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 :)
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I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea that PFL required a separate application - my employer just handed me a stack of forms and said "figure it out" which was super overwhelming. One question I haven't seen addressed yet: if my baby comes early (like several weeks early), does that mess up the timing for when I should apply for PFL? I keep seeing everyone say to apply 1-2 weeks before SDI ends, but what if my recovery period is different than expected due to complications or an early delivery? Also, has anyone dealt with applying for PFL while still in the hospital after delivery? I'm a little worried about trying to navigate all this paperwork while recovering and adjusting to life with a newborn. Should I ask my partner to handle the application, or does it have to be done by me personally? Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - you've all made this process seem much less scary!
Hi Leeann! Great questions - I had similar worries when I was pregnant. For early delivery, don't stress too much about the timing being "off." Your SDI will just start earlier and the same 1-2 week rule applies - you'll just need to count from your actual delivery date instead of your due date. The key is tracking when your doctor says your disability period will end, regardless of when baby arrives. As for applying from the hospital - you definitely don't need to do it right away! Most people apply a few weeks postpartum when they're more settled at home. Your partner can help gather information and even fill out parts of the form, but you'll need to be the one to actually submit it since it's tied to your SSN and employment history. I'd recommend waiting until you're home and feeling a bit more like yourself. The application can wait a few days - you have plenty of time as long as you don't wait until the last minute. Focus on recovery first, paperwork second! 💕
Just went through this exact situation with my baby born in December! You're absolutely right to be confused - the system is not intuitive at all. Here's what I learned the hard way: PFL is definitely NOT automatic after SDI. You need to file a completely separate claim using form DE2508. I almost missed this and would have had a gap in benefits if my sister hadn't warned me. My advice: Set a reminder in your phone for about 10 days before your expected SDI end date (usually around week 5-6 postpartum depending on your delivery type). The online application through your EDD account is much easier than the paper form - it took me about 25 minutes to complete. The good news is that your PFL weekly benefit amount will be exactly the same as your SDI payments, so at least that stays consistent! One thing that really helped me was calling my doctor's office during my 2-week postpartum checkup to confirm they knew when I needed to be released from disability. This prevented any delays on their end. Don't let your HR department's unhelpfulness stress you out - lots of employers don't really understand the process either. You've got this! And congrats on your upcoming arrival! 🎉
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who just went through this recently. The tip about calling the doctor's office during the 2-week checkup is so smart - I'm definitely adding that to my list. I'm curious about the timing with the online application - when you say you set a reminder for 10 days before your SDI end date, how did you know exactly when that would be? Did your doctor give you a specific end date early on, or did you have to estimate based on the typical 6-8 week recovery period? I'm trying to plan ahead but I'm not sure how precise I can be with the timing since every delivery and recovery is different. Also, did you find the online portal easy to navigate? Some of the other comments made it sound like the EDD website can be glitchy. Thanks again for all the helpful details! 🙏
Great question about timing! My doctor actually gave me a pretty specific timeline at my first postpartum appointment. They said for a normal vaginal delivery, they typically release patients from disability at the 6-week mark, and for C-sections it's usually 8 weeks. So I just counted backwards from there and set my reminder accordingly. The online portal was actually pretty user-friendly once I got logged in. I had heard horror stories too, but I applied on a Tuesday morning around 10am and didn't have any technical issues. The form auto-saves as you go, which was nice because I could take breaks if the baby needed attention. One tip: make sure you have your most recent paystub handy when you apply - they ask for employment details that you might not remember off the top of your head. I had to dig through my files to find my exact start date at my current job! The whole process was way less scary than I had built it up to be in my head. You sound super organized and prepared, so I think you'll do great! 😊
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Guys, I just got off the phone with an EDD rep (after waiting on hold for 3 hours 💀). They said there's been a glitch in the system affecting some DE2504REJ forms. If you filed one recently, you might want to call and check on its status.
Oh great, just what I needed to hear 😩 Thanks for the heads up tho!
Ugh, why am I not surprised? 🙄 EDD and glitches, name a more iconic duo
Hang in there @Sophia! 🫂 I went through the exact same confusion last year. The DE2504REJ is actually for rejecting work offers while on unemployment - totally different from what you need for regular benefit payments. Here's what saved my sanity: create a little cheat sheet with all the form numbers and what they're for. DE 4581 (like @Aiden mentioned) is your bread and butter - that's your bi-weekly certification. Keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit, and don't be afraid to call multiple times if you get conflicting info from different reps. The system is definitely broken, but you'll get through this! 💪
This is such helpful advice! @Giovanni @Sophia I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and feeling totally overwhelmed by all these different forms. The cheat sheet idea is brilliant - I'm definitely going to make one. Quick question though: when you say "keep copies of everything," do you mean screenshots of online submissions too, or just the physical forms? And how long should I keep them? Thanks for being so supportive in this community! 🙏
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Hey OP, just checking in. Any luck with unlocking your account? Keep us posted!
Not yet, but I'm working through all the suggestions here. I'll definitely update when I get it sorted. Thanks for checking in!
I went through this exact same situation last month! Here's what finally worked for me: I called the EDD technical support line (not the regular claims line) at 1-800-300-5616. They have a separate department that handles account lockouts and password resets. When you get through, ask specifically for the "UI Online technical support team." They were able to reset my security questions after verifying my SSN, date of birth, and some details from my claim. It took about 45 minutes on the phone but they got me back in. Also, make sure you have your EDD customer account number ready - it's on any mail they've sent you. Good luck! 🍀
This is super helpful! I didn't even know there was a separate technical support line. Definitely going to try this number first thing tomorrow. Did they ask for any additional documentation besides what you mentioned, or was the phone verification enough to get you back in?
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Hang in there, OP! I know it's frustrating, but your benefits are protected even if you've returned to work. They'll backpay you for the time you were out. Just keep following up and don't let them forget about you!
Thanks for the encouragement! It's good to know I'm not alone in this. Gonna keep pushing until I get what I'm owed!
I'm dealing with something similar right now! Filed my PFL claim 2 weeks ago for bonding time and still haven't heard anything back. It's so stressful not knowing when the payment will come through, especially when you're already juggling work and a new baby. @Ellie Simpson's checklist looks super helpful - definitely going to try calling first thing in the morning. Has anyone had luck with the secure messaging through the online portal, or is calling still the better option?
Hey Katherine! I'm actually new to this community but have been lurking and reading everyone's experiences. From what I've seen in other threads, calling seems to be more effective than the secure messaging, but it requires patience with those long wait times. The secure messaging can take days or even weeks to get a response. If you do try calling, definitely follow @Charlee Coleman s'advice about calling right when they open - seems like that s'the golden tip everyone swears by! Good luck with your claim, and congrats on the new baby! 🍼
Sophie Duck
Has anyone else noticed that these issues seem to happen more at the end of the fiscal year? I wonder if it's related to budget stuff on their end.
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Austin Leonard
•Omg yes! I thought I was the only one who noticed this pattern. You might be onto something there.
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James Johnson
Same boat here! Been waiting 3 weeks now for my timesheet to process. What's really frustrating is that they don't give you any timeline or status updates - just radio silence. I've started keeping a spreadsheet tracking all my submissions and follow-ups because honestly, at this point I don't trust their system to keep track of anything properly. Really hoping this gets sorted out soon because bills don't wait for bureaucracy! 😤
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Ella Thompson
•Oh wow, 3 weeks is brutal! 😬 I'm only at about 10 days and already losing my mind. The spreadsheet idea is actually genius though - I should definitely start doing that too. You're so right about the complete lack of communication, it's like they want us to just forget about our money. Have you tried any of the suggestions people mentioned above, like calling first thing in the morning or checking if there's an online status portal?
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Sofia Morales
•Three weeks is absolutely insane! I'm dealing with a similar situation - going on 2 weeks now with zero updates. The spreadsheet tracking idea is brilliant, I'm definitely stealing that! It's so maddening that we have to become our own case managers just to get paid for work we've already done. I tried the early morning calling tip someone mentioned above and actually got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep was helpful but basically said "it's in the system" with no timeline. At least it was confirmation they have it I guess? 🤷♀️ Hang in there!
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