Great news! Just to add some helpful information for anyone else reading this thread: When returning to work after disability but before using PFL, make sure to: 1. Get an official end date for your disability claim (when you were cleared to return to work) 2. File your DE2508 for PFL separately, clearly indicating your intended PFL dates 3. Keep documentation from both your employer and doctor about your leave dates 4. If using PFL intermittently throughout the year, maintain a detailed calendar of those dates The 12-month eligibility period for baby bonding PFL starts from the baby's birth date, not from when disability ends, which gives families flexibility in how they use these benefits.

This is such a common issue unfortunately! I went through something similar when my employer's HR department messed up my FMLA paperwork timing. One thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed timeline of all the dates - when the baby was born, when I should have started each benefit period, when the doctor errors happened, etc. EDD representatives seem to be more helpful when you can give them exact dates and reference numbers. Also, if your daughter does return to work before everything is sorted out, make sure she gets written confirmation from her employer about her exact return date. This documentation becomes important if there are any questions later about benefit eligibility periods. The system is frustrating but it sounds like you're on the right track now! Fingers crossed the disability payments come through quickly once they process the corrected paperwork.

As someone who just went through this exact same nightmare 3 months ago, I feel your pain! The SDI to PFL transition is absolutely broken. What worked for me was having my husband call EDD every morning at exactly 8:00 AM when they open - apparently that's when you have the best chance of getting through before the lines get completely jammed. Also, when you do get someone on the phone, ask them to put notes in your file about what they're doing to fix it. I had to call back twice because the first person said they fixed it but nothing actually happened. The second rep could see the notes and knew exactly what still needed to be done. Keep all your documentation handy when you call - they'll want your SDI claim number, your baby's birth certificate info, and the exact dates your disability ended. Having everything ready speeds up the process once you finally get through. Hang in there - you WILL get this resolved and they will backpay you for everything you're owed!

This whole thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - applied for PFL after my SDI ended and got hit with the "open SDI claim" denial. Been waiting on my appeal for 6 weeks with no word. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key things are: 1) making sure there's no date gap between SDI ending and PFL starting, 2) confirming your doctor submitted the final SDI paperwork properly, and 3) actually getting through to EDD to have them manually close the SDI claim. I'm going to try the 8 AM calling strategy and also look into that Claimyr service. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get this resolved - my maternity leave is almost over and I still haven't received a single PFL payment. It's honestly criminal how broken this system is, especially when new parents are already dealing with so much stress and financial pressure. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions!

Pro tip: if you can, go to an EDD office in person. I know it's a hassle, but I finally got everything sorted when I did that. Bring ALL your paperwork with you!

One thing that helped me was setting up email notifications in my EDD account if that's available. Also, I started keeping a simple log with dates and confirmation numbers for everything I submit. When I had to resubmit something, I referenced my log and could tell them exactly when I first sent it. Made the conversation way more productive! The key is being super organized from day one - I learned this lesson the hard way after my first claim got delayed for months 😅

Yes, you certify the same way through SDI Online. And your weekly benefit amount will be exactly the same as your disability payments - it's calculated using the same formula (approximately 60-70% of your wages).

This is such helpful info! I'm 32 weeks pregnant with my first and already stressing about navigating all these claims. Bookmarking this thread for when I need it. Question - if I'm planning to take the full 8 weeks of PFL bonding time, do I need to specify that upfront in my application or can I decide later how much time to take?

Update: I FINALLY got through this morning! Used a combination of the tips here - called at 8:01am exactly, used the Spanish option trick, and kept redialing after getting the busy message. Got through on my 12th try and spoke to a very helpful rep who found the issue. Apparently there was a mismatch between my baby's birthdate on two different forms which triggered a manual review. She fixed it right away and said my claim should be processed within 48 hours! Thank you all for the helpful suggestions!

Wow, reading through all these experiences makes me realize I'm not alone in this struggle! I've been trying to reach EDD about my PFL claim for my newborn for over a week now. My claim has been stuck in "pending" status for almost 3 weeks and I'm getting really worried about when I'll receive my first payment. The tips about calling at 8:01am sharp and using the Spanish option sound promising - definitely going to try those tomorrow. It's honestly ridiculous that new parents have to become expert phone warriors just to get the benefits we're entitled to. Has anyone had success with the callback feature on the EDD website, or is that just as useless as everything else? Thanks to everyone sharing their strategies - it gives me hope that I'll eventually get through!