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wait isnt there a waiting period before you get paid? i thought you dont get paid for the first week of leave or something
That's a common misconception. The 7-day waiting period applies to Disability Insurance (DI) claims, including Pregnancy Disability. However, there is NO waiting period for Paid Family Leave (PFL) claims, which includes baby bonding. PFL benefits are payable from the first day of eligible leave.
UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know my husband's claim was approved today! So it took exactly 9 days from application to approval. We haven't received the payment yet but the online portal shows it as processed. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!
yayyy!! so happy for you guys! the payment should hit your account in 1-2 business days. congrats on your baby girl! 💕👶
Quick update - I checked with a colleague who processes PFL claims, and he mentioned there's currently a processing backlog for baby bonding claims submitted in the last 6 weeks due to a system update. If your claim falls in this window, that might explain the delay. However, he stressed that you should still contact EDD directly as they may need additional information that isn't showing up on your online portal.
So did you ever get this resolved? I'm curious what ended up being the issue since so many people seem to be experiencing similar delays.
Yes! Finally got it sorted out yesterday. I managed to get through to EDD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned above, and found out there was an issue with my employment verification. My employer had sent incomplete information. Once that was corrected, my claim was processed within 24 hours and payment should arrive next week. What a relief! For anyone else experiencing delays - definitely check if your employer responded properly to EDD's verification request!
When I went through this transition from pregnancy disability to baby bonding last year, I found it helpful to reference specific EDD publications during my calls. If you mention Form DE2501FP and specifically say you're filing a "Paid Family Leave claim to bond with your new child following a pregnancy-related disability claim," the representatives usually understand better what you need. The rep who told you that you need to exhaust Medi-Cal was completely confused - possibly thinking about State Disability Insurance (SDI) and private disability insurance coordination, which is a different thing entirely. Keep trying and be very specific about what you're requesting.
That's really smart to reference the exact forms and use their terminology. I'll definitely try that approach. The rep I spoke with sounded very new, so maybe they were just confused between different programs.
Quick update question - have you been able to reach another representative yet? Did they correct this misinformation?
Yes! Finally got through today and spoke with someone who knew exactly what they were doing. You were right - the first rep was completely confused. My PFL claim is now being processed correctly. She said it should take 7-10 days to see the first payment. Thank you all for your help and validation that I wasn't crazy!
so glad you got it sorted out!! enjoy your baby bonding time!!
Just make sure you're continuing to certify on time even if you mail it in!! My friend didn't certify for a couple weeks while trying to fix her account issue and they closed her whole claim! Had to start the process all over again. The EDD system is SO unforgiving about deadlines.
omg yes this happened to my cousin too!! the worst part is they don't even tell u when they close it, u just stop getting paid and then have 2 call and wait forever to find out why
One more important thing I forgot to mention - when mailing certifications, make sure you use black or blue ink (not pencil), sign the form, and mail it to the correct processing center listed on your paperwork. Different claim types go to different addresses. Also, keep certifying every two weeks regardless of whether you've received payment for previous periods. Missing a certification period can cause significant delays even with a valid reason.
Thank you for these additional details! I'll make sure to use blue ink and verify the correct mailing address. We'll definitely keep up with the bi-weekly certifications even while sorting out the account issues.
PixelPioneer
just wanted to add that when you do the PFL baby bonding make sure you submit proof of relationship!! I forgot to include my baby's birth certificate and my claim was delayed for like 3 weeks. super annoying when you're sleep deprived with a newborn and need the money!
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Zainab Ahmed
•That's really good to know, thank you! I'll definitely keep that in mind. Did you submit the original birth certificate or is a copy okay?
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PixelPioneer
•A copy is fine! I just scanned it and uploaded it to my EDD account after I got the notice about missing docs. But save yourself the hassle and just include it with your initial application!
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Natasha Ivanova
I had my baby last October and my amazon warehouse job ended in August when i was 8 months. my sister had a baby in june and she told me about all this stuff. the way it worked for me was disability for the last month of pregnancy + 6 weeks after birth (8 weeks for c-section which i ended up needing) and then another 8 weeks of baby bonding time. got about 60% of my normal pay the whole time. not perfect but way better than nothing!!
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Zainab Ahmed
•Thanks for sharing your experience! Was it fairly straightforward to transition from SDI to PFL for your baby bonding? I've heard that's where people sometimes run into issues.
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Natasha Ivanova
•it was mostly automatic but i did have to fill out the baby bonding form (cant remember the number) after i gave birth. they sent me an email when my disability was about to end reminding me to apply for PFL if i wanted it.
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