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So frustrated right now! I submitted my pregnancy disability claim on 2/15/25 and delivered my baby on 3/10/25. I reported the birth through UI Online right away. It's now been almost 5 weeks since delivery and I haven't received ANY payments - not for the end of my disability period or for baby bonding PFL. My online account just shows 'pending' with no explanation. I've sent THREE messages through the portal asking what's happening and haven't gotten a single response. I'm going crazy with medical bills piling up and zero income coming in. Does the transition from disability to PFL usually take this long? What am I supposed to do when they completely ignore me? Anyone else dealt with this black hole of communication?
Finally getting around to using my remaining baby bonding weeks after going back to work for a few months (baby is now 7 months old). I submitted my PFL claim for the remaining 5 weeks last Tuesday through the EDD portal, but still don't see anything in my account besides the confirmation number. Does anyone know how long processing typically takes these days? Also, I'm confused about whether the first week is paid or unpaid for baby bonding PFL? I remember for my initial claim after my disability ended, there wasn't a waiting period, but I've heard from a coworker that there's an unpaid first week? Really hoping that's not true since I'm only taking 5 weeks total and need every penny with these daycare costs hitting soon!
I've been through PFL twice now and here's what I learned: the "normal" processing time is 7-14 days, BUT that assumes everything goes perfectly. If there's ANY issue with your claim - even something tiny - it can get stuck in processing limbo for weeks without anyone telling you. Some tips: 1) Check your EDD account daily to see if they've posted any notices requesting additional info 2) Make sure your employer responds to their verification request promptly 3) Call if you don't see movement after 10 business days And yes, 100% confirmed there is NO waiting period for PFL baby bonding. That's only for disability claims.
I filed for my pregnancy disability claim on 12/9/24 and I'm confused about what happens next. EDD sent me something showing how much I'll receive weekly (yay!), and my doctor has signed all the required paperwork. But I still haven't gotten ANY information about when I'll actually start getting paid. Is the delay normal because of the holiday season? Or am I missing something? Do I need to file additional forms? I'm starting to panic because I'm due in 3 weeks and REALLY counting on this money starting soon! This is my first time navigating this whole SDI/PFL thing and I'm totally lost. Help!!
Random but make sure you keep track of your last day worked too because sometimes they calculate it wrong and it can delay your payments if the dates don't match up with what your doctor put!
Just checking in - have you received any updates on your claim? Did you check your claim status online as suggested? If it's still showing nothing by next week, I'd definitely recommend calling EDD directly.
I'm preparing to file for baby bonding PFL in about a month, but my last claim was 3+ years ago when my income was wayyy less than it is now. Do I need to do something special to make sure my benefit amount is based on my current higher wages? Or will EDD automatically calculate using my recent income when I submit the new claim? I got a promotion + two big raises since my last leave and don't want to leave $$$ on the table if there's paperwork I should handle now. Thanks!
my coworker just had a baby an she said her PFL was like $200 more per week than her SDI from when she was pregnant even tho it was only like 6 months apart lol. think its cuz she got a fat bonus right b4 she went out
One more important thing to add: If you're transitioning from State Disability Insurance (SDI) for pregnancy to Paid Family Leave (PFL) for bonding, you have two options: 1. Continue your claim: This uses the same benefit amount as your SDI claim, based on your older earnings. 2. File a new claim: This recalculates your benefit based on more recent earnings. If your income has increased significantly, option #2 would likely result in a higher weekly benefit. However, there's a trade-off - filing a new claim may cause a gap between benefits while the new claim processes, whereas continuing your claim is seamless. Since you mentioned it's been 3+ years since your last claim, this wouldn't apply to your current situation, but it's useful information for anyone reading who might be filing for pregnancy disability followed by baby bonding.
I'm about to transition from disability to baby bonding PFL next month and I'm trying to figure out how payment tracking works. When PFL payments start coming in, will they show up in the same EDD online account where I can see my regular unemployment history from last year? Or is there a totally separate system for viewing PFL payment history? I'm trying to plan my budget for when I'm on leave and need to know where to check for payment updates. Thanks!
I remember being so confused about this last year! Just to add my experience - yes, all payments show in your regular EDD account but the categorization isn't always super clear. Sometimes they label things weird and it's confusing. I just had my second baby and this time I created a simple spreadsheet to track expected payment dates/amounts and then matched them against what showed up in my account. Made things much easier to understand.
Amina Bah
UPDATE: I finally got through to an EDD agent (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above - actually worked!) and found out my claim was stuck because they never received my doctor's certification to close out my pregnancy disability. Even though my doctor swore they sent it! The agent helped me file a request for backdate and is sending me the forms to have my doctor resubmit. Should be resolved in 7-10 days. Fingers crossed! Thanks everyone for your help!
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Natasha Petrova
Great news! This is exactly why speaking with an agent is so important - these transition issues almost always require manual intervention. Make sure your doctor sends the certification via fax with a cover sheet clearly stating your EDD Customer Account Number and claim details. Keep that fax confirmation as proof of submission.
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Emma Davis
wait what happens if my doctor already submitted the disability paperwork before i even gave birth?? like they put my due date but i'm still pregnant?? will that mess everything up????
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Malik Jackson
No, that's actually normal. Your doctor submits the initial certification with the estimated due date, but after delivery, they need to submit a final certification with the actual delivery date and recovery period. Make sure your doctor knows when you actually gave birth so they can send in that final paperwork. This is critical for the transition to baby bonding PFL.
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