Ugh, I feel your pain. I had to deal with this last year and it was a NIGHTMARE. Took me 2 months to finally get my benefits. Hang in there!

Have you tried contacting your local assembly member's office? They often have caseworkers who can help with EDD issues. I had success with this approach when I was stuck in a similar situation. They can sometimes get through to the right people faster than calling directly. Also, document everything - dates you called, times, any reference numbers. It helps when you finally do get through to someone!

Anyone else notice that EDD seems to call more often on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Or am I just imagining things?

Don't panic! I've been in the same boat. When EDD calls and you miss it, they usually don't leave a voicemail which is super frustrating. Here's what worked for me: immediately check your UI Online account for any updates or messages, then try calling back using the 1-800-300-5616 number. If you can't get through today, try again first thing tomorrow morning. Also, keep your phone on you at all times for the next few days - they might try calling again. The good news is that missing one call won't hurt your claim, but definitely stay on top of it. You got this! 💪

Pro tip: call exactly at 8:01 AM when they open. You might have to try a few days in a row, but that's how I finally got through. Good luck!

Two weeks is definitely on the shorter side for EDD response times unfortunately. I'm at 5 weeks now and still waiting for my determination letter. What I've learned is to keep certifying every two weeks even if you haven't heard back yet - that's super important! Also make sure you have all your documents uploaded in your online portal. The system is definitely overwhelmed right now but you're not alone in this wait. Stay strong! 💪

To summarize what everyone has correctly noted: 1. PFL and UI benefits are completely separate systems with separate funding and eligibility requirements. 2. PFL falls under State Disability Insurance (SDI) which you pay into via payroll deductions. 3. UI is a separate program with its own funding mechanism and eligibility criteria. 4. Receiving PFL will not reduce your maximum UI benefit amount or weekly benefit amount if you later qualify for unemployment. 5. The only "connection" is that both look at your base period earnings, but in different ways. For UI, they examine your highest quarter of earnings in the base period to determine your weekly benefit amount. As others have mentioned, the timing of potential termination shortly after PFL leave raises serious legal questions about retaliation that you may want to explore with an employment attorney.

I'm really sorry you're going through this stress on top of everything with your husband's health situation. The good news is that everyone here is absolutely right - PFL and UI are completely separate benefit systems, so your caregiving benefits won't affect any future unemployment claim at all. What you're describing with the delayed equipment, rescheduled meetings, and system access issues sounds very concerning, especially so soon after returning from protected leave. I'd also be worried about them hiring someone new for your department while you were out - that's a pretty big red flag. Since you mentioned you've been there 5 years and they have 80 employees, you should definitely be covered under both CFRA and FMLA protections. Keep documenting everything with dates and times. If they do terminate you, file for unemployment immediately and don't let them pressure you into saying you quit or resigned. Make sure they clearly state they're terminating you. Also, have you considered reaching out to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) if things continue to deteriorate? They handle retaliation complaints related to family leave. Hope things work out for you and your husband continues to recover well!

omg reading this gives me anxiety just thinking about when i had to do this for my husband last year!!! the whole process is so confusing and edd NEVER explains anything clearly. glad you finally got some answers and hopefully your money comes through soon!!

So glad to see your update! This whole thread has been really helpful - I'm bookmarking it because my elderly mom has been having health issues and I might need to take PFL for caregiving soon. The fact that they don't automatically notify you when they need additional documentation is absolutely ridiculous. How are people supposed to know their claims are stalled? A few questions for anyone who's been through this: How long did it take after you spoke to the rep for your claim to actually get approved? And did you end up getting all the back pay from when you should have been receiving benefits? I'm trying to budget for potentially being without pay for several weeks if this happens.