@OP regarding your 2023 benefits - you might want to consider filing an amended return (Form 1040-X) for that tax year. The IRS does get reports of your benefit payments from EDD, so there's a good chance they'll eventually notice the discrepancy. Filing an amendment yourself is better than waiting for them to contact you, as it shows good faith and might reduce any potential penalties.

I'm dealing with this same situation right now! Just wanted to add that if anyone is having trouble accessing their EDD online account (mine was locked for some reason), you can also request the 1099-G by mail by calling the number mentioned earlier or through their online form. It takes a few weeks to arrive though, so definitely try the online account first. Also, for anyone who had both SDI (pregnancy disability) and PFL benefits like me, they'll both be on the same 1099-G form but broken down separately. Super helpful thread - saved me a lot of stress!

Andre, congratulations on your daughter! 🎉 As someone who's navigated the California benefits system extensively, I can confidently say you're absolutely eligible for PFL baby bonding benefits. Your situation is actually very straightforward - with 5 years of full-time work and SDI contributions, you meet all the requirements. The key thing everyone here has emphasized is correct: PFL eligibility is based solely on your SDI contribution history during the base period (roughly 5-17 months before filing), not your employment status when baby was born. Quitting 17 days before birth doesn't affect your eligibility at all. A few quick tips for your application: - File the DE2508 online through EDD's portal immediately - Have your baby's certified birth certificate ready (not just hospital records) - Keep your final paystub handy in case they request wage verification - Take screenshots of everything you submit for your records With your work history, you should receive around 60-70% of your weekly wages for up to 8 weeks of bonding time. The typical processing time is 3-4 weeks from application to first payment. You made the right choice prioritizing your health and your baby's wellbeing over a toxic work environment. After 5 years of paying into SDI, you've absolutely earned this support! Apply with confidence and enjoy these precious early bonding weeks. 💕

Andre, I'm so glad you asked this question because I was in almost exactly the same situation! I had to leave my job at 37 weeks due to a toxic manager who was causing me severe anxiety that my doctor said was affecting my pregnancy. My baby was born 14 days after my last day of work. I was absolutely panicked thinking I'd lost all my benefits by quitting so close to birth, but California PFL for baby bonding came through for us! The most important thing to understand is that PFL eligibility is completely separate from your employment status at the time of birth - it only depends on whether you paid into SDI during your base period. With 5 years of full-time work, you definitely have enough SDI contributions! Here's what worked for me: - Filed the DE2508 form online about 10 days after my baby was born - Had my baby's birth certificate and my final paystub ready - EDD never asked why I quit (it's not relevant for PFL claims) - Got approved in about 3 weeks - Received roughly 65% of my previous wages for the full 8 weeks You absolutely made the right choice leaving that toxic environment - your health and your baby's wellbeing had to come first. Don't feel guilty about accessing benefits you literally paid for over 5 years! Apply as soon as possible and enjoy this precious bonding time with your daughter. You've earned this support! 💕 Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl! 🍼

Hi Maya! I'm currently in a very similar situation - just finished my PDL a few weeks ago and planning to start PFL baby bonding in late January. This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! Reading through everyone's experiences, the consensus is crystal clear: apply 9-10 days before your intended start date through the online portal. I've been taking notes throughout this thread and here's the checklist I've compiled from everyone's successful experiences: ✓ Confirm DI claim shows all payments as "Paid" (call EDD to verify closure) ✓ Get certified birth certificate copy (not regular photocopy!) ✓ Coordinate with HR on exact leave dates and PTO policies ✓ Apply online during business hours for system stability ✓ Screenshot confirmation page and every step ✓ Have Social Security card handy during application ✓ Ensure clear document scans showing all four corners One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned - when I spoke with my HR department about coordinating dates, they mentioned that some employees have found it helpful to send a follow-up email confirming the conversation, just to have written documentation of the coordination in case any questions come up later. Your December 15th start date with a December 5th application timing sounds absolutely perfect based on all these experiences. This community has made navigating the EDD process so much less stressful! Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, real-world advice.

Hi Maya! I'm also navigating this exact situation right now - just finished my PDL and planning PFL baby bonding for February. This thread has been absolutely incredible! Based on everyone's detailed experiences, I'm convinced the 9-10 day window is definitely the way to go. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's advice has been about timing, despite having gone through this process at different times. One thing I wanted to add that might help - I just spoke with my company's benefits administrator, and she mentioned that some people forget to update their direct deposit information between their DI and PFL claims. Apparently the systems don't always carry over the same banking details, so it's worth double-checking that your payment method is set up correctly when you apply. Also, after reading through all these experiences, I'm planning to create a simple tracking document to monitor my application status after submitting. Several people mentioned checking their accounts regularly, and I think having a log of what I see each day might help me catch any issues early. Your December 15th plan sounds rock solid with all the preparation advice everyone has shared here. This community has turned what seemed like a confusing process into something much more manageable! Thanks to everyone for being so generous with sharing their real experiences.

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! 💪

As a new mom who just went through this exact situation, I totally feel your stress! I received SDI benefits for 8 weeks after my delivery last year and was also frantically waiting for a 1099G that never came. Here's what I learned after speaking with both EDD and my tax preparer: **SDI for maternity/pregnancy recovery:** - NOT federally taxable (so no 1099G form is issued) - IS taxable for California state income tax - All your payment info is available in your EDD online account under "Payment History" - look for "DI" payments Since you mentioned you only received SDI for 3 months and didn't transition to PFL, you won't get a 1099G at all. Stop checking the mail! 😅 For your taxes: - Federal return: Nothing to report (you're all set!) - CA state return: Add up all your DI payments from your online account and report as "other income" I was losing sleep over this too until I finally understood the difference. The whole system is so confusing for first-time moms, but you've got this! Just grab that total from your EDD account and you'll be all set for state filing. Don't stress about federal taxes at all - that was the biggest relief for me! 💕

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to the EDD phone nightmare! I just went through this exact same struggle with my PFL claim for caring for my newborn - took me almost a month to get through. What finally worked for me was a combination of the strategies mentioned here: I called at exactly 8:00am on a Wednesday (had to redial about 15 times because it kept saying high call volume), and when I finally got into the queue, I waited on hold for 2 hours and 20 minutes. But I got through! The rep was actually really helpful once I reached her - turns out there was a simple documentation issue that was holding up my claim, and she processed my payments right there on the call. For anyone still struggling, don't give up! The system is absolutely broken and designed to make us quit, but persistence does eventually pay off. Also seconding the advice about keeping detailed notes of your call attempts - I had a whole spreadsheet by the end of it! Hang in there everyone, we shouldn't have to work this hard for benefits we've already paid for, but at least we're not alone in this fight.

I'm also new to this community and currently dealing with my first PFL claim nightmare! I submitted my bonding claim for my newborn about 2.5 weeks ago and have been completely unable to get through to EDD despite calling every single day, sometimes multiple times. Reading through this entire thread has been both incredibly validating and absolutely infuriating - it's clear this broken phone system is failing so many new parents when we need support most. The variety of strategies shared here gives me hope though! I'm definitely going to start with the 8am sharp approach that several people have had success with, and @Sasha Ivanov's detailed breakdown of the Wednesday morning persistence strategy is incredibly helpful. The Claimyr service that worked for @Ethan Clark is also on my backup list, and @Alexander Zeus's Friday afternoon tip is something I hadn't considered at all. What really gets to me is that we're all forced to become phone system experts and develop military-level strategic plans just to access benefits we've literally already paid for through our own paychecks - while we're sleep-deprived, recovering from childbirth, and trying to bond with our newborns. It's beyond cruel and clearly designed to make us give up. But finding this supportive community has been such a lifeline. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and keeping each other motivated through this broken system!