oh and heads up - when u transition from pregnancy SDI to baby bonding PFL after birth thats when u WILL need a completely new application! don't get confused and think its all automatic. totally different claim for that part.

You know what's really infuriating? I called my EDD office 27 TIMES last month asking this EXACT question and got 3 completely different answers from 3 different representatives!!! One told me I needed a new claim, one told me just a doctor's note would work, and one said I needed some special form. The whole system is designed to confuse us and deny benefits. I bet half the women who get pregnant never get the full benefits they deserve because it's too complicated to figure out what to do when circumstances change!!! 😡😡😡

this whole system is a JOKE. they expect new moms with freaking newborns to jump through all these hoops just to get money we're entitled to after paying into the system for years. i had my baby in 2023 and it took SEVEN WEEKS to get my first disability payment. and then another 3 week delay transitioning to baby bonding. i ended up having to borrow money from family which was humiliating.

Quick update on my previous comment - if you do go to the office, try to be there at least 30 minutes before they open. The lines get extremely long, especially at month-end when everyone is desperate for their payments to pay rent. Also, check if the office near you requires appointments now. Some EDD offices changed their policies after COVID and now require scheduled appointments for certain services.

Anyone notice how weird it is that EDD still uses Bank of America for this stuff? My friend in Nevada gets her unemployment on a different bank card. Wonder why California sticks with BofA.

Just to give you the most current information - I confirmed with EDD last month that they are planning to switch from Bank of America to a new provider for debit cards sometime in early 2026. But for now, all SDI and PFL payments still go through BofA if you select the debit card option. As others mentioned, if your card is expired, Bank of America will automatically send you a new one when your first payment is issued. This typically takes 7-10 business days, though some people have reported delays. If you're really concerned, you can also check your payment status through your SDI Online account. Once it shows "Paid" with an amount and date, you know the money has been sent to BofA.

Wait I'm confused...isn't BASIC for disability claims not PFL? When I had my baby I got SDI first during recovery then switched to PFL for bonding. Did your husband do disability first? Maybe that's why BASIC is involved?

Update: We got everything sorted out! Logged into the BASIC portal and completed all the verification steps yesterday. This morning we got an email saying payment has been initiated and should arrive in 3-5 business days. Thanks everyone for the help and explaining how this works!

Update: After trying for 2 days with ID.me support with no luck, I used the Claimyr service that someone suggested. Got connected to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. The rep verified my identity another way and helped me file my pregnancy disability claim over the phone! So relieved. Now I can focus on my health instead of this technical nightmare. Thanks everyone for your help!

Glad you got it resolved! For anyone else facing this issue in the future - this is common with ID.me and EDD. The most important thing is NEVER create duplicate accounts as it triggers fraud alerts. Either go through ID.me recovery directly (slower but free) or get help from an EDD representative who can verify you through alternate means (faster but harder to reach). Also worth noting: pregnancy disability (PDL) is different from Paid Family Leave (PFL). You'll file PDL first for the time before birth and recovery, then transition to PFL for baby bonding after. Make sure to understand the transition process so you don't have a gap in benefits.