Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
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- Connect you to a human agent at the EDD
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- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
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- 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!
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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 :)
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Just to summarize the key points that have been shared: 1. The weekly benefit amount (WBA) calculation is identical for both SDI and PFL 2. Both are based on highest quarter earnings in the base period (roughly 5-18 months before the claim) 3. Current benefit rate is 60-70% of those wages, depending on income level 4. Key difference: PFL is subject to federal taxes while SDI is not 5. File the PFL claim (DE2508) 1-2 weeks before disability ends 6. Document everything to avoid transition problems Hope this helps with your planning!
This is super helpful, thank you! I feel much more prepared for the transition now. I'll make sure to file that DE2508 form soon.
Just wanted to add that you should also check if your wife's employer offers any supplemental benefits during the transition. Some companies will "top up" the difference between her full salary and the SDI/PFL payments. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to update your health insurance beneficiaries and look into whether you need to adjust any automatic bill payments during this period. The consistent payment amount is great, but it's still usually less than full salary so budgeting adjustments might be needed. Good luck with everything!
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I just wanted to add another option that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're comfortable with it, you could try reaching out through EDD's social media accounts (Twitter/X and Facebook). I know it sounds weird, but government agencies are sometimes more responsive on social platforms because it's public-facing. A friend of mine had luck tweeting at @CA_EDD with her issue and they actually DM'd her within a day to help resolve it. Just make sure not to include any personal info in the public post! You could say something like "Having technical issues with PFL application due to name field character limits - can someone help?" Worth a shot alongside all the other great suggestions here! 📱
That's actually a really smart idea! I never thought about using social media to get help with government issues, but you're totally right that they probably respond faster when it's public-facing. It's kind of sad that we have to resort to tweeting at them to get basic customer service, but hey, whatever works at this point! 😅 I'm definitely going to try this approach - thanks for the suggestion!
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also dealing with a name length issue (my hyphenated last name is causing problems). I've tried most of the suggestions here and wanted to share what's worked so far: The mobile version trick from @Connor Murphy actually worked for my first name, but now I'm stuck on the last name field. I'm going to try the periods suggestion from @Yuki Kobayashi next. One thing I'd add is to make sure you're using the same browser/device when you come back to continue your application - I made the mistake of switching between my phone and laptop and it seemed to reset some of my progress. Also keeping a detailed log of what I've tried and when, just in case I need to prove my attempts later. Will update if I get through! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare! 🙏
Thanks for the update! It's really helpful to hear about your progress with the different methods. The detail about staying on the same browser/device is super important - I bet a lot of people don't realize that could cause issues. Good thinking on keeping a detailed log too. That documentation could be really valuable if you need to escalate this later. Fingers crossed the periods trick works for your hyphenated last name! Please do keep us posted on your results - this whole thread has become like a crowdsourced troubleshooting guide for EDD issues. We're definitely all in this together! 💪
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I'm a parent who went through a similar childcare nightmare when my son was 6 months old. One thing that really helped was reaching out to local churches and community centers - many have informal networks of trusted babysitters or even small home-based childcare operations that aren't widely advertised. Also, consider posting in your neighborhood's Nextdoor app or Facebook groups. I found my current nanny through a neighbor's recommendation, and she was available immediately while all the daycare centers had months-long waitlists. Regarding your PFL question - I'd strongly recommend getting that official answer from EDD before making any major decisions. The rules around employment relationships and PFL eligibility can be really specific to your situation. Hang in there - I know it feels impossible right now, but you will find a solution. The childcare system is absolutely broken, but somehow we all manage to figure it out eventually. You're being a great advocate for your family by exploring all these options!
This is such a great point about local churches and community centers! I never thought about looking there for childcare connections, but it makes total sense that they'd have networks of trusted people. And you're absolutely right about Nextdoor - I've been so focused on official daycare centers that I forgot about the power of neighbor recommendations. Sometimes the best solutions come from the most unexpected places. I'm definitely going to get that official answer from EDD before making any big moves. Between all the advice in this thread, I feel like I have so many avenues to explore now instead of just feeling trapped. It's reassuring to hear from someone who made it through a similar situation - gives me hope that there really is light at the end of this tunnel. Thank you for the encouragement and practical suggestions!
I'm a new parent myself and reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational - I'm saving this thread for future reference! Your situation really highlights how broken our childcare system is, but I'm amazed at how many resources and options people have shared here that I never knew existed. One additional thought that might help in the immediate term: have you considered reaching out to your pediatrician's office? They often have bulletin boards with childcare providers, nanny shares, or parent groups that aren't advertised elsewhere. The families you meet through your pediatrician are usually local and in similar life stages, so there might be opportunities for informal arrangements or referrals. Also, if you have any mom friends from prenatal classes, hospital groups, or even just people you've met at the pediatrician - now might be the time to reach out even if you haven't stayed in close touch. Other parents are usually incredibly understanding and helpful when it comes to childcare emergencies, and they might know of resources or have ideas you haven't thought of. Wishing you all the best as you work through this incredibly challenging situation. You're clearly a thoughtful, resourceful parent who's doing everything possible in an impossible system!
That's such a smart idea about the pediatrician's office! I completely forgot that they usually have community bulletin boards with local resources. I have an appointment for my baby next week so I'll definitely check what's posted there and ask the staff if they know of any reliable providers or parent groups. You're also absolutely right about reaching out to other parents from my prenatal class and the hospital. I've been so overwhelmed that I haven't stayed in touch with anyone, but this is exactly the time when that network could be most valuable. Even if they can't help directly, they might know someone who can or be dealing with similar challenges themselves. It's really reassuring to hear from another new parent who understands how educational (and overwhelming!) all of this information is. Thank you for the encouragement and for adding another practical avenue to explore. This whole thread has given me so much hope and so many concrete next steps!
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Thanks for posting this! I'm actually in a similar situation - got the letter yesterday and was panicking about what they might need. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring. Sounds like it's usually just routine verification stuff. I'm gonna call first thing Monday morning with all my paperwork ready. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly! 🤞
Same! I'm glad I'm not the only one who panicked when I saw that letter in my mailbox lol. This thread has been super helpful - sounds like most people just needed basic verification stuff. Good luck on Monday! Let us know how it goes 🙏
I just went through this same process about 2 weeks ago! When I called, they mainly wanted to verify my employment dates and make sure my employer info was correct in their system. The rep was actually pretty nice and walked me through everything step by step. The whole call took maybe 15 minutes once I got through. Just make sure you have your Social Security card, recent paystubs, and know your exact start/end dates for work. Also, if you're taking leave for medical reasons, have any doctor's notes ready to reference. Don't worry too much - it's really just a formality to make sure all your info matches up! 😊
This is so reassuring to hear! I'm actually dealing with the exact same thing right now and was worried they were going to make it super complicated. Knowing it was just 15 minutes and pretty straightforward makes me feel way better about calling tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your experience! 🙏
Harmony Love
I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Got approved 3 weeks ago and still waiting for my payment. The stress of not knowing when it'll come while dealing with a family emergency is just overwhelming. I've tried calling but can never get through - just endless hold music. Reading through all these comments is both reassuring (I'm not alone) and terrifying (some of you have been waiting 5+ weeks?!). I'm definitely going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning and look into that complaint form. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and tips - it helps to know there's a community going through this together. Fingers crossed we all get our payments soon! 🤞
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Thais Soares
•@Harmony I totally feel your pain! Just went through this exact situation last month and the uncertainty is the worst part. One thing that really helped me was setting up account alerts with my bank so I'd know the second any deposit came through - at least it saved me from obsessively checking my balance every hour. Also, when you call tomorrow morning, try to have your case number and all your approval documentation ready to go. The reps can usually pull up your info faster if you have everything organized. You're definitely not alone in this - the system is broken but we're all rooting for each other! Keep us posted on how the morning call goes 💜
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Kolton Murphy
I'm in the exact same situation - approved 2 weeks ago but still no payment! The financial stress on top of dealing with a family situation is just brutal. I've been hesitant to spend money on that calling service someone mentioned, but honestly at this point it might be worth it just to get some answers. Has anyone tried the state assembly member route? That sounds promising but I'm not even sure who my representative is or how to contact their office. This whole thread is making me feel less crazy though - glad to know it's a widespread issue and not just something wrong with my specific case. Going to try calling first thing tomorrow and see if I can find that complaint form!
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Arjun Patel
•@Kolton You can find your assembly member by going to findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov and entering your zip code. Most of their offices have constituent services staff who specifically help with issues like this. When I had a similar problem with disability payments, my assembly member's office was incredibly helpful - they actually have direct contacts at EDD that regular people can't reach. Don't feel bad about the calling service either - $20 is nothing compared to the stress and lost time of trying to get through on your own. I used it last month and got connected within 45 minutes. Sometimes you just have to invest a little to get results with these bureaucratic nightmares. Hope you get some movement on your case soon!
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