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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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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!
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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.
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Congratulations on your new baby! I'm also a new parent (my little girl is 7 weeks old) and I literally just went through this exact same situation with my HR department last month. Everyone here is absolutely right - both you and your husband get your own separate 8 weeks of PFL for baby bonding! Your HR is definitely confusing PFL with FMLA rules, which is super frustrating but apparently very common. What finally resolved it for me was calling EDD directly and having them email me written confirmation of the policy. Then I forwarded that email to my HR team along with a printout of Publication DE 2511 from the EDD website (the official PFL fact sheet). Once they saw the official documentation, they had to admit they were wrong. My partner and I are currently doing overlapping leave - we've been home together for 3 weeks now and it's been incredible for bonding and adjusting to life with baby. He'll go back to work in a couple weeks while I finish out my remaining PFL time. Don't let your HR's confusion discourage you from taking the benefits you're legally entitled to! The peace of mind of having that extended family time together is so worth fighting for. You've got this mama! 💪
Congratulations on your little girl! Thank you so much for sharing your experience - it's incredibly helpful to hear from someone who literally just went through this exact situation. The idea of getting written confirmation from EDD via email is brilliant, and I'm definitely going to try that approach along with printing out Publication DE 2511. It sounds like having that official documentation really is the key to getting HR departments to admit their mistake. Your overlapping leave plan sounds perfect - 3 weeks together must be such a special bonding time for all of you! I'm feeling so much more confident about advocating for our rights now after hearing all these success stories. Really appreciate the encouragement! 💕
Congratulations on your new baby! As someone who just navigated this exact situation 6 months ago, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - you and your husband each get your own separate 8 weeks of California PFL for baby bonding, with absolutely no family cap or reduction! Your HR department is definitely mixing up PFL (the California wage replacement benefit) with FMLA (the federal job protection law). This confusion seems to happen at almost every company unfortunately. What worked for me was going directly to the EDD website and downloading Publication DE 2511 - it's the official PFL fact sheet that clearly explains each parent gets their own individual 8-week entitlement. I printed it out and brought it to my HR meeting, which finally got them to stop giving me incorrect information. My husband and I structured our leaves so we had about 3 weeks overlapping (which was amazing for those early newborn days!) and then he took his remaining 5 weeks after I returned to work. The whole process went smoothly once we got past the initial HR confusion. Don't let anyone discourage you from taking the benefits you're legally entitled to! Those extra weeks of family bonding time are so precious and worth advocating for. Wishing you all the best with your new little one! 🍼
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This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm not due until late summer but I'm already trying to plan ahead for my C-section and leave. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned - do any of you know if there are any differences in the SDI/PFL process if you're planning to take leave intermittently rather than all at once? My job has some flexibility where I might be able to work part-time for a few weeks before going full-time on leave. Also, I've been wondering about the tax implications - are the SDI and PFL payments taxable income? I want to make sure I'm setting aside the right amount for tax season. Thanks for creating such a comprehensive resource here!
Great questions, Isabella! For intermittent leave, it can get more complicated with SDI/PFL. From what I understand, SDI typically requires you to be completely unable to work due to your medical condition, so part-time work during recovery might not qualify. However, PFL does allow for intermittent use in some cases - you'd need to coordinate this carefully with both EDD and your employer. I'd definitely recommend calling EDD to discuss your specific situation before making any part-time work commitments. As for taxes, yes both SDI and PFL payments are considered taxable income at the federal level, though they're not subject to California state income tax. You'll receive 1099-G forms for tax filing. I learned this the hard way and had to scramble to pay extra taxes the following year! Setting aside about 10-15% of your benefit payments for federal taxes is probably a good rule of thumb, depending on your tax bracket.
This thread is such a goldmine of information! As someone who's currently 35 weeks pregnant and scheduled for a C-section next month, I can't thank you all enough for sharing your real experiences. I've been stressing about this exact process for weeks and my OB's office wasn't very helpful when I asked about the SDI timeline. Based on everything I've read here, I'm planning to: 1. Talk to my doctor at my next appointment about ensuring the medical certification reflects 8 weeks recovery for C-section 2. File SDI claim right after delivery 3. Set up that dedicated folder system someone mentioned with all documents 4. Apply for PFL about 10 days before SDI ends 5. Budget for a potential 2-3 week payment gap One quick question - for those who successfully transitioned from SDI to PFL, did you have to provide any additional medical documentation for the PFL application, or was it mainly just proving the birth happened? I'm trying to get all my paperwork organized in advance since I know I'll be exhausted those first few weeks with a newborn. You've all made me feel so much more prepared for this process. The EDD website is basically useless compared to the practical advice shared here!
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I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with my uncle who had a traumatic brain injury. The information everyone has shared here is incredibly helpful! I wanted to add that if you're still having trouble getting through to EDD even after following all these steps, you might want to try contacting your local State Disability Insurance (SDI) office directly. They sometimes have separate phone lines that aren't as overwhelmed as the main EDD number. Also, I learned that some hospitals have patient advocates or social workers who are familiar with disability paperwork and can help you navigate the process. They might even have direct contacts at EDD for medical emergency situations. One more thing - document EVERYTHING. Keep a log of every call attempt, every form submitted, and every person you speak with. If there are any delays in processing your claim, this documentation can help prove you did everything correctly and on time. Best of luck to everyone going through this stressful process!
This is such valuable additional information! The hospital patient advocate suggestion is brilliant - I hadn't thought of that resource. My mom's stroke team at the hospital has been so helpful with other aspects of her care, I bet they deal with disability paperwork situations regularly. I'm definitely going to reach out to them tomorrow along with following all the POA documentation steps everyone outlined. And you're absolutely right about documenting everything - I've been so stressed I wasn't keeping good records, but I need to start tracking all my attempts and submissions. Thank you for the comprehensive advice!
I'm a case worker at a disability advocacy organization and see this situation frequently. One additional option that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're still having trouble even with the POA documentation, you can request an "Administrative Review" through EDD's Appeals Office. This is typically used when there are extenuating circumstances that don't fit the standard process. You would need to submit a written request explaining that your mother is medically incapable of signing due to her stroke, attach all your POA documentation, and include the doctor's certification of incapacity. The Appeals Office has more flexibility to approve non-standard situations. Also, many people don't realize that EDD has regional offices that sometimes have less busy phone lines than the main number. Try calling the Sacramento regional office at (916) 464-3343 or the Los Angeles office at (213) 744-2084. Ask specifically to speak with a PFL specialist about a medical incapacity situation. The key phrase to use is "medical incapacity accommodation" - this signals that you're dealing with a disability-related issue that requires special handling under ADA guidelines.
This is incredibly helpful information that I wish I had known earlier! The "medical incapacity accommodation" phrase is something I definitely need to use when I call. I had no idea about the Appeals Office option or the regional phone numbers - those could be game changers. I'm going to try the Sacramento regional office tomorrow morning along with submitting all the POA documentation everyone has outlined. It's so reassuring to know there are multiple pathways when the standard process isn't working for these complex medical situations. Thank you for sharing your professional expertise!
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This thread is absolutely amazing - thank you all for breaking down such a confusing process! I'm 26 weeks pregnant and have been completely lost trying to understand the EDD system. My HR department basically just said "figure it out" when I asked about timing. The clarification that SDI and PFL are two separate applications with different forms (DE2501 and DE2508) is exactly what I needed to hear. I was definitely planning to mess this up by trying to apply for everything at once! A few questions for those who've been through this recently: 1. When you say "create your online account early" - can I actually do that now while I'm still working, or do I need to wait until I'm ready to file my first claim? 2. Has anyone dealt with complications during delivery that extended their disability period beyond the typical 6-8 weeks? Did that affect the transition to PFL at all? I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice about taking photos of paperwork and keeping a calendar of deadlines. This pregnancy brain is real and I can barely remember my own name some days! 😅 Thanks again to this community for being so helpful - the official EDD resources are basically useless compared to real experiences from actual parents!
Hey @NeonNomad! I'm relatively new to this community too but have been lurking and learning so much from everyone's experiences here. For your first question about creating the online account early - yes, you can definitely set it up now while still working! I did this at around 28 weeks and it was super helpful to get familiar with the system before actually needing to file. You won't be able to submit claims until you're actually eligible, but having the account ready saved me stress later. For your second question about delivery complications - my sister had an emergency C-section that required extra recovery time beyond the standard 6 weeks. Her doctor was able to extend her SDI claim for the additional weeks she needed medically, and then she transitioned to PFL after that extended period. It didn't cause any issues with the PFL application, just shifted the timeline. The key was having her doctor document the medical need for the extension. Totally agree about pregnancy brain being so real! I've been writing everything down and taking screenshots of every confirmation page. Better safe than sorry when dealing with government systems! This thread has been such a goldmine of practical advice - way better than trying to decipher the official EDD website! 🤗
This has been such an incredibly helpful thread! I'm 24 weeks pregnant and was completely overwhelmed by the EDD process until I found this discussion. Like so many others here, I was confused about when to apply and thought I needed to do everything at once. The breakdown everyone provided about SDI first (form DE2501 for pregnancy disability) then PFL later (form DE2508 for baby bonding) has totally cleared things up for me. I love that @MoonlightSonata mentioned the automatic transition option - that sounds like exactly what I'll need! I'm definitely going to follow all the great advice here: create my online account now, talk to my doctor's office about their EDD submission process, keep a calendar of deadlines, and take photos of everything. The tip about text notifications is brilliant too - every little bit helps when you're dealing with pregnancy brain! One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here used the online system exclusively, or did some of you end up needing to mail in paper forms? I'm hoping to keep everything digital if possible since I tend to lose track of physical paperwork these days. Thank you all so much for sharing your real experiences. This community support is exactly what expecting parents need when navigating these confusing government systems! 💕
Hi @Rebecca Johnston! I'm also new to this community and have been following this thread religiously - it's been such a lifesaver! I'm only 20 weeks pregnant but wanted to get ahead of understanding this whole process. To answer your question about online vs paper forms - I haven't been through it yet myself, but my coworker just completed this process last month and she did everything online through the EDD website. She said it was actually pretty straightforward once you have your account set up, and she liked being able to track the status of her claims digitally. Her doctor also submitted everything electronically on their end, which she said made the whole process much smoother. I'm planning to go the all-digital route too when my time comes. From what I've read in this thread, it seems like the online system has gotten better over the years, and you avoid the risk of things getting lost in the mail. This whole discussion has been amazing - I've learned more here in 30 minutes than I did reading the official EDD website for hours! Going to start my online account this week and have that conversation with my doctor's office like everyone suggested. Thanks to all the experienced moms who've shared such detailed advice! 🙏
Amina Sy
I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm in week 2 of the exact same nightmare - filed my PFL baby bonding claim and it's been stuck on "pending" with zero communication. I've been calling obsessively and either get disconnected or wait on hold forever while trying to manage my newborn. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening and somewhat reassuring. I had NO idea that the 2-3 week wait after your final pregnancy disability payment is actually normal processing time - EDD really needs to communicate this somewhere! My disability payment ended about 10 days ago and still shows "PAID" status, so sounds like I'm right in that waiting period for it to switch to "CLOSED." I'm definitely going to try the dual phone strategy at exactly 8:00 AM tomorrow with both phones, plus that technical support line (1-833-978-2511) that @Jake Sinclair mentioned. The "press 0 repeatedly" hack sounds promising too! It's absolutely insane that new parents have to become EDD detectives just to access benefits we've already paid into through payroll taxes. Thank you all SO much for sharing these strategies - this community is way more helpful than anything on the official EDD website! I'll report back if I have any success getting through. Sending solidarity to all the exhausted parents fighting this broken system! 🙏
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CosmicCruiser
•@Amina Sy Welcome to the club nobody wants to be in! 😅 I m'also a new parent dealing with this EDD nightmare and this thread has been my lifeline. It s'so frustrating that we have to piece together basic information that should be clearly explained on their website. The fact that you re'only in week 2 and already feeling the stress shows how broken their communication is - I was panicking by day 3 of pending "status!" Your timeline sounds very similar to others who have had success - if your disability payment ended 10 days ago, you re'probably right in that sweet spot where it should switch from PAID "to" CLOSED "soon." Definitely try all the phone strategies people have shared here, especially the technical support line. It seems like that one has been a game-changer for several people when the regular PFL number fails. Keep us posted on how the dual phone approach goes tomorrow! This community has been such a source of hope and practical advice. We shouldn t'have to be doing detective work just to get our benefits, but at least we re'all in this together. You ve'got this! 💪
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Sean Flanagan
I'm in the exact same boat and this thread has been a lifesaver! Filed my PFL baby bonding claim 3 weeks ago and have been stuck on "pending" with zero updates. I've called probably 35+ times and either get busy signals or sit on hold for hours until my baby needs attention and I have to hang up - it's literally impossible! Reading through all these experiences has been both reassuring and infuriating. I had NO idea that the 2-3 week wait after your final disability payment is actually normal processing time! My pregnancy disability ended about 2 weeks ago and still shows "PAID" but not "CLOSED" yet, so it sounds like I'm right in that waiting period everyone's talking about. I'm definitely going to try the dual phone strategy at exactly 8:00 AM tomorrow - calling both the main PFL number and using the disability transfer method. Also going to try that technical support line (1-833-978-2511) and the "press 0 repeatedly" trick that @Jake Sinclair mentioned. It's absolutely ridiculous that new parents have to become phone ninjas and crowdsource basic information just to access benefits we've already paid into! But I'm so grateful this community exists - you all have been more helpful than the entire EDD website. Will definitely report back if I manage to get through and learn anything new. Sending solidarity to everyone dealing with this bureaucratic nightmare while caring for a newborn! 🤞💜
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Ethan Clark
•@Sean Flanagan I m'completely new to this whole process but reading through this thread as a soon-to-be parent has been both incredibly helpful and terrifying! The fact that so many people are going through the exact same pending "nightmare" with zero communication from EDD is just mind-blowing. It sounds like you re'right in that 2-3 week window after disability payments that everyone mentions is normal processing time, even though EDD apparently doesn t'bother telling anyone this crucial information! I m'bookmarking all these phone strategies for when my time comes - the dual phone approach at 8 AM, the technical support line, the disability number transfer method. It s'absolutely insane that accessing benefits you ve'already paid into requires this level of detective work and strategy! But I m'so grateful everyone here is sharing what actually works. This community thread has taught me more about the real EDD process in 10 minutes than hours of reading their useless official website. Please update us on how the calling goes tomorrow - success stories from this thread are giving me hope that there are ways to navigate this broken system. Sending you strength for dealing with bureaucracy while caring for a newborn! 🙏
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