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is this your first baby? just a heads up that when u do finally get approved youll need to do those certifications every 2 weeks which is annoying when youre sleep deprived with a newborn lol. set calendar reminders so u dont forget!
Great point! Many new parents don't realize PFL requires continued certifications. Unlike PDL where your doctor certifies your condition, with baby bonding YOU must certify every two weeks that you're still caring for your child. Missing certifications can cause payment delays or even claim closures.
Just checking back - has your claim been approved yet? If you're getting close to the 2-week mark with no updates, I'd definitely recommend calling.
Does anyone know if there's a waiting period for PFL caregiving like there is for disability? I'm in a similar situation and trying to figure out when benefits would actually start if approved.
There's no waiting period for PFL caregiving benefits like there is for SDI. If your claim is approved, benefits begin on the first day you take off work to provide care. However, processing can take 2-3 weeks typically, so you might not receive payments right away even though they'll be backdated to your first day of leave.
Update: I talked to an EDD representative (finally!) and got some clear answers. Since my nephew has a documented developmental disability that requires care, and since I'll be helping with his medical appointments, medication management, and daily living needs during this transition, I DO qualify for PFL caregiving benefits. I need his doctor to complete the medical certification detailing what specific care he needs from me. The rep confirmed I can take up to 8 weeks, either all at once or broken up over a 12-month period. This is such a relief as it will give us time to get appropriate support services in place. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!
That's great news! Make sure you have your own documentation of all the care you're providing in case they request additional information. I kept a simple log of medical appointments, medication assistance, and other care activities during my leave, which really helped when they called to verify my claim.
Hey everyone, I'm about to start my baby bonding leave next month and I've heard horror stories about trying to reach EDD by phone. Someone in my mom's group mentioned there used to be discount coupons for a service called Claimyr that could get you through to an EDD rep without the wait. Are these coupons still a thing in 2025? Has anyone used the service recently and how much did it cost? Also wondering if it's even worth using for PFL questions or if I should just plan to spend a day hitting redial like everyone else... My first baby so I'm totally new to this process!
I used it 2 weeks ago and I don think there were any coupons but maybe i didn't look hard enuf. It was soooo worth it tho cuz i was going insane trying to reach edd. My baby's 3 months old and i was about to not be able to pay rent cuz my claim was pending forever. They got me thru to an agent who fixed it in like 5 min!! And my payment came 2 days later. seriously the best $$ i've spent.
To answer your specific question about coupons - I haven't seen any discount coupons for Claimyr specifically for PFL claims in 2025. However, they occasionally offer promotional rates at different times of the year. If your situation isn't urgent, you might want to try the standard EDD contact methods first: 1. Online messages through your EDD account (response can take 5-7 business days) 2. Calling during less busy hours (Wednesdays and Thursdays tend to have shorter wait times) 3. Checking if your question can be answered by your employer's leave administrator If those don't work and you need immediate assistance, then services like Claimyr become more valuable, especially if you're dealing with time-sensitive issues like claim transitions or payment delays.
If he never certified for UI during PFL weeks, you have a very strong appeal case. The penalty weeks are specifically for intentional misrepresentation, but this is clearly an honest mistake with no double-dipping. A few tips for your appeal hearing: 1. Be extremely organized with your documentation 2. Create a clear timeline showing when he worked, when he claimed UI, and when PFL was paid 3. Bring medical documentation of your hospitalization 4. Be polite but assertive about the administrative error Most administrative law judges are reasonable when presented with clear evidence of an honest mistake, especially when there was no financial harm to the state.
This happened to my sister-in-law! She had a similar date mistake on her PFL claim when her twins were born. Her husband had to attend the hearing with her since she was still recovering, but the judge removed all the penalties once they showed the hospital records and work history. It was stressful but fixable!
Update: We finally got through to someone at EDD! Turns out we needed to file form DE 1000M for the appeal (like someone suggested here) AND a separate form DE 2501F for the PFL date correction. The agent confirmed they can see he was working during that incorrect start date week. She added notes to our file for the upcoming appeal hearing. Now we're just waiting for a hearing date. Thank you everyone for your help!
That's great news! Make sure you keep detailed notes of this conversation (date, time, agent ID if possible). For the hearing, bring multiple copies of all your evidence - one for the judge, one for EDD's representative, and one for yourselves. Most importantly, stay calm and stick to the facts about the date entry error. Glad to hear you're making progress!
Ella Russell
I forgot to mention!! Make sure u get the right form! Baby bonding is form DE2508 not the disability one (DE2501) that u probably used for maternity leave. I got super confused and filled out the wrong one first lol
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Daniel Rogers
Update: I applied yesterday and made sure to put March 20th as my baby bonding start date (day after vacation ends). The online system accepted my application! Now fingers crossed it processes without issues. Thanks everyone for your help!!
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Aaliyah Reed
•Glad to hear it! One final tip - take screenshots of your confirmation page and claim number. The EDD online system sometimes has maintenance issues, and having that documentation can be helpful if anything gets lost in their system. Enjoy your baby bonding time!
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