Am I the only one who thinks its ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to access our own accounts? The system needs a serious overhaul 😤

I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago! Here's what finally worked for me: I had to call the technical support line (not the regular claims line) at 1-833-978-2511. They have a separate team that handles just account access issues. The wait was still long, but they were able to reset my account on the spot. Make sure you have your SSN, date of birth, and the email address you originally used to create the account. They might also ask for your previous employer info to verify your identity. Don't give up - it's frustrating but totally solvable! 💪

Heads up, I heard they changed some policies recently. Make sure you're using the most up-to-date form. You can download it from their website.

I'm in a similar situation right now! Just submitted my DE 2501 F about 10 days ago for my PFL bonding claim. The uncertainty is killing me - I keep checking my mailbox every day hoping for some kind of update. Reading through these comments is actually really reassuring though. Sounds like 2-3 weeks is pretty normal, so I guess I just need to be patient a little longer. Thanks for posting this question - it's exactly what I needed to see today!

im still mad about this whole system. my disability to PFL transition was a disaster last year and i lost almost 2 weeks of pay bc of their stupid "separate application" requirement. like we're supposed to know all this while taking care of a newborn on no sleep?? im convinced the system is designed to save them money by making it confusing enough that people miss out on benefits they deserve.

Oh my gosh, I just went through this EXACT situation 3 months ago and I feel your panic! The automatic transition thing is such a lie - I was so confused when my payments just stopped. What really helped me was calling the EDD office first thing in the morning (like 8:01 AM sharp) when they open. I got through after about 30 tries over 2 days. When you file the DE2508 form for baby bonding, make sure you have your baby's birth certificate ready to upload - they'll ask for it. Also, don't forget to explicitly request that your PFL start date be the day after your pregnancy disability ended (like others mentioned). I almost made that mistake and would have lost 5 days of benefits. The good news is that once I got the PFL claim filed correctly, it only took about 8 days to process and I got all my backpay in one lump sum. Hang in there - you'll get through this bureaucratic nightmare! Your baby is lucky to have such a dedicated parent fighting for your family's financial security.

I'm in week 4 of waiting too and honestly starting to panic about my bills. What really bothers me is how the EDD website still shows that fake 2-3 week timeline when clearly that's not reality for most of us. I've been calling every single day at 8am sharp when they open and either get a busy signal or sit on hold for hours just to get disconnected. Yesterday I finally got through to someone who told me my claim was "pending additional review" but couldn't tell me what that means or how long it would take. It's like they're intentionally being vague to avoid giving us any real answers. At this point I'm considering reaching out to local news stations because this seems like a widespread issue that needs public attention.

I'm on week 5 now and honestly feeling defeated. The most frustrating part is that I did everything right - submitted all documents, followed up with my employer, double-checked everything multiple times. Yet here I am still waiting while my savings dwindle. What really gets me is how they make us jump through hoops just to apply, but then their end of the process is completely broken. I've started keeping a detailed log of every call attempt, every hold time, every rep interaction because at this point I feel like I need evidence of this dysfunction. Has anyone had any luck getting actual concrete answers about what's causing these massive delays? I'm starting to think the 2-3 week timeline was never realistic to begin with.

Have you tried reaching out to your local representative? Sometimes they can help push things along with EDD.

idk if this helps but I had a similar issue and it turned out there was a flag on my account for potential identity verification. Might be worth asking about that when you do get through.