I actually just finished my 8 weeks of baby bonding PFL last month and chose paper checks. First payment took about 12 days after approval, then the rest came pretty regularly about 5-6 days after certifying. I had one check that was delayed in the mail for almost 2 weeks though, which was super stressful since we were counting on that money for bills. If your financial situation is tight, direct deposit might be better just for the reliability factor. Good luck with your decision and congrats on your little one!

I went through this exact decision last October for my PFL claim and ended up choosing direct deposit after going back and forth for days! My biggest concern was also security, but I figured my credit union has pretty good fraud monitoring. The payments came through like clockwork - usually 2-3 days after I certified biweekly. The one thing I'd suggest is setting up account alerts on your bank account so you get notified immediately when deposits hit. That way if something goes wrong, you'll know right away instead of waiting and wondering. Also make absolutely sure you enter your routing and account numbers correctly when you set it up - I triple checked mine because I was so paranoid about typos causing delays. Whatever you choose, just remember the most important thing is getting those benefits to support you and your baby girl during this time!

guys i think i found a loophole. if you call exactly at 8:01am while standing on one foot and humming the national anthem, you get through instantly

Just went through this exact same thing last month! My claim showed "processed" for about 2 weeks before I actually got paid. What helped me was logging into my account daily to check for any new messages or action items - turns out I had missed a small identity verification step that was buried in the notifications. Also, definitely confirm your payment method is set up correctly. The anxiety is real when you're waiting for that money to hit! Hang in there, it will come through eventually.

I'm dealing with something similar right now - got my PFL claim denied last week because I mixed up some dates on the form. It's incredibly frustrating, especially when you're already stressed about the family situation that required the leave in the first place. Reading through these responses is really helpful though. I'm going to try the appeal process that @Victoria Brown outlined and maybe look into contacting my state rep's office like @GalaxyGazer suggested. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps to know we're not alone in this mess!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been lurking here for a while but never posted - this thread is exactly why I joined this community! The date error issue seems to be such a widespread problem with PFL claims. I'm actually preparing to file my own claim soon and reading all your experiences has me double and triple checking every single date on my paperwork. @Victoria Brown your step-by-step guide is incredibly helpful - I'm screenshotting that for reference! And @GalaxyGazer the state representative tip is genius, I never would have thought of that. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories, both the frustrating parts and the solutions. It's so valuable to have real people sharing what actually works vs just reading generic government websites that don't help when things go wrong.

idk if this helps but I had a similar issue. Turns out they needed additional proof of income. I uploaded my w2 and tax returns, and it got sorted within a week.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This is so helpful. @Nina Fitzgerald that calling service sounds interesting but wow, $20 just to get through to them is nuts. @Makayla Shoemaker I'll check if they need additional income docs - that's a good point. Has anyone had luck with emailing their state representatives? I'm getting desperate here and might try that route next.

Update: I finally got through to EDD this morning! They confirmed they received my bonding paperwork and that my claim is being processed. The rep said there will likely be a 7-10 day gap before my first baby bonding payment, but everything is on track. Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone!

So glad you got confirmation from EDD! That must be such a relief. I went through this same transition 6 months ago and the waiting/uncertainty is the worst part. Once you get that first bonding payment, the rest should come regularly every two weeks. The 7-10 day gap is totally normal - I think mine was about 9 days. Take advantage of this time to rest and bond with your baby without worrying about the paperwork side of things. You did everything right!