I swear, dealing with this system is aging me faster than my actual job did. Pretty soon I'll be eligible for retirement benefits instead of unemployment! 👴👵

Ugh, yes! I'm dealing with the exact same thing. My claim just vanished from the system after their "update" and now when I call, they act like I never even filed. It's beyond frustrating. I've been trying the callback feature but it just says "high call volume" and hangs up on me. Has anyone had luck with the online chat feature, or is that just as useless as the phone system? Starting to wonder if I should just camp out at the local office at this point... 😤

Thanks everyone for your responses! I just checked my portal and it actually updated today - it now says approved! Based on your experiences, I should hopefully have the payment within a few days. This is such a relief!

Congratulations on your approval! That's such great news. I'm currently waiting on my own baby bonding claim decision (submitted 2 weeks ago) and this thread has been so helpful. It's reassuring to see that most people get their online updates first, though clearly EDD's system can be unpredictable. The timeline info from everyone is really valuable - sounds like payments usually come pretty quickly after approval. Hope your payment comes through soon and you can enjoy your bonding time without the financial stress!

PSA: Don't forget to factor in taxes when budgeting for your leave. PFL benefits are taxable income!

Just wanted to add that if you're planning to take PFL intermittently (like a few days here and there), make sure to coordinate closely with your employer's HR department. They'll need to track your usage to ensure you don't exceed the 8-week limit within the 12-month period. Also, some employers have their own policies about how intermittent leave works, so it's worth checking your employee handbook too. Good luck with your application!

anyone else think its ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to access benefits we're entitled to? the system is broken af 😤

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! You definitely need to submit a new PFL application - they're completely separate systems. The tricky part is timing it right so you don't have a gap in benefits. I'd recommend calling to formally close your SDI claim first, then immediately submit your PFL application. Also make sure you have your doctor fill out the PFL medical certification form (it's different from the SDI one). The whole process took about 2-3 weeks for me once I submitted everything correctly. Hang in there - it's frustrating but definitely doable!

Have you considered reaching out to your local state representative? They sometimes have liaisons who can help navigate these issues.

I went through something similar last year with an SDI overpayment. After paying it back, I was stuck in limbo for weeks not knowing if they received it properly. What finally worked for me was sending a certified letter with tracking to their overpayment unit including copies of my payment confirmation and a request for written acknowledgment. It took about 10 business days, but I got an official letter back confirming everything was settled. Way less stressful than trying to get through on the phone! You might want to try that route while you're still attempting to call.