Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the EDD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- 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!
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!
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
man, i feel for you. been there, done that, got the t-shirt. EDD's website is like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded while riding a unicycle. just keep at it and eventually you'll stumble your way through 🤡
I went through this exact same thing a few months ago! The error codes can be super cryptic. A few things that helped me: 1. Try using incognito/private browsing mode - sometimes cached data causes issues 2. Make sure you're not copying and pasting any information (type it manually) 3. If you're getting a specific error code, try googling "EDD [error code number]" - sometimes you can find unofficial explanations 4. Don't refresh the page if it's loading, even if it seems slow Also, if you haven't already, make sure you have all your documents ready as PDFs before starting. The system times out pretty quickly and you don't want to lose progress hunting for paperwork. Hope this helps! The system is definitely frustrating but you'll get through it 🙏
Join the conversation
This is really helpful information everyone! I'm in a similar situation - currently 32 weeks pregnant and was laid off 2 months ago. My doctor just told me today that I might need to stop working earlier than expected due to some pregnancy complications. @Naila Gordon - when you mention the DE2501 form, does the doctor need to specify an exact date when disability starts, or can it be a range? My OB said "probably within the next 2-3 weeks" but wasn't super specific about timing. Also wondering if anyone knows - once I transition from unemployment to disability, will I need to reapply for a new unemployment claim after I recover postpartum, or can I somehow reopen my existing claim? The thought of going through that whole application process again while dealing with a newborn sounds overwhelming!
@Matthew Sanchez Welcome to the conversation! For the DE2501 form, your doctor needs to specify an exact start date for your disability - they can t'leave it as a range. If your OB says within "the next 2-3 weeks, you" ll'need them to pick a specific date based on their medical assessment. They can always amend it later if complications arise sooner. Regarding your unemployment claim - you ll'typically need to file a NEW unemployment claim after your disability ends since there will be a significant gap in your work search availability. Your previous claim will have expired by then. I know it sounds daunting with a newborn, but the online application process has gotten easier, and you can always use services like the one @Mateusius Townsend mentioned if you need help getting through to EDD. One tip: start gathering your employment documentation now while you have time, so it s ready'when you need to reapply later. Good luck with everything!
@Matthew Sanchez Your doctor will need to provide a specific date on the DE2501 form - EDD doesn t'accept date ranges for disability start dates. If your OB is uncertain about the exact timing, they should choose the most likely date based on your current condition. If complications arise earlier than expected, they can always complete an amended form with a new start date. For the unemployment question - yes, you ll'need to file a completely new UI claim after your disability period ends. Your original claim will have expired during the months you re'on disability and postpartum recovery. The good news is that your recent work history and earnings should still count toward establishing the new claim. Pro tip: Make sure you keep all your medical documentation organized throughout this process. You ll'need copies of delivery records, doctor clearance to return to work, and potentially childcare arrangements documented when you do restart unemployment. It might seem overwhelming now, but taking it one step at a time helps!
This whole thread is so helpful! I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant and just got laid off from my marketing job last week. Reading through everyone's experiences is giving me hope that there's actually a path forward through this maze of benefits. One question I haven't seen addressed yet - does anyone know if the pregnancy disability benefits count toward your overall SDI benefit year maximum? I'm wondering if using SDI for pregnancy now would limit my ability to claim regular disability later if I had other health issues. Also, @Ben Cooper - how is your sister doing now? Did she manage to get everything sorted out with the transition? Would love to hear an update on how it all worked out for her! The timing aspect seems so crucial based on what everyone is saying. Sounds like the key is having that clear cutoff date from the doctor and making sure to stop unemployment certification immediately. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - it's way more helpful than trying to decipher the EDD website!
Join the conversation
Update: I tried the Claimyr service I mentioned earlier after multiple failed attempts to reach EDD on my own. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes and resolved my issue! The website is claimyr.com for anyone else struggling to get through. Definitely worth it for the time saved and stress reduction.
Checking back in - I finally got through to EDD! I tried the 8:01am call trick first and got nowhere, then I tried the Claimyr service. Got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes who explained that my claim was pending because they needed to verify my last day worked with my employer (even though my employer said they already responded). The agent was able to override it since it had been more than 10 business days waiting for employer verification. Payment should be processed in 24-48 hours! THANK YOU everyone for your help!
Congrats on getting through! This is such a helpful thread - I'm bookmarking it for future reference. The employer verification delay seems to be a really common issue based on what I'm seeing in other posts here. It's frustrating that they don't give you any visibility into what specific step is causing the delay. Did the agent mention anything about how long employer verifications typically take, or if there's a way to expedite them in the future?
Great question! I'm new to this whole PFL process myself and wondering the same thing. The lack of transparency in their system is really frustrating - you'd think they could at least show "waiting for employer response" or give some kind of timeline estimate. @b8d349150bb9 did the agent give you any insights about typical employer verification timeframes? I'm probably going to need PFL in a few months and want to know what to expect!
Join the conversation
UPDATE: Finally got through to EDD this morning! You all were right - it was a "mid-claim review" that happens automatically around week 4 of baby bonding. The rep pushed it through manually and said the payment should arrive in my account within 24-48 hours. She also said they're "working on" sending notifications about these reviews in the future, but who knows if that will actually happen. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions during my mini-meltdown!
Excellent! Glad you got it resolved. For future reference (or anyone else reading this), these mid-claim reviews happen because PFL baby bonding can be broken into multiple segments, so they verify continued eligibility at certain points. It's absolutely a flaw that they don't notify claimants about this process. Thanks for updating us!
This is such a relief to see resolved! I'm actually going through the exact same thing right now - I'm at week 5 of my baby bonding leave and my payment didn't show up yesterday. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially knowing about the mid-claim review process. It's absolutely ridiculous that EDD doesn't notify people about these automatic reviews - it causes so much unnecessary stress and panic when you're already dealing with a new baby and tight finances. I'm going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning at 8am sharp. Thanks Gabriel for posting this and updating us with the resolution - it gives me hope that I can get this sorted out quickly too!
So glad Gabriel's story helped you! I'm new to this community but going through my first PFL claim right now (just started week 2 of baby bonding). This thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had NO idea about these mid-claim reviews that happen around week 4. It's honestly shocking that EDD doesn't warn people about this ahead of time. I'm definitely going to bookmark this post so I know what to expect when I hit that halfway point. Good luck getting through to them tomorrow morning - sounds like the 8am timing really works based on what others have shared here!
Yuki Yamamoto
Pro tip: if you're gonna be on hold for hours, put your phone on speaker and do something else productive. I learned a new language waiting for EDD to pick up 😅
0 coins
Carmen Ortiz
•Lol what language?
0 coins
Yuki Yamamoto
•Klingon. Figured if I'm gonna waste time, might as well go all out 🖖
0 coins
Mateo Rodriguez
Hey Freya! I went through something similar a few months ago with my PFL claim. Here's what worked for me: try calling the EDD PFL line (1-877-238-4373) exactly at 8:00 AM when they open - like literally have your finger ready to hit redial at 7:59:59. I also had success sending a secure message through my EDD online account with screenshots of the error and a clear explanation. Make sure to mention that you've already been approved but need to correct the start date - this helps them prioritize it since you're not a new application. The whole process took about 2 weeks once I got through, but they were able to adjust my dates retroactively. Don't panic, this kind of error is more common than you'd think and they deal with it regularly!
0 coins
Kylo Ren
•This is super helpful! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now and was getting so frustrated with the phone lines. The tip about calling exactly at 8 AM is gold - I never thought about being that precise with timing. Quick question though - when you sent the secure message, did you get a response pretty quickly or did it take a while for them to get back to you?
0 coins