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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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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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I'm 4 months pregnant with my first baby and this entire discussion has been SO helpful! I had no idea about most of these details - especially that you need to apply for PFL BEFORE your disability ends to avoid payment gaps. That seems like such crucial information that should be more widely known! I'm already starting to organize all the tips everyone has shared: setting up my EDD account early, having documents ready (birth certificate or hospital papers), taking screenshots of everything, and applying for PFL about a week before disability ends. The specific timeline examples you all provided are incredibly valuable for actual planning. One question - has anyone dealt with having twins? I'm wondering if that changes anything about the disability timeline or PFL bonding benefits. I know twin pregnancies are often considered higher risk, so I'm curious if that affects the standard recovery periods or if there are any other considerations I should know about. Thank you all for creating such an informative and supportive discussion! Reading through everyone's real experiences has made this whole benefits system feel much more manageable. As a first-time mom expecting twins, I really appreciate having this community to learn from!
Congratulations on your twin pregnancy! That's so exciting! From what I understand, having twins can definitely affect your disability timeline. Twin pregnancies are often considered higher risk, which means your doctor might recommend starting your disability leave earlier than the typical 4 weeks before your due date - sometimes as early as 24-28 weeks if there are complications. For the recovery period, you'll still get the standard 6 weeks for vaginal delivery or 8 weeks for C-section, but your doctor can extend this if needed due to complications (which are more common with twins). The good news is that PFL baby bonding benefits don't change - you still get up to 8 weeks of paid bonding leave, and it covers bonding with both babies. One thing to consider is that you might want to start your benefits research even earlier since twin pregnancies can be less predictable in terms of timing. Setting up your EDD account and gathering documents well in advance is probably even more important in your situation. I don't have twins myself, but I'd definitely recommend talking to your doctor about their typical timeline recommendations for twin pregnancies and maybe reaching out to some twin mom groups for their experiences with the benefits process. You're so smart to start planning this early! Good luck with your pregnancy! Twins are going to be such an adventure - in the best way! 💕
I'm 30 weeks pregnant with my first and this entire thread has been absolutely incredible! You all have basically created the most comprehensive guide to SDI/PFL transitions that I've seen anywhere. I've been taking detailed notes on everything shared here. @Haley Bennett - I'm so glad your extension got approved! Seeing your real-time updates through the process has been so educational for those of us who haven't gone through this yet. A few key takeaways I'm noting for my own future reference: - Apply for PFL 5-9 days BEFORE disability ends (this seems to be the #1 most important tip!) - Take screenshots of all account statuses for documentation - Have birth certificate/hospital discharge papers ready to upload - Write down the new PFL claim number immediately - Extensions beyond standard recovery periods are completely normal with proper medical justification One question I haven't seen addressed - has anyone had experience with this process if you're planning to return to work part-time initially? I'm wondering if that affects the PFL baby bonding application at all, or if you can still take the full 8 weeks of bonding leave even if you're planning a gradual return to work afterward. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly! This community is absolutely invaluable for first-time parents trying to navigate this complex system.
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Wow, reading through this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar split baby bonding situation right now (my claim has been "pending" for 2 months with no updates) and I was dreading having to navigate this alone. The Claimyr service recommendation is gold - I had no idea something like that existed. One question for anyone who's been through this: when you repay the overpayment, do they give you a confirmation number or receipt? I want to make sure I have documentation that the repayment was processed before filing my new claim, just in case their systems don't sync up properly. Also, has anyone had success getting expedited processing on their second claim by explaining it's related to a resolved overpayment issue? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is a lifesaver! 🙏
Great question about the repayment documentation! Yes, you should definitely get a confirmation when you repay. If you pay online through your EDD account, screenshot the confirmation page immediately and save the transaction number. If you pay by phone, ask for a confirmation number and write it down along with the date/time and rep's name if possible. For mail payments, send it certified mail and keep the receipt. As for expedited processing on the second claim - I haven't had personal experience with that, but based on what others have shared here, having those notes in your account from the EDD rep (like @Lim Wong got seems) to be key. When you file the new claim, definitely reference the overpayment resolution in your comments section. The Claimyr service really does seem worth it if you need to talk to someone directly about expediting! Good luck with your situation! 🤞
This thread is incredibly thorough and helpful! I'm currently in week 6 of trying to resolve a similar split bonding claim issue, and seeing everyone's experiences gives me hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel. One thing I wanted to add for future readers - when you're initially planning to split your baby bonding time, consider calling EDD BEFORE filing your first claim to ask them to put notes in your account about your intention to split. I learned this the hard way, but apparently some reps can add "split claim planned" notes that might prevent the system from automatically paying out the full 8 weeks on your first claim. Also, for anyone using the Claimyr service mentioned here - they have different pricing tiers, so check which one you actually need. I almost paid for their premium service when the basic tier was sufficient for PFL calls. @Lim Wong - hoping your new claim processes smoothly! Please update us on how it goes, as I'm sure others will face this same situation in the future.
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Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago and can confirm what others have said - you definitely need to file a separate PFL claim for baby bonding. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have all your documents ready ahead of time. The hospital will give you temporary paperwork showing the birth, but I found it helpful to also request a certified copy of the birth certificate as soon as possible since some people have had issues with temporary documents. Also, if you're planning to take the full 8 weeks of baby bonding leave, you can actually start your PFL claim to begin the day after your disability ends - there's no mandatory gap between the two benefits. Good luck with everything!
Thanks for the tip about getting a certified copy of the birth certificate right away! I hadn't thought about potential issues with temporary documents. That's a great point about timing the PFL to start immediately after disability ends too - I was worried there might need to be some kind of waiting period. Six months ago is recent enough that your experience is super relevant. Did you find the online filing process pretty straightforward once you had all the documents ready?
Yes, the online filing was actually much easier than I expected! Once I had the birth documentation ready, it took maybe 15-20 minutes to complete the whole PFL application through my existing SDI Online account. The system walks you through each step pretty clearly. Just make sure when you get to the claim type selection that you choose "Paid Family Leave" and then select "bonding with a new child" - don't accidentally pick "caring for a family member" like I almost did! The hardest part was honestly just figuring out the timing of when to file, which sounds like you've got sorted out now thanks to all the advice here.
Just wanted to add one more helpful tip from my recent experience - when you file your PFL claim online, there's a section where you can choose your start date. Make sure to select the date that's immediately after your pregnancy disability ends (so if your disability ends on a Friday, start your PFL on the following Monday). I made the mistake of leaving a few days gap thinking I needed "recovery time" between the two benefits, but that just meant I lost those days of pay! EDD doesn't automatically connect the dates for you, so you have to be intentional about making them seamless. Also, keep copies of everything you submit - I screenshot each page of my online application just in case there were any issues later. The whole process took about 10 days from submission to first payment, which was faster than I expected. You've got this!
This is such valuable advice about the seamless timing! I'm new to this whole process and was actually wondering about that exact scenario - whether there should be any gap between disability and PFL. Your tip about screenshotting each page is really smart too. I tend to be pretty anxious about these kinds of applications, so having that documentation for my own peace of mind would be helpful. Quick question - when you say it took 10 days from submission to first payment, was that 10 business days or 10 calendar days? Just trying to plan my finances accordingly since this is all new territory for me. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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I'm in week 7 of waiting for my PFL claim to process and this thread is both validating and depressing! 😩 The system upgrade explanation makes total sense - it explains why so many claims that were filed around the same time are all stuck. I tried the assembly member route that @CosmicCaptain suggested and actually got a response within 24 hours! Their office said they've been flooded with EDD cases lately and are working with the department to push through the backlog. They asked me to send over my claim details and said they'd follow up within a week. Fingers crossed this helps! Also planning to try that claimyr service if I don't hear anything soon - $20 seems totally reasonable compared to the income I'm losing while waiting. Hang in there everyone, hopefully we'll all see some movement soon! 🙏
That's awesome that you got a response from your assembly member so quickly! 24 hours is incredible compared to the weeks of silence from EDD. Really gives me hope that there might actually be a way out of this mess. I'm definitely going to look up my assembly member tonight and send them an email. It's encouraging to hear they're aware of how bad the backlog is and are actively working on it. Week 7 is brutal though - I can't imagine waiting that long without any income! Hopefully between the assembly member pushing and the manual reviews, we'll all start seeing some progress soon. Thanks for sharing the update and keeping us posted! 🤞
I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed my PFL claim about 5 weeks ago after my daughter was born and it's been complete silence from EDD. What's really frustrating is that I was getting regular SDI payments throughout my pregnancy and then they just stopped the day I switched to PFL - no explanation, no communication, nothing! 😤 I've been trying to call daily but either get the busy signal or sit on hold for hours just to get disconnected. The online portal is useless - just shows "claim under review" with no timeline or updates. It's so stressful trying to manage with a newborn and no income coming in! After reading through this thread, I'm definitely going to try reaching out to my assembly member tomorrow and maybe give that claimyr service a shot if I get desperate enough. This system is absolutely broken and it's affecting so many new parents when we need support the most. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least we're not suffering through this alone! 🤱💪
Welcome to the club nobody wants to join! 😔 Your experience sounds identical to what so many of us are going through - that sudden cut off from SDI to nothing is particularly cruel when you're already dealing with a newborn. I'm about 3 weeks into this nightmare myself and the stress is unreal. Definitely try the assembly member route - from what others have shared, they seem to be the only ones who can actually get EDD to respond! The claimyr service also sounds promising based on @CosmicCrusader's success story. We shouldn't have to pay extra just to reach our own government agency, but if it works... 🤷♀️ Hang in there and keep us posted on how it goes!
Zainab Omar
I'm new here but dealing with the same E311 error nightmare! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. I've been stuck on this for 3 weeks now and my leave is supposed to start next month. Based on what everyone's shared, I'm going to try: 1) calling the SDI line at 6 AM, 2) double-checking my address formatting with SSA, and 3) verifying with HR about wage reporting. It's frustrating that EDD makes this so complicated, but at least I have a game plan now. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver! Will update once I (hopefully) get through 🤞
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Freya Andersen
•Welcome to the EDD struggle club! 😅 Your game plan sounds solid - those are exactly the steps I would recommend based on everyone's experiences here. The early morning SDI call strategy seems to be the most successful approach people have mentioned. Also, don't forget to keep detailed notes of every call and conversation like @Ravi Malhotra suggested earlier - it really helps when you have to explain your situation to multiple representatives. Fingers crossed you get through quickly! We re'all rooting for you 🙏
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Ravi Choudhury
I'm dealing with the exact same E311 error right now and it's driving me crazy! I've been trying to apply for PFL for the past two weeks with no luck. Reading through everyone's responses here has been super helpful though - I had no idea there were so many potential causes. I'm going to try the SDI number that @Anastasia Fedorov mentioned and also check with my HR department about wage reporting like @Omar Farouk suggested. It's really frustrating that such a simple application process can be so broken, but I'm grateful for this community sharing their experiences. Hopefully one of these solutions will work! 🤞
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