One thing no one has mentioned - if your wife's employer offers a leave of absence beyond what's legally required, that might be worth exploring too. Some companies have unpaid personal leave policies that could extend her time off without severing employment. It wouldn't provide income, but it would keep her job waiting longer while you both figure things out. Worth checking her employee handbook or with HR.

I'm a newer member here but wanted to share what I learned when researching this for my own situation. One option that might help bridge the gap is if your wife can demonstrate that returning to work would create a "substantial and unreasonable" hardship. While childcare costs alone typically don't qualify, there might be other factors you could document - like if the commute combined with childcare logistics creates genuine safety concerns, or if her employer has made any changes to her position/schedule that weren't there before her leave. Also, has she considered looking into whether her employer participates in any dependent care assistance programs? Some larger employers offer backup childcare or subsidies that could make returning more feasible financially. Even if she ultimately decides not to return, having explored these options might strengthen any future UI claim by showing she made good faith efforts to make it work. Just a thought - this whole system is definitely not set up well for new parents! 😔

Quick update for anyone struggling with reaching EDD: I've noticed their phone lines are significantly less busy on Wednesdays and Thursdays compared to Mondays and Fridays. Also, when you do get through, ask the representative for their direct extension or ID number. This can sometimes help if you need to call back about the same issue. For caregiving claims specifically, make sure the medical provider clearly documented: 1. The specific care needs requiring your presence 2. The expected duration of care needed 3. Whether the patient requires full-time or part-time care Missing any of these details can trigger a manual review that significantly delays your claim.

I'm going through the exact same thing with my PFL claim for caring for my mom after her hip surgery! Filed in early February, got confirmation they received everything, and then... crickets. I've called probably 15 times and either get the busy signal or sit on hold for 2+ hours before getting disconnected. What's really frustrating is that I know people who got their baby bonding claims processed in like 2 weeks, but it seems like the caregiving claims just get stuck in limbo. I had to use up all my vacation time at work and now I'm taking unpaid leave too. Has anyone tried contacting their local assemblyperson's office? I heard they sometimes have contacts at EDD who can help push things through, but I haven't tried it yet. At this point I'm ready to try anything - this whole system is broken and they're making it impossible for people to get the benefits we've been paying into for years!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - calling first is definitely the right move! I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago and I was absolutely panicking. Turned out it was just because I had moved and they needed to verify my new address. Here's what helped me get through it: - Call right at 8am when they open (seriously, this makes such a difference!) - Have everything ready: your notice, SSN, claim number, and a pen/paper - Ask them to explain what "change in claimant status" specifically means for YOUR case - Don't hang up until you're 100% clear on next steps The waiting on hold is brutal, but once you get someone, most of the reps are actually pretty helpful. And like others have said, if you do end up owing anything, they'll work with you on payments. You're being super smart by getting advice first instead of just mailing something back. That shows you're taking this seriously, which is exactly what you need to do. Try not to stress too much - you've got this! 💪

Oh wow, this thread is such a lifesaver! I'm in almost the exact same boat - got a similar notice yesterday and have been freaking out about it all night. Reading through everyone's experiences here is making me feel so much better about the whole situation. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about calling right at 8am tomorrow. Already set my alarm for 7:45am so I can have everything ready to go! One question though - should I have any specific questions ready beyond the ones people have mentioned? Like is there anything I should ask about potential impacts to future claims or benefits? Also, has anyone dealt with this while on maternity leave specifically? I'm wondering if that adds any extra complications to the process. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this community is amazing! 🙏

UPDATE: My claim was approved! It took 8 days total, which is way better than I expected after my SDI nightmare. The payment is already pending in my account too. Thanks everyone for the advice and reassurance! For anyone dealing with this transition in the future: make sure your dates don't overlap between claims, triple check your paperwork, and contact your HR department to ensure they respond quickly to EDD's verification requests.

That's such great news! 8 days is really reasonable, especially considering how stressful the whole process can be. Your update will definitely help other parents going through the same transition. It's so important to share these success stories since we mostly hear about the horror stories online. Congratulations on your new baby and enjoy your bonding leave! 🍼✨

Reading through all these experiences is really helpful! I'm actually in a similar situation where I might need to extend my leave by a couple weeks. One thing I'm wondering about - has anyone had issues with their employer when extending PFL? Like, do you need to notify your HR department separately, or does EDD handle that communication? I want to make sure I'm covering all my bases and not accidentally creating problems with my job. Thanks for all the great advice everyone has shared! 😊

I actually just went through this process last week! Had to extend my PFL by 2 weeks due to some complications with my recovery. Here's what I learned that might help you: **Getting through to EDD:** - Call exactly at 8:00 AM when they open - this is THE most important tip - Have everything written down: claim number, current return date, new return date, brief reason - Don't give up if the first few calls don't work - persistence pays off **The actual call:** - Once I got through (took 4 tries over 3 days), the rep was actually really helpful - The conversation lasted about 6 minutes total - They asked why I needed the extension - I just said "need additional recovery time" and that was enough - Make sure to get a confirmation number AND ask them to email you confirmation **Important reminders:** - Keep doing your bi-weekly certifications while trying to reach them - Contact your HR department separately - EDD doesn't notify employers automatically - If it's medical-related, have updated doctor paperwork ready just in case Honestly, I was way more stressed about it than I needed to be. These requests are super common and the reps handle them all day long. The anticipation is definitely worse than the actual process! You got this! 🙌 @Levi Parker - let us know how it goes when you get through to them!