I'm a new mom who just went through this exact situation 3 months ago! Your confusion is totally understandable - the timing rules are so confusing when you have generous employer benefits. Here's what I learned the hard way: You absolutely MUST file your SDI claim within 49 days of when your doctor certifies your pregnancy disability (usually around 36 weeks), even though your employer is paying you 100%. That 49-day clock starts ticking from your disability date, NOT from when your company benefits end. I almost made the same mistake you're considering - waiting until my employer-paid leave ended to apply for state benefits. Thankfully a coworker caught my error just in time! Even though my company called their policy "separate from state benefits," it turned out they actually coordinated behind the scenes. The key things to ask your HR: - Do I need to file for SDI/PFL while receiving company pay? - Does our policy run concurrently with state benefits or consecutively? - Will the company file claims on my behalf or do I need to do it myself? My advice: File your DE2501 form as soon as your doctor certifies disability, regardless of what your employer is doing. You can always sort out payment coordination later, but you can't recover from missing that 49-day deadline. I would have lost about $4,000 in benefits I'd been paying into if I had waited! Don't let the generous employer policy fool you into missing out on state benefits you're entitled to. File early and ask questions later! 💕

I'm a first-time mom due in November and this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I had the exact same confusion about timing - my company offers 16 weeks at 100% pay and I thought that meant I didn't need to worry about state benefits at all. Reading everyone's experiences here has made it crystal clear that I need to file for SDI as soon as my doctor certifies my pregnancy disability, regardless of my employer's generous policy. The 49-day deadline from disability start date seems to be the one universal rule that applies no matter what your company is doing. I'm definitely not going to risk missing out on benefits I've been paying into just because I misunderstood the timing! Quick question for those who've been through this - when you filed your DE2501 form while receiving 100% employer pay, did you need to provide any additional documentation about your company's policy to EDD? Or was it pretty straightforward? I want to make sure I have everything ready when the time comes! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is amazing for getting real-world advice that you just can't find in the official paperwork! 💕

Just want to echo what others have said and add a couple practical tips from my experience helping my sister navigate PFL for her husband's cancer treatments: 1. Apply ASAP once you have the doctor's form - there's no waiting period, but processing takes time and you want benefits to start when the leave begins. 2. Keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit. EDD sometimes "loses" paperwork and you'll need to resubmit. 3. Your fiancé should inform his employer about both PFL (wage replacement) AND potentially FMLA/CFRA (job protection) - these are separate but can run concurrently. 4. If EDD requests additional documentation after the initial application, respond immediately. Any delay can pause your entire claim. The brain fog from neurological conditions is so real - maybe have your fiancé handle most of the paperwork side while you focus on preparing for your procedures. You've got this! The system is confusing but totally doable with the right documentation.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with my partner! One thing I learned that might help you is that you should definitely have your fiancé apply at least 2-3 weeks before the procedures if possible. While there's no official waiting period for PFL, the processing time can vary a lot depending on how complete your initial application is. Also, when you see your new neurosurgeon, it might be worth asking if their office has experience with disability/PFL forms. Some medical offices have staff who are really familiar with what EDD needs, which can save you from having to resubmit paperwork later. My partner's doctor's office actually had a checklist they use for these forms! One more tip - make sure your fiancé saves the confirmation number when he submits the application online. You can use it to track the claim status, which is super helpful when you're dealing with brain fog and trying to keep track of everything. The online portal is actually pretty user-friendly once you get familiar with it. Hope your procedures go smoothly and the PFL process is straightforward for you both! 💜

Congrats on your little one! I'm actually in a similar boat - just had my son 5 weeks ago and I'm on PFL right now. Everyone's advice here is spot on about the biweekly payments. One thing I'd add is to make sure you understand exactly when your certification periods are. Mine are every two weeks on Sundays, and I learned the hard way that if you miss your certification deadline, your payment gets delayed until the next cycle. Also, keep your phone handy when you're expecting payments because sometimes EDD will text you about payment status updates. The waiting can be nerve-wracking when you're budgeting for a new baby, but once you get into the rhythm it becomes pretty predictable!

Congratulations on your daughter! I'm currently navigating PFL for the first time too after having my baby 2 months ago. Just wanted to share that everyone here is absolutely right about the biweekly schedule. One additional tip - if you're using Bank of America (which is who handles the EDD debit cards), you can set up text alerts through their system too so you get notified the moment funds hit your card. Also, I found it helpful to screenshot my certification dates and set phone reminders because with newborn brain fog it's easy to lose track of deadlines! The payments have been pretty consistent for me so far, usually hitting my account on Tuesdays. Hope your experience goes smoothly!

Congratulations on your new baby! I can totally understand the confusion - the EDD website makes everything sound way more complicated than it needs to be. I'm currently on week 3 of my PFL baby bonding leave and can confirm what everyone else is saying: the payments are completely automatic once you're approved! No weekly certifications required at all. I was so worried about this too because I remembered the stress of having to certify for unemployment benefits every two weeks, but PFL is totally different. Once your claim is approved, you'll just receive payments every two weeks until your 8-week period is up. The only thing you need to do is notify them if you return to work earlier than planned. It's honestly such a blessing when you're already overwhelmed with a newborn schedule! Just make sure your bank info is correct in your EDD account and you're all set. Enjoy this special time with your little one - the payments will take care of themselves! 💕

Congratulations on your new baby! I totally understand your confusion - I went through the exact same worry when I started my PFL leave a few months ago. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right: PFL payments are completely automatic once you're approved! No weekly certifications needed at all. After my claim was approved, I received payments every two weeks for the full 8 weeks without having to do anything except wait for them to arrive. It's such a stark contrast to unemployment benefits where you're constantly stressed about certification deadlines. The EDD website really does a terrible job explaining this - they make it sound so much more complicated than it actually is. My advice: double-check that your direct deposit info is current in your EDD account, take screenshots of your approval documentation, and then just relax and enjoy these precious early weeks with your little one. The payments will come automatically every two weeks like clockwork. Focus on bonding with your baby instead of worrying about EDD logistics - you've got enough to think about already! 💕

I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed my PFL claim in early September and it's been complete radio silence since then. This thread is honestly a godsend - I was starting to think I was the only one dealing with these crazy delays. I'm definitely going to try that email template from William first, then move on to the early morning calling strategy if that doesn't work. The idea of contacting my local representative is something I never even thought of, but after reading Olivia's success story, it might be worth a shot if all else fails. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become expert system navigators just to get basic updates on our own cases, but at least we can help each other figure this mess out. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - knowing I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare actually helps a lot! 🙏

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation - submitted my PFL claim back in late August and it's been complete silence from EDD ever since! This thread has been incredibly helpful though, so thank you Katherine for starting this discussion. I'm definitely going to try a multi-pronged approach based on everyone's advice: starting with William's professional email template, then moving to the early morning calling strategy that Vanessa mentioned, and if all else fails, contacting my local representative like Olivia did successfully. It's honestly mind-blowing that we have to become experts in government bureaucracy navigation just to get updates on our own benefit claims, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions. The spreadsheet tracking idea from Fatima is brilliant too - I wish I had started documenting everything from day one! Here's hoping we all get some movement on our cases soon. Hang in there everyone! 💪