California Paid Family Leave
CommunityGovernment Services
Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
$29.99StandardOne price
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
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
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Does EDD PFL still offer discount coupons for Claimyr calling service?
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!
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EDD falsely flagged husband's PFL claim for incorrect start date - now facing penalty weeks with no appeal notice
I'm in a total mess with my husband's PFL claim and UI benefits! After my complicated C-section in January 2025, he applied for Paid Family Leave to help care for me and our newborn. Problem is, he accidentally entered January 10th as his PFL start date instead of the actual date (January 24th when I was discharged). Totally our fault - I usually double-check his applications but was heavily medicated. Here's where it gets bad: EDD paid him for a few weeks, then there was a MASSIVE delay (February through June). Meanwhile, his UI claim (he was working part-time before the birth) expired during this confusion period. When he had to reopen his UI claim, EDD scheduled him for a 'False Statement' interview and now they're hitting him with penalty weeks! The most frustrating part is that he actually WORKED during that January 10th week and reported those earnings on his UI claim, so it was clearly just a date entry error. The interviewer told us SDI needs to correct the PFL start date, but despite emailing them repeatedly, they've paid the correct amount but never fixed the actual start date. We haven't received ANY written communication about appealing the penalty decision. Anyone know how to get this fixed? He never actually collected both PFL and UI for the same weeks! I've been trying to reach someone at SDI about the PFL date correction for weeks with no luck.
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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!
Missing disability payments after PFL rep said I'm owed money - can't reach anyone!
So frustrated right now! I was on disability before transitioning to PFL, and when I spoke with a PFL representative last week, she told me I'm actually owed disability payments from March 1-13, 2025 that were never processed! She said I needed to call the disability department directly to get this resolved, but I've been calling literally EVERY DAY this week and can't get through to anyone. Just endless hold times until I eventually get disconnected. Has anyone had a similar issue with missing disability payments? Is visiting a local EDD office actually helpful for this kind of problem? I'm owed almost $890 and really need that money for baby expenses. Any advice on how to actually reach a human being at the disability office?
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I tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned above when I had an issue with my PFL baby bonding claim last month. It actually worked - got me through to an agent in about an hour when I'd been trying for days on my own with no luck. The agent fixed my issue right away once I got through. Definitely worth trying if you're desperate!
UPDATE: I finally got through!! Used that Claimyr service someone recommended above and had an agent on the phone within 40 minutes. The rep confirmed I was missing payments for those dates and processed a supplemental payment that should arrive in 7-10 days. She also said this happens A LOT with transitions from disability to PFL because they're treated as separate claims even though they're related. Thanks everyone for your advice!
Great news! Glad you got it resolved. Make sure you check your account in about a week to confirm the payment was actually processed. Sometimes they say they'll fix it but you need to follow up. If it doesn't show up in 10 days, call again!
EDD PFL for umbilical hernia surgery - can I qualify for just one week?
My 2-year-old is scheduled for umbilical hernia surgery next month and I need to take a week off work to care for him during recovery. His doctor says he'll need constant monitoring for the first 5-7 days. I've never applied for PFL before and I'm confused about minimum time requirements. Can I apply for just one week of Paid Family Leave or is there a minimum duration? My HR department wasn't helpful and just handed me an EDD pamphlet. Has anyone used PFL for a child's surgery before? What documentation will I need from his doctor?
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To address the confusion above: Yes, you need PFL (Paid Family Leave) for caring for your child, not SDI. For documentation, you specifically need: 1. DE2501F form (this is the Paid Family Leave claim form) 2. Child's birth certificate or other proof of relationship 3. Medical certification from the surgeon/doctor (part of the DE2501F) Apply online through SDI Online (confusingly named, but it's the same portal for both SDI and PFL claims). This is faster than paper applications. Some additional tips: - The 7-day waiting period was eliminated, so benefits start from your first day of leave - You'll receive approximately 60-70% of your wages during your leave period - If your employer provides paid sick leave, vacation, or PTO, they might require you to use some of that before receiving PFL I hope your child's surgery goes smoothly!
Thank you for the detailed breakdown! This helps so much. My employer does want me to use 2 days of sick time first, which sounds like it's allowed. I'll get the forms ready for my son's pre-op appointment next week.
Tax confusion with PFL caregiver benefits - received payment in 2023 for 2022 claim
I'm totally confused about how to handle taxes for my wife's PFL caregiver benefits. She took time off in December 2022 to care for me after I had major back surgery. EDD finally approved her claim but we didn't actually get the payment until April 2023 (typical EDD delays, right?). Do we report this income on our 2022 tax return since that's when she actually took the leave? Or on our 2023 taxes since that's when we received the money? The EDD website is so confusing and the tax info section doesn't clearly address this situation. We just talked to someone at EDD who gave us a vague answer about 1099-G forms, but I'm still not sure what to do. Has anyone dealt with this timing issue before?
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FWIW I just updated my tax software preferences to remind me in January to look for the 1099-G. One year I completely forgot about some disability payments and had to amend my return later, such a headache!
That's a really good idea! I just set a calendar reminder for next January too. Thanks!
UPDATE: We just got off the phone with EDD and they confirmed what everyone here said - since the payment was received in 2023, it will be included on the 1099-G for 2023 taxes (filed in 2024). Apparently this is standard practice. Thanks everyone for your help!
Glad you got confirmation! For future reference, this rule applies to all types of taxable income - it's always based on the year you receive the money, not when you earned it. The technical term is "constructive receipt" in tax language.
Ava Rodriguez
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.
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Giovanni Greco
This was exactly my experience too! The agent I spoke to said they were behind on processing due to some system update, but she manually pushed my claim through once I reached her. Probably saved me weeks of waiting.
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GalacticGuardian
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.
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Amara Eze
AuthorThank you for the detailed response! My HR department is... not great, to put it mildly. I'll try the online messages first and see if I get anywhere before resorting to paid services. Hoping my claim goes smoothly but it's good to have backup options.
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