Anyone else feel like we need to start a petition or something to get the government to fix this mess? It's not fair that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to.

Wow, this whole thread is so relatable! I'm currently on week 4 of trying to get my PFL claim processed and it's been absolutely exhausting. The fact that we have to resort to paying third-party services just to talk to someone at our own state agency is honestly insane. I've been hesitant about using those calling services because I wasn't sure if they were legit, but hearing multiple people confirm they work is really helpful. At this point, $20 seems like a small price to pay for my sanity. Thanks for sharing your experience @Jungleboo - gives me hope that there's actually a light at the end of this tunnel! 🤞

idk if this helps but I had luck emailing them through the contact form on their website. took like a week to get a response but at least I didn't have to deal with the phone nightmare

I had a similar issue last year and what finally worked for me was calling the 833-978-2511 number (the disability insurance line) instead of the main PFL number. For some reason it was easier to get through, and they were able to transfer me to the right department. Also, try calling right at 8 AM sharp - I literally had my phone ready to dial at 7:59:59 AM. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through these hoops, but sometimes you gotta work the system. Hope this helps!

unpopular opinion: take all the time you can get. you'll never get these early months back with your kid. work will always be there, but your baby wont be tiny forever 💯

Hey Amara! Congrats on your little one! 🍼 I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago. Here's what helped me decide: I made a simple pros/cons list for taking it all at once vs. splitting: • All at once = consistent payments, full bonding time, but harder transition back • Split = flexibility for work emergencies, but potential payment delays between claims Since you mentioned being head of household, definitely calculate your exact benefit amount first. The new rates are pretty decent - I got about 68% of my regular pay. Also ask your employer if they offer any supplemental benefits during PFL. One thing that really helped me was setting up a small emergency fund before starting leave, even if it was just a few hundred bucks. Made the reduced income way less stressful. Whatever you choose, don't feel guilty about it! You're doing what's best for your family. Good luck! 💪

I'm a new member here and going through the exact same situation! My PFL payment has been stuck at "sent" status for 6 days now after transitioning from SDI to baby bonding leave. My first PFL payment came through perfectly, but this second one is just sitting somewhere in their system. Reading through all these comments has been incredibly reassuring - I was starting to think something was specifically wrong with my claim. It's frustrating that EDD doesn't proactively communicate about these technical issues when they know parents are counting on this income for essential expenses. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm planning to try the Claimyr service tomorrow morning since the regular phone lines seem impossible to get through. Has anyone who used Claimyr been able to get confirmation about when the broader batch processing issue might be fully resolved? I'm worried this could affect my future payments too. Thank you all for sharing - this community has been more helpful than anything I could find on the official EDD website!

I'm a new member here and unfortunately dealing with this exact same issue! My PFL payment has been showing as "sent" for 5 days now with nothing appearing in my bank account. Just like everyone else, I transitioned from SDI to baby bonding PFL and my first payment came through fine, but this second one is completely stuck. This thread has been such a lifesaver - I was starting to panic thinking it was something wrong with my specific claim or bank account. It's so frustrating that EDD doesn't send any kind of alert about these technical issues when they know payments are delayed. The stress of not knowing what's happening while managing a newborn and expecting that income is overwhelming. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service first thing tomorrow morning based on all the positive feedback here. Has anyone had any luck with the regular EDD phone lines recently, or is the third-party service really the only viable option? I've tried calling twice and got disconnected both times after waiting over an hour. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - knowing this is a widespread technical issue rather than an individual problem makes me feel so much better!

So glad you got this sorted out! I'm actually in a similar boat - planning to use only part of my PFL for baby bonding now and save the rest for later. Your post made me double-check my dates and I realized I almost made the same mistake. Thanks for sharing the Claimyr tip too - definitely bookmarking that for future reference. The whole EDD phone system is such a nightmare, it's good to know there are workarounds that actually work!

This whole thread is so reassuring! I'm expecting my first baby in a couple months and have been trying to figure out the best way to split my PFL time. My plan was to take 4 weeks initially and save the other 4 weeks for when my partner goes back to work, but I've been super anxious about messing up the paperwork. Reading about everyone's experiences (especially the success stories!) makes me feel more confident. Definitely going to bookmark that Claimyr service just in case I run into phone issues. Thanks everyone for sharing your real-world experiences - way more helpful than trying to decipher the EDD website!