Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
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
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!
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
I'm a first-time mom who went through this exact same confusion last year! I received SDI benefits for about 10 weeks after having my baby and was also obsessively checking the mail for a 1099G that never came. After lots of research and calling around, here's what I learned: - SDI (State Disability Insurance) for pregnancy/maternity recovery is NOT federally taxable, so you won't receive a 1099G - However, SDI IS subject to California state income tax and needs to be reported - You can find all your payment information in your EDD online account under "Payment History" - look for payments marked "DI" - For your CA state tax return, you'll report the total as "other income" Don't stress about your federal return - you're completely fine there! Just make sure to include the SDI total on your California state taxes. I was so relieved when I finally understood this distinction. The whole system is definitely confusing for new parents dealing with this for the first time, but you've got all the info you need right in your EDD account. Hope this helps ease some of your tax season anxiety! 🍼
Avery, thank you so much for sharing your experience! As another first-time mom, it's incredibly helpful to hear from someone who went through the exact same situation. I was definitely in that obsessive mail-checking phase too - kept thinking I was missing something important! 😅 Your breakdown really confirms what I've been learning from this thread. I just logged into my EDD account and found all my DI payments listed there clearly. It's such a relief to know I don't need to worry about federal taxes at all and just need to total up those payments for my CA state return. This whole community has been amazing at helping confused new moms like us navigate this tax stuff. Being a new parent is stressful enough without adding tax anxiety on top of it! Thanks for taking the time to help others going through the same thing. 💕
I'm also a new mom who went through this same confusion last year! I received SDI benefits for 12 weeks after my c-section delivery and was totally panicking about whether I needed a 1099G form. After going through all the stress and finally getting answers, here's what I learned: **For SDI (State Disability Insurance) maternity benefits:** - NO 1099G form will be issued because SDI is NOT federally taxable - You DO need to report it on your California state tax return as "other income" - All your payment details are in your EDD online account under "Payment History" (look for "DI" entries) **The key difference:** If you had received PFL (Paid Family Leave) for baby bonding after your disability period, THAT would be federally taxable and you'd get a 1099G. But since you only got SDI for pregnancy recovery, you're in the clear for federal taxes! I spent weeks obsessively checking my mailbox for a form that was never coming! Don't make the same mistake I did. Just log into your EDD account, add up all those DI payments, and report that total on your CA state return. You can stop stressing about your federal taxes completely. This whole experience taught me that being a new mom means navigating so many confusing systems for the first time. You're doing great! 💪
Michael, thank you so much for sharing your experience! As someone who's completely new to all this tax stuff, it's incredibly reassuring to hear from other parents who went through the exact same panic. I was definitely doing that obsessive mailbox checking too! 😅 Your explanation really helps solidify what I've been learning from everyone in this thread. I just confirmed in my EDD account that I only have DI payments listed, so I can finally stop worrying about federal taxes and just focus on reporting the total for my CA state return. It's amazing how much stress we put ourselves through as new parents trying to figure out all these systems for the first time. This community has been such a lifesaver - I wish I had found this thread weeks ago instead of losing sleep over missing tax forms that were never coming! Thanks for taking the time to help other confused new moms like me. 🙏💕
Join the conversation
I'm dealing with the exact same issues! My name is 18 characters long and I've been getting that E324 error for over three weeks now. This thread has been absolutely incredible - I had no idea there was such a comprehensive playbook of solutions that everyone has developed together. Based on all the amazing advice here, I'm going to follow the proven strategy: start with the online contact form for a name variance, then use Firefox private browsing during the 6-7 AM window, implement the 10-15 minute cooldown between attempts, and keep the assembly member escalation as my backup plan if things move too slowly. It's honestly mind-blowing that in 2024 we have to become EDD system experts just to file basic unemployment claims, but this community has turned what felt like an impossible bureaucratic nightmare into a manageable step-by-step process. @Natasha Volkova, hang in there - with all these battle-tested strategies from people who've actually succeeded, you're definitely going to break through this eventually! We're all in this together and the collective wisdom here is truly amazing.
@NebulaNinja Wow, 18 characters is definitely the longest name I've seen mentioned in this thread! You're really at the extreme end of this problem, but the good news is that the community here has basically created a foolproof system for dealing with even the most challenging cases. The step-by-step approach you've outlined based on everyone's advice sounds perfect - starting with the online contact form, then the Firefox private browsing during those optimal early morning hours, plus having the assembly member backup ready to go. I'm new to dealing with EDD issues but this thread has been like a masterclass in navigating broken government systems. It's incredible how everyone's shared experiences have turned pure frustration into actionable solutions. @Natasha Volkova, seeing how people with even longer names like @NebulaNinja are tackling this systematically should give you so much confidence that these strategies really work!
I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare! My name is 16 characters and I've been hitting that E324 error for about 10 days now. Reading through this entire thread has been such a relief - I had no idea there were so many people facing the same issue and that there are actually proven solutions. Based on everyone's shared experiences, I'm going to try the comprehensive approach: submit the online contact form for a name variance first, then use Firefox in private browsing mode during those early 6-7 AM hours when the servers are less overloaded, and make sure to wait 10-15 minutes between attempts instead of frantically retrying right away. It's absolutely insane that we need to become system experts just to file basic unemployment claims in 2024, but this community has basically crowdsourced a complete solution guide through everyone's trial and error. @Natasha Volkova, don't lose hope - with all these battle-tested strategies from people who've actually gotten through the system, you're definitely going to succeed! The fact that people with even longer names have figured out workarounds shows that persistence with the right approach really does pay off.
Join the conversation
This thread has been such a game-changer for me! I'm currently 8 weeks into my PFL and was honestly feeling stressed about having to choose between taking my remaining time all at once or potentially losing benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences has completely shifted my perspective on intermittent PFL. The level of practical detail shared here is incredible - from @Anna Kerber's tip about calling EDD at 8am to @Danielle Mays' breakdown of how benefits are calculated. I'm particularly grateful for the warnings about potential system glitches and the emphasis on documentation. It's clear that success really depends on being proactive and organized. Based on all the advice here, I'm planning to start an intermittent schedule next week - taking Wednesdays and Fridays off for the next month to use my remaining benefits. I've already called EDD to get notes added to my file and started a tracking spreadsheet with all my communications. One thing I wanted to add for other parents considering this - I found that framing the conversation with my manager around "gradual transition back to full capacity" rather than "extended time off" made a huge difference in how receptive they were to the intermittent schedule. Will definitely update everyone on how my first certification goes! This community support has been invaluable. 🙏💙
That's such a smart way to frame it with your manager @Victoria Charity! I'm also currently navigating PFL (just finished week 4) and hadn't thought about positioning intermittent leave as a "gradual transition" rather than extended time off. That framing probably makes it feel less like you're asking for more accommodation and more like you're being strategic about your return. Your Wednesday/Friday schedule sounds perfect - those mid-week and end-of-week breaks should really help with the transition while giving you quality bonding time. I'm definitely going to use that language when I talk to my own manager about potentially doing something similar with my remaining weeks. Really looking forward to hearing how your first certification goes - your experience will help so many of us who are still deciding! Thanks for sharing that tip about the conversation framing. 💙
This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I'm currently 6 months pregnant and was initially planning to take my full 8 weeks of PFL consecutively, but everyone's detailed experiences with intermittent leave have completely changed my thinking. The idea of gradually transitioning back to work while maintaining precious bonding time sounds so much better than the all-or-nothing approach I was originally considering. I'm taking extensive notes on all the practical advice shared here - the importance of being ultra-specific with certification dates, keeping meticulous documentation, proactively communicating with EDD, and getting those crucial notes added to your file. The screenshot tip for tracking account balances and the spreadsheet idea for logging all communications are brilliant strategies that I'm definitely planning to implement from day one. What really strikes me is how much the success of intermittent PFL seems to depend on being organized and proactive rather than just hoping the system works smoothly. The experiences shared by @Sayid Hassan about system glitches balanced against the positive outcomes from @Scarlett Forster and others really highlight that preparation is key. I'm already thinking about taking every Friday off for my last 8 weeks of benefits - those long weekends for bonding time sound perfect! Planning to start discussions with both my employer and EDD well in advance based on all the advice here. Thank you to everyone for sharing such honest, detailed experiences. This community is providing exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's impossible to find in official documentation! 🙏💙
Join the conversation
Wow, this thread has been so helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation where I need to switch from online to paper submission for my PFL claim. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me a much clearer game plan. One question I have - for those who successfully made the switch, did EDD give you any kind of timeline for when the online claim would be fully canceled from their system? I'm paranoid about there being some overlap or confusion on their end. Also, has anyone had issues with their doctor's office charging extra fees for filling out the paper forms? My doctor's office mentioned something about an "administrative fee" which caught me off guard. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with EDD's maze of bureaucracy! 🙏
Great questions! When I called EDD to cancel my online claim, they told me it would be removed from their system within 24-48 hours, but they recommended waiting at least a week before mailing the paper form just to be safe. I got my confirmation number and they said that was proof the online claim was canceled if any issues came up later. As for doctor fees, mine charged $25 for "form completion" which was annoying but pretty standard from what I've heard. Some offices don't charge anything, so it might be worth calling around if cost is a concern. The whole process is definitely a bureaucratic nightmare, but this community makes it so much more manageable!
This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm actually going through the exact same situation right now - started the online PFL claim but my doctor said it needs to be paper only. I was so worried about having duplicate claims in the system, but reading everyone's experiences has really put my mind at ease. I especially appreciate the tip about black ink only - that's the kind of detail that could easily trip someone up! And the idea of taking photos of everything before mailing is genius. I've already had one bad experience with EDD "losing" paperwork for my unemployment claim last year, so I'm definitely going to be extra careful this time. Question for those who've been through this - when you called to cancel the online claim, did they ask for any specific information to verify your identity? I want to make sure I have everything ready when I call. Also, has anyone tried the early morning website access tip? Curious if that actually works better than calling. Thanks again to everyone sharing their experiences - it's so reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this bureaucratic maze! 💪
I can help with the identity verification question! When I called EDD to cancel my online claim, they asked for my Social Security number, full name as it appears on my application, and the date I originally started the online claim. They also asked for my phone number and address on file. Having all that info ready definitely sped up the call. As for the early morning website tip, I actually tried that a few times and it does seem to work better - the site loads faster and I didn't get those annoying "maintenance" messages. But honestly, after struggling with the website for days, using the phone service was way less stressful even with the cost. Hope this helps and good luck with your claim!
Olivia Evans
UPDATE: Just wanted to check in - has your payment come through yet? It's been about 3 weeks now since you originally filed, right?
0 coins
Daniel Price
•Yes! It finally came through yesterday - exactly 17 days after I applied. They paid the full amount backdated to my filing date. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the reassurance and advice.
0 coins
Zoey Bianchi
•Great news! For anyone else reading this thread in the future, 2-3 weeks seems to be the current normal processing time for PFL claims in 2025, despite what the EDD website claims about shorter timeframes.
0 coins
Ryan Young
Congrats on getting your payment! This thread is super helpful - I'm in a similar situation right now (filed my PFL claim 10 days ago for my newborn) and was starting to worry. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel much better about waiting it out. It's crazy how inconsistent their processing times are though. Definitely saving this thread for future reference!
0 coins