money. The key is just staying on top of the timeline and following up if anything seems delayed. You've got this! The hardest part is understanding the process, which you clearly do now thanks to everyone's great advice here.

This thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm 31 weeks pregnant and have been stressing about the EDD process for weeks. My employer just handed me a pile of forms with zero explanation, and the official EDD website might as well be written in a foreign language. Reading through everyone's experiences has finally made this make sense - SDI first for pregnancy disability using form DE2501, then PFL for baby bonding using form DE2508. The fact that these are two completely separate applications with different timing was the missing piece I needed! I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about setting up the online account early, coordinating with my doctor's office about their submission process, and keeping a calendar of all the deadlines. The mention of text notifications and the automatic transition option gives me so much hope that this doesn't have to be as stressful as I was imagining. One thing I'm wondering - for those who've been through this recently, did you find it helpful to contact EDD directly at any point to confirm your understanding of the process, or is it better to just follow the timeline and trust the system? I'm a bit of a worrier and want to make sure I don't miss anything important! Thank you all for sharing such detailed, real-world advice. This community support is exactly what expecting parents need when dealing with these confusing government systems! 🙏