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!

Hey OP, when you do get through, ask them to explain EXACTLY why there's a delay. Don't let them give you vague answers. If they say 'processing time', ask what specific step it's stuck on. Sometimes they'll realize there's actually a fixable issue when you push for details.

I'm going through something similar - filed in February and still waiting! One thing that helped me was asking specifically about the "payment queue" when I called. Apparently there's a separate queue for issuing payments even after claims are processed. Also, double-check that your direct deposit info is correct in your profile - I've heard of people waiting months only to find out their bank info was wrong. Wishing you luck getting this sorted out! 🤞