btw make sure u don't file ur claim BEFORE ur first day off!! that always causes problems!! wait till ur actually on leave then file it

Hey Sarah! I just went through something similar earlier this year - had to change my PFL start date from planned to immediate due to unexpected childcare issues. The good news is that EDD really doesn't care about your employer's feelings or convenience, they only care about whether you qualify for the benefit and have your paperwork in order. Since you already have your birth certificate submitted and you're within the bonding window (baby born in June), you should be totally fine. The key things are: 1) Make sure you and your employer report the same actual start date on all forms, 2) Don't file your claim until after you've actually started your leave, and 3) Keep documentation of HR approving the date change. I had zero issues with my payments even though I changed my date with literally one day notice. Your employer might be annoyed but that's their problem, not EDD's! You're entitled to this benefit and sometimes life happens. Don't stress too much about it - focus on your family and let the system work as it's supposed to.

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for your help! I talked to my doctor's office and they confirmed they'll be putting 12/24 as my disability start date. And I was able to reach someone at EDD (finally!) who confirmed I should report my holiday pay on my certification forms. They'll reduce my benefit amount for those weeks but it'll establish my claim properly. One less thing to stress about while figuring out this whole new mom thing!

Congratulations on your new baby! I just went through this exact situation last month when my daughter arrived unexpectedly early on my last work day before Christmas break. The key thing to remember is that your SDI disability start date should be based on when you were medically unable to work, not when your employer stops paying you. So 12/24 is correct since that's the first day you couldn't work due to childbirth. What helped me was thinking of it this way: SDI and your employer's holiday pay are completely separate systems. You can receive both simultaneously - EDD will just reduce your SDI benefit amount during weeks when you report receiving wages from your employer. Make sure to keep good records of exactly how much holiday pay you receive each week, because you'll need to report those amounts on your bi-weekly certifications. The EDD system is actually pretty good at handling these overlapping payments once you report them correctly. Also, if you're planning to take PFL for baby bonding after your SDI ends, the same wage reporting rules will apply there too. Good luck with everything!

Just to clarify a technical point: When calculating your benefit amount for both disability and PFL, EDD uses the same base period earnings. However, they are separate entitlements with separate maximum durations. For 2025, your weekly benefit amount can be up to $1,684 (this increases slightly each year). This amount would apply to both your disability and PFL periods, assuming your earnings qualify you for the maximum. One final tip: Keep detailed records of all your communications with EDD. Take notes during phone calls with the date, time, and name of the representative, and save copies of everything you submit online or by mail. This documentation can be invaluable if there are any issues with your claim.

Hey Mei! I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago and wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease your worries. I had high blood pressure issues starting at 36 weeks and ended up on extended disability for 10 weeks total (started early + complications after delivery). I was SO stressed about whether I'd lose my bonding time, but I got every single day of my 8 weeks PFL after my disability ended! The key things that helped me: 1. My doctor was really thorough with the medical documentation on all the forms 2. I filed my PFL claim about a week before my disability was set to end (learned this from this community actually!) 3. I kept calling EDD to confirm everything was processing correctly One thing I wish someone had told me - even though the benefits are separate, make sure you understand how they transition. My disability technically "ended" on a Friday and my PFL started the following Monday, so there was no gap in payments. Also, don't let anyone tell you there's some combined limit - that's absolutely not true. You get what you're entitled to under each program separately. Hope this helps and congratulations on your upcoming arrival! 💕

Anyone else feel like we need a complete overhaul of the entire unemployment/disability system? This is ridiculous. People are struggling to pay bills and feed their families, and we're left playing phone tag with an understaffed agency. 😤

Similar experience here - my claim showed "processed" about 6 days ago but still waiting on payment. I called yesterday and finally got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep told me that even after processing, there can be a 5-10 business day delay for the actual payment to hit your account, depending on your payment method. She also mentioned that if you have direct deposit set up, double-check that your bank info is correct in your profile because sometimes payments get rejected by the bank and that causes additional delays. Hope this helps and that we both see our payments soon! 🤞

Pfl not pro claim*

I went through something similar with my PFL claim last year! The activity record showing "determination, payment 0.00, reduction 0.00" with no reason is pretty standard when they're still processing your claim. It's essentially a placeholder entry that gets created when they start reviewing your case. Since your claim summary still shows "pending," that's actually a good sign - it means they haven't made a negative determination yet. When PFL claims get denied, you'll typically see a clear denial reason and they'll send you a Notice of Determination explaining why. A few things that might help while you wait: - Check if you have any outstanding documents they requested - Make sure your certifications are up to date - Look for any interview notices in your inbox The waiting is definitely stressful, but "pending" usually just means they need more time to process everything. PFL claims can take a few weeks, especially if they need to verify your medical certification or employment information. Hang in there!