California Paid Family Leave

Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.

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Using Claimyr will:

  • Connect you to a human agent at the EDD
  • Skip the long phone menu
  • Call the correct department
  • Redial until on hold
  • Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
  • Give you free callbacks if the EDD drops your call

If I could give 10 stars I would

If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!


Really made a difference

Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.


Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.

Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.


An incredibly helpful service

An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!


Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.

Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.


IT WORKS!! Not a scam!

I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!

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i dunno y everyone is saying appeal. my cousin works at EDD and says they almost never reverse these decisions and u just waste time. if it was their mistake maybe they'll waive the penalty but youll still have to pay the overpayment amount back anyway

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This is simply not accurate. While it's true that you often still need to repay the overpayment, getting it classified as "no fault" makes a HUGE difference - no penalties, no interest, and possibility of a waiver if it causes financial hardship. Also, appeals absolutely DO succeed when there's clear evidence of administrative error, especially with documented proof like OP has. Please don't discourage people from exercising their right to appeal!

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One more tip - when filing your appeal, be very specific about the remedy you're seeking. Are you disputing the entire overpayment amount, or just the "at fault" classification? If you have proof they made the calculation error, you might be able to get the whole thing dismissed, but at minimum you should be able to get a "no fault" determination which protects you from penalties and interest.

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That's really helpful! I honestly hadn't thought about what specific remedy to request. I think I'll primarily argue for complete dismissal since it was their calculation error, but alternatively request the no-fault classification if full dismissal isn't granted. I'll make sure to clearly state both in my appeal.

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To directly answer your original question - no, calling an agent won't expedite the claim processing. The 14-day window is the minimum processing time, and while agents can't speed it up, they CAN help if: 1. You need to correct information on your claim 2. Your claim has been pending longer than 14 business days 3. You need to check if any documentation is missing I recommend waiting until at least the 10th business day before calling to check status. If you're transitioning from pregnancy disability to baby bonding, your claim should process more smoothly since you're already in their system.

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Thanks for the clarification. I'll wait until next week before I start calling. Glad to know that transitioning might make it smoother. It's my first baby so everything about this process is new and confusing!

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When I had my baby last year I got paid the full 14 days after filing even though I submitted everything right away. I think they just batch process claims or something. But the first payment included everything from my filing date, not just from the approval date. So you should still get paid for the full benefit period.

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That's really good to know - at least I'll get backpaid from my filing date. I just wish they made this process easier for new parents!

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what about asking if u could work from home while u recover? thats what i did last year after surgery. maybe not full time but even part time could help ur case to show ur trying? idk just a thought

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That's a really good point. I could probably handle part-time remote work at this stage of my recovery. I'll bring that up in my next interview as a possible accommodation.

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To summarize your best next steps: 1. Apply for unemployment benefits immediately by filing a claim with EDD (you would use UI Online, not SDI Online which you used for disability) 2. Request written documentation from HR about your entire leave status and the approved return date 3. If you believe there was a violation of your leave rights, consider consulting with an employment attorney (many offer free consultations) 4. Continue pursuing internal positions, and document all your job search efforts as this will be required for unemployment benefits 5. Ask about potential accommodations like part-time or remote work as mentioned by another commenter The transition from medical leave to unemployment/job search is one of the most confusing aspects of the California benefit system. Don't hesitate to call EDD directly with questions about your specific situation.

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Thank you so much for laying this out so clearly. I just filed for unemployment online and have an email drafted to HR requesting all my leave documentation. I feel much more clear on the next steps now!

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EDD nightmare: PFL started before SDI ended after c-section, no payments since August!

I feel like I'm trapped in an EDD twilight zone and desperately need advice! I had my c-section on 9/22/25 and everything with my benefits has been a complete disaster since then. Here's what happened: - My company uses a third-party benefits coordinator who submitted all my paperwork - SDI was supposed to run 9/10/25 to 11/20/25 (including the standard 7-day waiting period) - PFL baby bonding was scheduled for 11/21/25 to 1/15/26 Somehow EDD activated my PFL claim DURING my SDI period even though the dates were clearly specified! I only received ONE SDI payment (for 9/17-9/21) before everything went haywire. It's now mid-December and I haven't received any additional payments - not SDI or PFL! I've called EDD approximately 30 times, spoken with 7 different representatives who all tell me: - "A form is being sent to resolve the overlap" - "Your claim is being reviewed" - "The system shows pending resolution" I finally received ONE form in November which I completed and returned within 24 hours via certified mail. Still NOTHING has happened! I even contacted my state assembly member who supposedly "escalated" my case three weeks ago. Zero updates since then. I've now depleted our savings, maxed out credit cards, and had to borrow $4,500 from family to cover December bills. We're literally choosing between diapers and groceries at this point. Has ANYONE experienced this weird SDI/PFL overlap problem? Did you eventually get paid? How long did the nightmare last? I'm honestly at my breaking point dealing with this while trying to recover from surgery and care for a newborn.

Update: I finally got through to EDD this morning after a 2-hour wait. The rep confirmed that my PFL claim was incorrectly processed BEFORE my SDI claim ended. She said this is a "known system issue" that requires manual correction by a specialist. Apparently, the form I submitted last month is still "in processing" and could take "several more weeks" to resolve. When I explained our dire financial situation, she said she would add an "urgent" flag to my case but couldn't guarantee faster processing. I'm going to try the specific SDI-to-PFL transition number that someone suggested above, and also look into Claimyr to see if I can get to someone with more authority. This is beyond frustrating!

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Good job getting this additional information. Ask specifically for your case to be referred to the "Benefit Systems Transition Resolution Team" - this is an actual department that handles these exact issues. They implemented this team after the system update created widespread transition problems. Also, document everything - the name of every rep you speak with, their ID number if they'll provide it, dates and times of calls, and exactly what they tell you. This documentation will be essential if you need to escalate further.

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any update??? did u get paid yet???

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Still nothing, but I did manage to get through to a supervisor yesterday who said they've expedited my case. They're supposedly doing a manual calculation of all benefits owed. She promised I should see some movement within 7-10 business days, but I'm not holding my breath at this point.

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i don't no about the depression stuff but for the partial unemployment i was on that for like 4 months last year when my hours got cut. just make sure u report exactly how much u made each week when u certify or they'll come after u for overpayment later!! happened to my roomate and she had to pay back like $1200!!!

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So true!! My cousin got hit with an overpayment notice for $3400 because she reported her hours wrong for like 6 weeks! EDD is super picky about reporting everything correctly.

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To address your situation comprehensively: 1. For your current part-time job: You can continue certifying for UI for the days you don't work, but you must report all earnings. Your weekly benefit amount will be reduced based on your part-time income. 2. For your mental health concerns: If a doctor certifies your depression is preventing you from working, you could qualify for State Disability Insurance (SDI). This requires a DE2501 form completed by a healthcare provider. 3. Important distinction: Paid Family Leave (PFL) would NOT apply in your situation as it's specifically for bonding with a new child or caring for an ill family member. 4. If you quit: Generally, voluntarily quitting disqualifies you from UI unless you can prove "good cause." Mental health issues documented by a healthcare provider before quitting can sometimes qualify as good cause. I recommend maintaining your part-time job while seeking medical help for your depression. This preserves your partial UI benefits while you explore SDI options with proper medical documentation.

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This is incredibly helpful, thank you. I think I'll keep the part-time job while I talk to my doctor. One last question - if I do qualify for SDI for depression, would the benefits be similar to what I'm getting from unemployment?

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SDI benefits are calculated differently from UI. SDI pays approximately 60-70% of your wages earned during your base period (roughly 5-18 months before your claim starts). This could be more or less than your current UI benefit, depending on your specific earnings history. You can use the EDD's SDI calculator on their website to get an estimate of your potential benefit amount.

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