Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
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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!
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Has anyone had experience with extended leave for mental health reasons? My therapist suggested it might be beneficial for me, but I'm not sure how to approach it with work...
I took leave for burnout last year. It was tough to bring up, but my boss was surprisingly understanding. Just be honest and focus on how it'll help you be more productive when you return.
Make sure you get really detailed documentation from your therapist. Some companies can be weird about mental health leave, so the more backup you have, the better.
@Cynthia Love - I had a similar situation with my NP! Turns out there are different forms for different types of family leave. For California PFL specifically, you'll need the DE 2501F (Claim for Paid Family Leave Benefits) form completed by your healthcare provider. Double-check that your NP filled out the right one - sometimes they accidentally use FMLA forms instead. You can download the correct form from the EDD website to compare. If it's the wrong one, don't panic! You can usually resubmit with the correct form without too much hassle. Good luck! 🤞
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Just went through this process myself! Yes, you absolutely need to certify for PFL benefits. Here's what I learned: • You'll typically certify every 2 weeks (biweekly) • It's done online through your EDD UI Online account • Look for the "Certify for Benefits" section once you log in • You'll answer questions about your availability and any work/income during the certification period • DO NOT miss your certification deadline - it can delay or stop your payments The system will usually send you a text or email reminder when it's time to certify. I'd recommend setting up those notifications if you haven't already. The whole process only takes a few minutes once you get the hang of it! Good luck with your claim! 🙂
This is super helpful, thank you! I'm still waiting for my claim to be processed - how long did it take for you to get access to the online certification system after you first applied? I keep checking my account but don't see the certification option yet.
Nia Harris
•@Andre Laurent It took about a week after my claim was approved for the certification option to show up in my account. Sometimes there s'a delay between when you apply and when the system is fully set up for certifications. If it s'been more than 2 weeks since you applied, I d'definitely call EDD to check on the status. The waiting is the worst part, but hang in there!
Just a heads up for anyone dealing with certification issues - I had a situation where my certification window didn't show up on time and I panicked thinking I'd miss it. Turns out the EDD system sometimes has delays updating, especially on weekends. If your certification date passes and you don't see the option in your account, don't freak out! You usually have a grace period (I think it's about 7-10 days) to complete it once it does appear. The system will backdate it to your original certification date. That said, definitely try to certify as soon as the option becomes available to avoid any payment delays. The peace of mind is worth it! Also pro tip: Screenshot your completed certification confirmation page - it's saved me when there were system glitches and they couldn't find my submission in their records.
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Paolo Conti
Friendly reminder to everyone: be nice to the agents when you get through! They're dealing with a lot and being kind can go a long way. 💖
Amina Diallo
•THIS! 👆 I used to work in a call center and trust me, being nice makes everything go smoother.
Nia Johnson
Just want to add - if you're filing for bonding with a new baby, make sure you have the birth certificate or hospital discharge papers ready! I didn't realize I'd need those and had to call back. Also, they'll ask about your expected return date, so have that figured out beforehand. The whole call took about 45 minutes for me but most of that was waiting through the automated menus. The actual conversation with the agent was pretty straightforward once I got through!
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Paolo Conti
This is such valuable information for parents who might be cutting it close on the baby bonding deadline! I'm a new parent myself and had no idea about the strict 1-year cutoff rule until reading this thread. The key takeaway seems to be that you must START taking leave before your child's first birthday, not just apply. For anyone else in this situation, it looks like the process is: 1) File your DE2508 form, 2) Coordinate with your employer for your last day of work before the birthday, 3) Make sure you have job protection through FMLA/CFRA if eligible, and 4) Keep all documentation of your start date. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this kind of real-world advice is so much more helpful than trying to navigate EDD's website alone!
@Paolo Conti Exactly! This thread has been such a lifesaver for understanding the baby bonding PFL process. As a new community member, I m'amazed at how helpful everyone has been in breaking down these complex rules. One thing I d'add to your checklist is to also document everything with screenshots and emails - it seems like having a paper trail is crucial if you ever need to appeal or clarify dates later. The story from @Chanaii Hgmg really shows how important it is to have proof of when you actually started your leave. I m definitely'sharing this thread with other new parents in my area who might not know about these deadlines. The EDD website is so confusing, but getting real advice from people who ve been'through it makes all the difference!
@Paolo Conti This is such a helpful summary! As someone new to this community, I m'really grateful for threads like this that break down the PFL process in plain language. The strict 1-year deadline is definitely something I wish was more widely publicized - it seems like so many parents get caught off guard by it. I d'also add that it might be worth setting calendar reminders well in advance if you re'planning to use baby bonding leave. From reading everyone s'experiences, it seems like the earlier you can plan and submit your paperwork, the better. The stress of trying to rush through everything right before the deadline sounds overwhelming! Thanks to @Zoe Alexopoulos for sharing her successful outcome too - it s encouraging'to see that with the right timing and persistence, it can work out. And my heart goes out to @Chanaii Hgmg - I really hope the appeal process works out for you!
As a new member here, I just want to echo everyone's advice about not waiting until the last minute! I'm currently pregnant with my first and reading through this thread has been incredibly educational. The 1-year deadline seems so much stricter than I realized - I had no idea you needed to actually START the leave before the birthday, not just apply. @Zoe Alexopoulos I'm so glad you got everything sorted out in time! Your success story gives me hope that with proper planning it's totally manageable. And @Chanaii Hgmg I really hope your appeal works out - the fact that you received those 5 days of benefits shows you did start properly before the deadline. One question for the group - for those who used intermittent bonding leave, how did you coordinate the scheduling with your employer? Did you need to give them specific dates in advance, or were you able to be more flexible with when you took the remaining weeks?
@Keisha Johnson Great question about intermittent leave scheduling! As a newcomer here too, I ve'been wondering the same thing. From what I ve'read in this thread, it sounds like employer approval is key for splitting up the 8 weeks - @Zoe Alexopoulos mentioned her company let her take 3 weeks initially and save 5 weeks for later in the year, which sounds like an ideal setup. I d'imagine you d'want to discuss this with HR early in the process when you re'filing your DE2508 form, so they can plan coverage and document the arrangement properly. The flexibility would be amazing for managing childcare and work demands throughout that first year! Also wanted to say how helpful this thread has been for learning about all the nuances of PFL baby bonding - the real experiences shared here are so much more valuable than trying to decode the official EDD guidelines alone!
Naila Gordon
•@Keisha Johnson That s'such a smart question to ask while you re'still planning ahead! From what I ve'seen in other threads, intermittent bonding leave coordination really depends on your specific employer s'policies. Some are super flexible and let you give shorter notice like (a few weeks ,)while others want the full schedule mapped out when you submit your initial paperwork. I d'suggest having a conversation with your HR department early - maybe around your 3rd trimester - to understand their specific requirements. Some employers are great about letting you adjust dates as needed especially (if baby arrives early/late ,)while others are more rigid. The key seems to be getting any intermittent arrangement documented properly so both EDD and your employer are on the same page about your planned leave schedule. Congrats on your pregnancy! It sounds like you re'being super proactive about planning, which is exactly what this thread shows is so important for navigating the PFL system successfully.
DeShawn Washington
Anyone else feel like we need to start a class action lawsuit against EDD for all this bs? 🤔
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Mei-Ling Chen
•I'm down. This is getting ridiculous.
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SofÃa RodrÃguez
•Careful what you wish for. A lawsuit could tie things up even more 😬
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NebulaKnight
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my claim about 2.5 weeks ago and haven't heard a peep. It's so stressful when you're expecting that money to help with all the new baby expenses. From what I'm reading here, sounds like we just need to be patient (easier said than done). Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not alone in this frustrating process!
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