Welcome to the community! I can totally understand your stress about this situation - pregnancy is already overwhelming enough without worrying about benefits eligibility! But based on everything you've shared, you're actually in a really solid position. Your 8.5 years of continuous employment history means you'll have more than enough wage credits built up for SDI. The base period calculation looks back 5-18 months from when you file your claim, so all those years of steady income from your previous job will definitely count toward your benefits. I'd suggest being proactive with a few things: start gathering pay stubs from both employers now (just to have everything organized), reach out to your OB about completing their portion of the DE2501 form early since some medical offices can be slow with paperwork, and remember you can file up to 49 days before your due date - so no need to wait until the last minute. Honestly, it sounds like your timing might have worked out perfectly! Getting into a job with better parental benefits before your baby arrives could end up being a huge blessing. Many people find their new employers are actually more supportive during maternity leave than their long-term employers would have been. Take a deep breath - you've got this! Your work history speaks for itself, and everything should process smoothly. Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🎉

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I was in almost exactly the same boat! I switched jobs at 33 weeks pregnant after 7 years at my previous company and was absolutely panicking about SDI eligibility. Here's what I learned: Your base period wages are what matter, not your current job status. Since you worked for 8.5 years at your previous job, you'll have WAY more than enough wage credits for SDI - you only need about $300 in your base period to qualify, and you'll have thousands. A few things that helped me stay organized: - Started collecting pay stubs from both jobs early (better to have them and not need them) - Got my OB to complete the medical portion of DE2501 about 6 weeks before my due date (some offices are really slow!) - Filed exactly 4 weeks before delivery, which gave me peace of mind The best part? My new employer ended up being incredibly supportive throughout my entire leave - way more than my old company ever was. Sometimes these "scary" timing changes end up being exactly what we needed! You're going to be absolutely fine. With your work history, this should be a straightforward approval. Try to relax and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy! 💕

Hey OP, just a heads up - make sure you have all your paystubs and any documentation about your time off ready when you call. It'll make the process smoother if you have everything on hand.

This happened to me too! When I called, they told me to submit a "Request for Reconsideration" form (DE 1000M) along with documentation showing the correct dates I was off work. You can download it from the EDD website. It took about 10-14 business days to get the backpay once they approved the correction. Also, if you're really struggling with rent, see if your landlord will accept a partial payment with proof that you're waiting on the EDD correction - some are understanding about government benefit delays.

Just wanted to update this thread for anyone who finds it later. My final payment hit my account 6 days after my last day of PFL. The online system showed "paid" status after 4 days, then took 2 more days for the actual deposit to appear in my account. So right in line with what most people here suggested. Thanks everyone for your help!

Congrats on finishing your baby bonding time! Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like 6 days is pretty typical for the final payment timing. I'm currently on week 5 of my PFL and this thread is really helpful for planning ahead. Did you have to do anything special when you went back to work, or was the transition pretty smooth? I'm a little nervous about juggling everything when I return next month.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now - laid off at 30 weeks pregnant with baby due in August! Reading through everyone's responses has been SO helpful because I was completely panicking about losing benefits. One thing I wanted to add that my friend who works in HR mentioned - make sure you get a copy of your wage and tax statement (W-2) from your employer before you leave, and keep all your pay stubs from the past 18 months. EDD uses these to calculate your base period earnings, and it's much easier to get them now than trying to track them down later when you're dealing with a newborn. Also, has anyone dealt with the timing if baby comes early? I'm worried about what happens if I go into labor before my severance period ends - do I need to notify my former employer or just focus on filing the disability claim? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to know this is possible even after being laid off! 🙏

I'm actually an EDD claims specialist and wanted to clarify a few things I'm seeing in this thread that might help you avoid common mistakes: 1) **Base period calculation**: Your benefits are calculated from quarters 2-5 before your claim starts, NOT your most recent earnings. Since you've been working for 2+ years, you should have sufficient earnings history. 2) **Severance timing**: This is crucial - you CANNOT receive SDI benefits while receiving severance pay for the same time period. You'll need to wait until your severance period ends OR have your doctor certify that your disability began before the severance period. 3) **Filing timeline**: File your SDI claim (DE 2501) when you actually become disabled due to pregnancy, typically 4 weeks before your due date unless medically necessary earlier. Don't file "just in case" - it needs to be when you're genuinely unable to work. 4) **Medical certification**: Your doctor must certify the exact dates you're disabled. Being pregnant alone isn't enough - you need to be unable to perform your regular work duties. The good news is that layoff status doesn't affect your eligibility as long as you have the required earnings history. Just make sure your timeline is clean: severance ends → disability begins → SDI → PFL → unemployment if needed. Feel free to ask if you have specific questions about the process!

Just wanted to add my recent experience to help with your planning! I filed my SDI claim in late February and got my first payment exactly 14 days after my claim was processed (not filed). My payments come every other Monday, and they've been super consistent once I got past that first longer wait. One thing I learned that might help - you can actually call EDD and ask them to confirm your specific payment schedule once your claim is processed. I did this after reading horror stories online about unpredictable timing, and the rep was able to tell me exactly which Mondays to expect payments. It really helped with budgeting peace of mind. Also, definitely certify online as early as possible during your certification window (usually opens Sunday night for the following two weeks). I've been certifying Sunday evenings and getting paid the following Monday like clockwork. The few times I waited until later in the week to certify, my payment was delayed by 2-3 days. Hope this helps and congratulations on your upcoming arrival! The EDD process is stressful but once you get into the rhythm it becomes much more manageable.

I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and just submitted my SDI claim last week, so this thread is incredibly helpful! Based on everyone's experiences, it sounds like I should expect my first payment about 10-14 days after processing, then every two weeks after that on whatever day gets assigned to me. One question I haven't seen addressed - has anyone had issues with their doctor's certification forms causing delays? My OB's office said they submitted everything electronically, but I'm worried about potential hiccups since this is my first time dealing with EDD. Also, for those who mentioned the EDD mobile app, does it show the status of your doctor's paperwork too, or just your own certification submissions? Planning to follow the advice about keeping extra savings accessible during the SDI to PFL transition. It's frustrating that there are these gaps between programs, but at least now I know to expect it and can prepare accordingly. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences!