My sister just went through this whole mess with her baby bonding. She said what fixed it was speaking with a tier 2 specialist, not just the regular reps. Apparently if you do get through, you should immediately ask to be transferred to a tier 2 specialist who can actually see and fix stuck claims. The regular reps can only see basic info and just tell you to wait.

After reading all these comments, I'm pretty sure your issue is the transition from pregnancy disability to baby bonding. I had the exact same problem in 2024. The good news is that once they fix it, you'll get all your backpay in one lump sum. Make sure when you do get through to someone that you specifically mention this is a "transition claim issue between SDI and PFL for baby bonding" - using those exact terms helped me get the right assistance.

Ugh I hate when EDD messes up payments. I swear their system is designed to make everything as complicated as possible. Had a similar issue when transferring from pregnancy disability to bonding time. Get ready for hours of useless hold music if you try calling them!

Here's the official process: When a direct deposit is returned due to incorrect account information, EDD automatically places that specific payment in a special queue for manual handling. Meanwhile, your future payments will continue to process normally to your corrected account information. You should see your second payment deposit as scheduled tomorrow if you've already updated your banking information in the system. The first payment typically takes 7-10 business days to be reissued after it's returned to EDD. They may either redeposit it electronically or mail a physical check, depending on their internal processing. If you don't see your second payment tomorrow, or if it's been more than 10 business days since the first payment was returned, then you should contact EDD directly for assistance.

my hubby did this!! yes he can get PFL even after being fired! as long as he paid into SDI within the last 18 months he qualifies! but the benefits are based on a percentage of what he earned during his highest-paid quarter in the base period so might be less money than he hopes lol the EDD system for PFL is actually way better than unemployment in my experience... they didn't give us any hassle about him being unemployed when he applied. took about 10 days to get approved and then another week to get the first payment on the debit card good luck with your little one!! those first few months are so precious 💕

My bff just went through this and found out there's actually a HUGE mistake people make... if he applies for Unemployment first and then PFL, sometimes the computer system gets confused. Because technically you have to be "able and available to work" for unemployment but you're saying you're NOT available to work for PFL since you're caring for a baby. The EDD computers sometimes flag this as fraud even though it's totally legal to transition from one program to another! Make sure if he calls that he explains clearly he was denied unemployment and is now applying for a completely different benefit. And get EVERYTHING in writing!

Wait I thought PFL was only for bonding with a new baby?? I didn't know you could use it for taking care of sick family members too! Learn something new everyday I guess.

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what happened in case it helps someone else. I filed a new claim online and had my husband's cardiologist complete the new certification form. As suggested, I made sure they included specific language about the defibrillator vest and supervision requirements. I called EDD using the Claimyr service that was recommended (which actually worked great - connected me to a real person in about 8 minutes) and the rep confirmed that I was doing everything correctly. She added a note to my file about the urgency of my husband's condition. My claim was approved in 6 days, and I've already received the first payment. Thank you everyone for your help!

One important thing to remember is that EDD pays based on the week you certify, not when they process the payment. So if you submitted a timesheet that covered multiple weeks with different work hours, make sure you check how they broke it down by week. Sometimes this causes confusion when the math doesn't seem to add up.

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD this morning! The agent explained that for PFL with part-time work, they do send a separate notice showing the calculation, but it comes 5-7 days after the payment. She confirmed my hours were recorded correctly and walked me through the formula (similar to what @helpful_person described above). My advice to anyone else with this issue - check your mail for the notice, and if you don't get it within a week after payment, definitely call. And yes, document EVERYTHING!