I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My pregnancy disability ends next week and I was getting the runaround from everyone too. After reading all these responses, I just went straight to edd.ca.gov and found the DE2508 form. You're absolutely right that it should be clearer - I wasted so much time asking my doctor and HR when I could have just filed it myself online from the beginning! One thing that helped me was realizing that your employer literally has nothing to do with PFL claims. They're not supposed to provide forms, fill anything out, or even process your claim. It's 100% between you and the state. Once I understood that, everything made way more sense. Thanks everyone for all the detailed explanations - this thread is going to help so many confused new parents! 🤱

OMG thank you all SO much for this thread! I was literally in tears yesterday thinking I was going to miss out on my bonding leave because nobody could give me a straight answer. Just filed my DE2508 online through my SDI account and it was SO much easier than I expected - took maybe 20 minutes total! For anyone else going through this same panic: the form is literally right there on the EDD website once you log into your SDI Online account. Click "File New Claim" then "Paid Family Leave" then "Bond with New Child." You'll need your baby's birth certificate and SSN but that's it - no doctor signatures or employer involvement needed at all. I cannot believe how much time I wasted calling around to people who had no idea what I was talking about. Live and learn I guess! Now I just have to wait for the first payment but at least I know it's processing. Thanks again everyone - you probably saved my sanity! 🙏💕

I just successfully completed this transition in February 2025 and can confirm everything everyone is saying about applying 5-7 days before your SDI ends! I submitted my PFL application on February 16th for my SDI ending February 22nd, with PFL starting February 23rd - absolutely zero payment gaps. Here's what worked perfectly for me: - Used SDI Online portal: "New Claim" > "Paid Family Leave" > "Bonding with new child" - Had my baby's birth certificate ready as a clear PDF (under 5MB worked fine) - Took screenshots of every single page including the confirmation - Called EDD 2 days after submitting to verify they received everything (called right at 8am) One tip I haven't seen mentioned: when you get to the section asking about your expected return date, don't stress about being exact - you can always modify your PFL later if you want to take the full 8 weeks for bonding instead of your initial estimate. Your timing should be perfect if you apply around February 15-17! The whole application took me about 12 minutes once I had everything ready. This thread has been such a lifesaver for so many new parents - the community advice here is spot on. Enjoy that precious bonding time with your little one! 🍼💕

I'm another new parent who just went through this exact transition in January 2025! Reading through everyone's experiences here, I can definitely confirm that the 5-7 day window before your SDI ends is absolutely critical. I applied for PFL on January 20th for my SDI ending January 26th, with PFL starting January 27th - completely seamless transition with no payment interruptions. One thing I'd add that really helped me: before starting the online application, I gathered everything I needed first - baby's birth certificate as a PDF, all my dates written out clearly, and even practiced logging into the SDI Online portal to make sure I knew where to click. Having everything ready made the actual application process super quick and stress-free. For your timeline, you're looking at applying around February 15-17 for your SDI ending February 22nd, with PFL starting February 23rd. The path in SDI Online is exactly what everyone has said: "New Claim" > "Paid Family Leave" > "Bonding with new child." One bonus tip: after you submit, resist the urge to keep refreshing your account every hour looking for updates! It took about 36 hours for my claim to show up in my online portal, which is totally normal according to the EDD rep I spoke with. You're being so smart by planning this out ahead of time instead of scrambling at the last minute like I almost did! The bonding time ahead is absolutely magical and worth every bit of this paperwork stress. Congratulations on your new little one! 🍼✨

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently preparing my PFL application and was completely bewildered by that "maximum benefit weeks" question too. Like so many others here, I kept re-reading it thinking there must be some catch or that I was about to accidentally request a lump sum payment. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been incredibly reassuring - especially the professional clarification from @Nia Davis and all the confirmations that you still get paid bi-weekly after certifications regardless of your selection. Now I understand it's simply asking if I want to use all 8 weeks consecutively rather than splitting them up over time. It's honestly mind-boggling how EDD can take such a straightforward concept and make it sound so intimidating with their wording! I was literally losing sleep over this one question. This community is amazing for breaking down these confusing government forms into actually helpful information that new parents can understand. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences here - it makes navigating these bureaucratic systems so much less stressful when you're already dealing with everything that comes with a new baby! 🙏

This thread has been an absolute lifesaver! I'm a new parent currently filling out my PFL application and was completely stuck on that "maximum benefit weeks" question too. Like everyone else here, I was terrified I was about to accidentally request some kind of lump sum payment or commit to something I didn't fully understand. Reading through all these real experiences has been so reassuring - especially the professional insight from @Nia Davis and all the confirmations that selecting "yes" just means you want to take all 8 weeks consecutively, and you still get paid every 2 weeks after doing your certifications like normal. It's honestly incredible how EDD manages to make such a simple question sound so scary and confusing! I was literally googling for hours trying to figure out what "maximum benefit weeks" actually meant. This community is amazing for translating these government forms into actually understandable information. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here - it's made what felt like an impossible decision into a straightforward one. About to confidently select "yes" and get this application submitted! The peace of mind from reading this thread is priceless. 🙏

idk if this helps but I had luck emailing them through the contact form on their website. took like a week to get a response but at least I didn't have to deal with the phone nightmare

I had a similar issue last year and what finally worked for me was calling the 833-978-2511 number (the disability insurance line) instead of the main PFL number. For some reason it was easier to get through, and they were able to transfer me to the right department. Also, try calling right at 8 AM sharp - I literally had my phone ready to dial at 7:59:59 AM. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through these hoops, but sometimes you gotta work the system. Hope this helps!

I've been struggling with this exact same issue for the past month! The "maximum callers" message has become the soundtrack to my unemployment nightmare. After reading through all these amazing tips, I'm feeling more hopeful. I had no idea about the assembly member route - that's genius! I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM strategy tomorrow and submit that online contact form. It's honestly both frustrating and comforting to see how many of us are dealing with this broken system. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this community is a lifesaver! 🙏 Stay strong everyone, we'll get through this!

Just stumbled across this thread and wow, I thought I was losing my mind dealing with EDD! I've been getting that "maximum callers" message for over two weeks straight. It's like they designed the system to make us give up. Reading all these strategies has given me renewed hope though - I had no clue about the assembly member office trick or the 1-2-4 button sequence. Going to try the 8 AM calling spree tomorrow and definitely submitting that online contact form today. It's both maddening and oddly comforting to see we're all battling the same broken system. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually works! This community support means everything when you feel like you're screaming into the void. 🙌