@OP Yes, you should document all job search activities from now on. For each application, keep track of: company name, position, date applied, contact method (online, email, etc.), and any response. UI requires you to be actively looking for work and may request your job search records. They don't always ask for them upfront, but they can audit you later, so better safe than sorry.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Got terminated while on maternity leave in December and my PFL is ending in two weeks. This thread is so helpful - I had no idea about applying a few days before PFL ends to get in the queue early. One question though - has anyone dealt with having to explain the pregnancy discrimination aspect during the UI interview? My employer gave some BS reason for the layoff but the timing was obviously related to my leave. I'm worried they might question my eligibility or think I quit voluntarily somehow.

I want to circle back to answer your specific question about the benefit year: Yes, a new benefit year does technically start 12 months after her initial claim date. However, this primarily affects how her benefit amount would be calculated if she filed a new claim, not necessarily her eligibility for continuing an existing claim. For ongoing complications from the same medical event (in this case, pregnancy and childbirth), EDD typically views this as one continuous disability period with the 52-week maximum. However, as others mentioned, if her doctor determines she has a new or distinct medical condition (even if it resulted from pregnancy), this could potentially be considered a new disability claim. This distinction is crucial and entirely depends on how her healthcare provider documents her condition. Make sure her doctor clearly states on Form DE 2501 whether her current condition is a continuation of pregnancy disability or a new medical condition. This will determine whether she's subject to the 52-week limit of the original claim or potentially eligible for a new disability period.

I'm so glad you're helping your sister navigate this - having family support during such a difficult time makes all the difference! One thing I wanted to add that hasn't been mentioned yet: if your sister does approach the 52-week maximum, she might also want to look into whether she qualifies for Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if her complications are expected to last longer than a year. These are federal programs separate from EDD benefits. Also, make sure she keeps detailed records of all her medical appointments, treatments, and how her condition affects her daily activities. This documentation could be crucial if there are any disputes about her continued eligibility. The stress of dealing with benefits while recovering from serious complications is incredibly overwhelming. Encourage her to focus on her health first - the paperwork and phone calls can wait if she's having a particularly difficult day. Her recovery is the most important thing right now. 💙

After you get this resolved, make sure to submit your PFL claim (DE2508F form) immediately! The claim can be backdated to the day after your disability ended, but only if you file within 41 days of that date. So if they backdate your disability end to today, you have 41 days to submit the PFL claim before you risk losing benefits. And definitely upload your baby's birth certificate or other proof of relationship in advance - that's another common delay point.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My baby is 4 weeks old and I've been stuck in this limbo for over a week. I called EDD yesterday and after waiting 2 hours, the rep told me they could manually close my disability claim but then said I'd have to wait 3-5 business days for it to "process" in their system before I could apply for PFL. Has anyone else been told about this processing delay? I'm worried I'm getting incorrect information because that seems to contradict what others are saying about being able to apply immediately after they close the disability claim.

PSA: Always keep copies of EVERYTHING you send to EDD. You never know when you'll need to reference it later!

Thanks for posting this @Evelyn! I'm actually going through something similar right now. The template from @Benjamin is super helpful - I'm definitely going to use that format. One thing I'd add is make sure you have your pay stubs handy when you fill this out, especially for the gross sick leave amount. Sometimes what you think you remember and what's actually on paper can be different! Good luck with your claim 🤞

Quick question - does anyone know if there's a deadline for when EDD has to make these forms available? I'm wondering if I should be worried that I can't find mine yet.

LPT: Always save a copy of your 1099-G as soon as you get it. I learned this the hard way last year when I couldn't access the EDD website during tax season. Now I keep digital copies of all my tax docs in a secure cloud storage.