Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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Just to give you some peace of mind about the timeline: even with the delay, you should still receive your maternity disability benefits before your due date. EDD typically processes ID verification within 7-10 business days once received. After that, if everything else in your application is complete, you should start receiving payments within another 1-2 weeks. So roughly 3 weeks total from when you send in your documents, which still gives you plenty of time before your baby arrives in 8 weeks.
That timeline is really helpful, thank you! I was so worried I might not get anything until after the baby comes. I appreciate everyone's help and advice - feeling much less stressed now.
I went through this exact same panic when I was pregnant with my daughter! Missing that deadline felt like the end of the world, but honestly EDD is pretty understanding about late submissions, especially for pregnancy-related claims. I sent mine in 5 days late and included a brief note about pregnancy symptoms affecting my ability to keep up with mail - they processed it without any issues. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given: when you call EDD to notify them about the late submission, ask them to put a note in your file about the pregnancy-related delay. This can help if there are any questions later. Also, keep copies of everything you send and get a tracking number so you have proof of delivery. You've got this mama - take a deep breath and get those documents sent tomorrow! 💙
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I'm so glad you got confirmation from EDD! Just wanted to add that I went through something similar (medical complications after birth) and the bonding leave was absolutely worth fighting for. Those 8 weeks were so precious for recovery and connecting with my baby after everything we'd been through. Make sure to take care of yourself during this time - you've been through a lot! And don't hesitate to reach out if you run into any snags with the paperwork process. This community has been super helpful for navigating all the EDD chaos.
Thank you so much for the encouragement! It's really comforting to hear from someone who went through similar medical complications. I'm definitely looking forward to that bonding time - it feels like I've missed out on so much during these months of recovery. This community has been amazing and I'm so grateful for all the support and advice everyone has shared. It's made navigating this whole process so much less overwhelming!
I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! My baby is 9 months old and I'm finally transitioning off disability next month after complications from a C-section that got infected. Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring - I was really worried I'd miss out on bonding leave entirely. It's crazy how the EDD website doesn't make this clearer! For anyone else in this boat, I found it helpful to call my case worker directly (the number is on your disability paperwork) rather than the main EDD line. She was able to walk me through the transition process and confirmed the 12-month rule too. Hang in there mama - we've got this! 💪
Oh wow, it's so reassuring to hear from someone else going through the exact same thing! The C-section infection complications sound awful - I'm sorry you had to deal with that on top of everything else. That's a great tip about calling the case worker directly, I didn't even think to try that number instead of the main line. It really is frustrating how unclear the EDD website is about these timing issues, especially when you're already dealing with medical stress and recovery. Thanks for sharing your experience and the encouragement - it really helps to know we're not alone in navigating this crazy system! 💕
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lol good luck. EDD is where paperwork goes to die. I swear they have a black hole for important documents 🕳️
🤣🤣🤣 sad but true
Have you tried reaching out to your local assembly member's office? They can sometimes help expedite things with EDD. Worth a shot if you're really stuck.
Just google '[your city] assembly member'. Their office should have a way to contact them for constituent services. They deal with EDD issues all the time.
This is actually great advice! I contacted my assembly member's office when I was having issues with my disability claim last year. They have a whole constituent services team that deals specifically with EDD problems. They were able to get me a callback from EDD within 48 hours when I had been trying for weeks on my own. Definitely worth trying @StarStrider!
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Just checking in - has your husband had any luck submitting the retroactive interruption form? As others have mentioned, it's definitely better to sort this out now rather than waiting until his next leave period is about to begin. One other important thing to note: make sure any dates he puts on the reestablishment form (DE 2501F) for his August leave are EXACT. If he puts August 1-14 but then takes August 3-17 instead, it can cause major issues with processing. The dates on the form need to match the actual leave dates precisely.
Thank you for checking back! He finally managed to get through to EDD yesterday after several attempts. The representative said he can submit the interruption form late and it shouldn't impact his next leave period. She also said we should submit the reestablishment form at least 10 days before his next leave period starts. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly! And thank you for the tip about exact dates - his work schedule can sometimes shift a bit so we'll make sure to only submit the form when the dates are 100% confirmed.
That's great news that he got through to EDD! I'm glad they confirmed he can submit the interruption form late. Just wanted to add one more tip from my experience - when he submits the DE 2501F for his August leave, make sure he has his employer's confirmation of the approved dates in writing first. My husband's work initially approved certain dates but then had to shift them due to a project deadline, and we had already submitted the reestablishment form. It created a whole mess with EDD where they said the dates didn't match what his employer reported. We had to get a letter from HR explaining the schedule change and it delayed his benefits by almost 2 weeks. Also, keep track of exactly how many weeks he's used so far (sounds like 2 weeks) so you don't accidentally go over the 8-week limit. EDD won't automatically stop you from filing for more time than you're entitled to, but they'll definitely come after you for overpayment later!
This is such valuable advice, thank you! I hadn't even thought about the employer confirmation piece - that's definitely something we'll make sure to get in writing before submitting any forms. The overpayment warning is scary too... we'll definitely keep a running tally of weeks used. Quick question - when you say "what his employer reported," does EDD automatically verify leave dates with employers? Or is this something that only happens if there's a discrepancy? I'm trying to understand how closely they monitor the employer side of things.
Great question! From what I understand, EDD doesn't automatically verify with employers for every claim, but they do have systems in place to cross-reference information. When your husband's employer processes payroll and reports wages/time off to state agencies, there can be flags if the dates don't align with what was submitted to EDD. In my case, I think what happened was that EDD's system flagged the discrepancy when they processed the benefit payments and saw that the dates on our form didn't match what the employer had reported in their quarterly filings. It's not like they call your HR department for every claim, but the data eventually gets compared through their automated systems. The safer approach is definitely to make sure everything matches upfront rather than hoping it won't get caught. State agencies are getting better at data matching, especially for benefit fraud prevention. Better to have that employer confirmation letter ready just in case!
Toot-n-Mighty
As someone who's been self-employed for 8 years and had two babies during that time, I wanted to share some additional resources that might help! Since you're in LA, check out these local options: - LA Freelancers Union (they have monthly meetups and a Slack channel) - Working Moms of LA Facebook group - tons of freelancers in there - Creative Mornings LA often has networking events with other independent creatives For the financial planning piece, I'd also suggest: - Look into whether your clients would be willing to pay invoices early or set up a retainer system before your due date - Consider raising your rates now if you haven't in a while - easier to do before you're juggling a newborn - Some freelancers I know have had success with "maternity packages" where they pre-sell a bundle of work at a discount to create cash flow And definitely get that EDD account set up ASAP! When I had my second baby, the website was super glitchy and it took me three tries to get my claim submitted properly. Having everything ready in advance was a game-changer. One more thing - if your part-time job qualifies you for benefits, make sure to coordinate the timing carefully. You want to maximize your coverage without any gaps. The EDD can be particular about when you start and stop claims. Wishing you all the best with your pregnancy and planning! 🌟
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Issac Nightingale
•This is such a comprehensive response, thank you! I'm definitely going to look into the LA Freelancers Union and Working Moms groups - having that support network sounds amazing. The maternity package idea is really smart too. I never thought about pre-selling work, but a few of my regular clients might be open to that kind of arrangement. Your point about coordinating the timing carefully is really important. I want to make sure I don't mess anything up with the claims process. Do you remember if there were any specific timing things I should watch out for when transitioning between the disability and PFL portions? Also raising my rates before the baby comes is brilliant advice - I've been meaning to do that anyway and you're right that it'll be much harder to negotiate once I'm in new mom mode! Really appreciate you taking the time to share all these resources and tips! 💙
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Mateo Sanchez
Hey Kristin! I just went through this exact situation last year as a freelance marketing consultant with a tiny part-time retail job. Here's what saved me: First, definitely check if SDI is being withheld from your boutique paychecks - look for "CASDI" on your pay stub. At $90/week you'd easily meet the $300 quarterly requirement. But here's the reality check: my benefit was only $67/week based on my part-time earnings, which barely covered groceries. So start saving NOW and consider these strategies: **Before baby arrives:** - Set up payment plans with all your regular bills (utilities, phone, etc.) - Stock up on non-perishables and baby essentials while you have income - Ask clients for 50% deposits on future projects to create a cash cushion - Look into local food banks and WIC programs you might qualify for temporarily **During leave:** - Many freelancers do light work during bonding leave (emails, quick edits) since PFL allows some part-time work - Consider subcontracting easier tasks to other designers while keeping client relationships **For next time:** - Definitely sign up for DIEC, but also look into private disability insurance through organizations like Freelancers Union The mental load is tough, but you'll figure it out! Start that EDD account setup this week while you have energy. Good luck! 🍀
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GalacticGuru
•This is such practical advice, thank you Mateo! $67/week is honestly what I was expecting based on what others have shared, so I'm trying to mentally prepare for that reality. The idea about setting up payment plans ahead of time is so smart - I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense to get those arrangements in place while I'm still earning. I love the suggestion about asking for deposits on future projects. I have a few regular clients who might be open to that, especially if I explain the situation. And you're right about doing some light work during bonding leave - I was wondering if that was allowed or if it would mess up my benefits. Quick question: when you did light work during PFL, did you have to report those earnings to EDD? And did it affect your benefit amount? I want to make sure I do everything by the books but also need to maintain some client relationships. Really appreciate the reality check and practical tips! It helps so much to hear from someone who actually went through this process recently. 💗
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