I'm currently preparing for maternity leave and my employer has a similar supplemental pay policy, so this thread has been incredibly helpful! Reading through everyone's experiences is giving me so much confidence about how to handle this properly. From what I'm gathering, the main things to focus on are: 1) making sure employer payments are coded correctly as supplemental benefits (not wages), 2) keeping detailed records of all payments, and 3) applying for PFL about a week before SDI ends. @StarStrider - it sounds like you're handling everything perfectly! The fact that you caught the payroll error early and are getting HR to fix it with proper documentation shows you're on top of things. One question for those who've been through this - when you create that tracking spreadsheet everyone mentions, do you also include dates when you certified and any communication with EDD/HR? I'm trying to figure out what level of detail would be most helpful to track from the beginning. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's impossible to find anywhere else! 🙏

I'm currently navigating a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly reassuring! My employer also provides supplemental pay to bring state benefits up to 100% of salary, and I was worried about potential complications. What I've learned from my HR department is that the key is proper coding on paystubs - these payments need to show up as "supplemental disability benefits" or similar, NOT as regular wages. When you certify for PFL, you'll report them as "other benefits received" but they won't reduce your state payments since you're not actually working. @StarStrider - you're handling this perfectly! Getting HR to fix that accidental paycheck coding and document the error is exactly the right move. I had a similar payroll mix-up early on and once they corrected it with proper documentation, there were no issues. Your timing for filing PFL sounds spot-on too. Most people here seem to recommend applying about a week before SDI ends, which aligns with your weekend/Monday plan. One tip that's helped me stay organized: I started tracking everything in a simple spreadsheet - dates, EDD amounts, employer supplement amounts, how they're coded on paystubs, and any relevant communications. It's been a lifesaver for keeping everything straight and will make certification much easier. Don't stress too much - the system is designed to handle employer supplemental benefits during leave. You're being proactive about documentation which puts you in a great position. You've got this! 💪

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and completely understand the stress you're feeling! Here's what worked for me: I called EDD at exactly 8:00 AM on a Wednesday (set multiple alarms lol) and got through after about 20 minutes of redialing. When I explained that I had accidentally marked incorrect income information, the agent was actually really understanding and said it happens more than you'd think. They updated my claim right there on the call and explained that since I was voluntarily correcting the mistake, there wouldn't be any penalties or issues. The key is having everything ready before you call - your claim number, SSN, exact employment dates, employer info, and the correct income amounts. The agent put detailed notes on my account about the voluntary correction, and everything was updated within about 10 days. Honestly, the anticipation and worry was way worse than the actual call! You're absolutely doing the right thing by addressing this proactively rather than hoping it goes unnoticed. They really do appreciate when people are upfront about honest mistakes. Good luck - you've got this! 🍀

I was in a similar situation earlier this year and totally get how nerve-wracking it feels! Here's what helped me: I called EDD at 8:05 AM on a Thursday and was honest from the start about making an error on my income reporting. The agent was actually really patient and said these mistakes are more common than people think. They walked me through updating the information over the phone and made a note that it was a voluntary correction. The whole process took about 12 days to fully update in the system, but there were no penalties since I reported it myself rather than waiting for them to catch it. My advice: have your claim number, employment details (employer name, dates, income amounts), and Social Security number ready before calling. Stay calm and just explain that you realized you made an honest mistake and want to correct it ASAP. The agents deal with this stuff daily and they're way more understanding than you'd expect. You're doing exactly the right thing by being proactive about fixing it! 👍

Just joined this community because I'm having the EXACT same E313 error! Been stuck on this for about 6 days now and I was starting to lose my mind thinking I was the only one. Like literally everyone else here, I also had unemployment benefits during COVID (2020-2021) and can log into my regular EDD account just fine, but the moment I try to file my PFL claim - validation error every single time. Reading through all these comments has been both frustrating and oddly comforting 😅 The pattern is so obvious now! @Ravi Malhotra your experience about the old unemployment claim still being "active" in the system makes total sense - I just checked and my 2021 claim is still showing in my claim history too even though it's been closed for ages. I'm definitely going to try the early morning calling strategy that @Esmeralda Gómez mentioned and see if I can get through to a specialist who can manually clear whatever backend mess is causing this. Also going to start documenting everything with screenshots like you suggested in case I need to escalate to my assembly member's office. Thanks for creating this thread OP - it's honestly such a relief to know there are so many of us dealing with this identical issue. The EDD system is clearly broken but at least we're not going through this nightmare alone! 🤞

OMG I'm so relieved to find this thread! I've been dealing with the exact same E313 error for about 8 days now and was starting to think I was going crazy. Just like literally everyone else here, I also received unemployment benefits during COVID (2020-2021) and can log into my regular EDD account without any issues, but the second I try to start my PFL claim - BAM! Validation error every single time. After reading through all these comments, the pattern is SO clear - we all have previous unemployment claims that are apparently still causing conflicts in their broken system. @Ravi Malhotra thank you for sharing your experience about needing a specialist to manually clear the old claim - that gives me actual hope there's a real solution! I've tried every browser, cleared everything, used different devices, nothing works. The fact that so many of us are experiencing this identical issue with the same background (COVID unemployment) can't be a coincidence. I'm going to try the early morning calling strategy tomorrow and start documenting everything with screenshots. Thanks OP for posting this and thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences. It's honestly such a relief to know I'm not alone in this EDD nightmare! Here's hoping we can all get through to someone who actually knows how to fix this backend mess 🤞

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who's currently 32 weeks pregnant and starting to research maternity leave options, I had no idea about this common confusion between PFL and FMLA eligibility. I've been at my current job for about 10 months, so I was worried I might not qualify for any paid leave. But reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should be eligible for PFL benefits since I've been paying SDI taxes for the past 4 years across different employers. It's honestly shocking how many HR departments seem to mix these up. Makes me want to do my homework now before I even approach my employer about leave plans. Does anyone have recommendations for the best resources to share with HR to educate them about the differences between state PFL benefits and federal job protection laws? Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this has been such a helpful reality check about what to expect!

As a new parent who went through this same confusion, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to trust the official EDD sources over your employer's interpretation! I was in almost the exact same boat - only 9 months at my company when I had my baby, and my HR person kept insisting I wouldn't get paid leave. Thankfully I found communities like this one that helped me understand the difference between PFL wage replacement and FMLA job protection. The key thing to remember is that California PFL is funded by YOUR payroll deductions into SDI - it has nothing to do with your employer or how long you've worked there. As long as you've been paying into the system during your base period, you're entitled to those benefits. I ended up filing online through the EDD portal and got approved within about 10 days. The whole process was much smoother than I expected, especially after all the confusion from my employer. One tip: when you file your PFL claim, make sure you have your baby's birth certificate ready to upload. Also, if you haven't already, you might want to send your employer a brief email clarifying that you'll be taking state PFL benefits (not company leave) so there's no confusion about the source of your wage replacement. Enjoy this precious bonding time with your little one - you've absolutely earned it through your SDI contributions!

I went through this exact situation 8 months ago! Had complications after delivery and needed extended disability before transitioning to PFL. The consensus here is absolutely correct - DO NOT file for PFL until your disability extension is fully processed and approved. I made the mistake of filing PFL early thinking it would help avoid gaps, but it immediately terminated my disability claim and I had to fight for weeks to get it reinstated. The system treats PFL filing as an automatic signal that you're ready to transition from medical leave to bonding leave. Wait for your doctor's office to submit the extension paperwork, then file PFL after that period ends. Your benefits will be backdated so you won't lose any money, just might have to wait a bit longer for payments. Trust me, the patience is worth avoiding the nightmare of having to fix a premature PFL filing!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - 4 weeks postpartum with complications that need extended disability. Reading everyone's experiences here is so helpful! I was leaning toward filing PFL early to avoid gaps but now I'm definitely going to wait. One question though - if my doctor's office is being slow with the extension paperwork and my current disability period ends before they submit it, will there be a gap in payments? Or does EDD have some kind of grace period for medical extensions? Really don't want to end up with no income while waiting for doctors to get their act together!