am i the only 1 who thinks its ridiculous we only get 8 weeks? other countries get way more time with their babies 😤

Just a heads up, sometimes the system glitches and shows your claim as inactive even when it's not. If that happens, don't panic! Just call and they can usually sort it out pretty quick.

I just went through this exact situation last year! Filed my SDI claim about 2 weeks after my disability start date because I was also using up my accrued PTO first. The process was super smooth - just make sure you have your doctor's portion ready to go since that's usually the bottleneck. Also heads up, when you do your bi-weekly certifications later, they'll ask about ANY income you received during those specific 2-week periods, so keep track of exactly which dates your sick pay covered. The EDD system is actually pretty good at handling these mixed situations where people use employer benefits first. Good luck with everything and congratulations on your little one! 👶

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a very similar situation with my second baby in 2024. Started leave on a Friday, used my PTO for the first 10 days, then filed my SDI claim. The key thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking exactly which dates I received sick pay vs when I expected to start receiving SDI benefits. This made the bi-weekly certifications SO much easier later on. Also, don't stress about the timing - EDD sees these mixed benefit situations all the time, especially with maternity leave. The most important thing is being accurate with your dates, not the speed of filing. You've got plenty of time within that 49-day window!

I just went through this exact same nightmare last week! The upload button disappeared on me too after I submitted my initial PFL claim. What finally worked was calling EDD at exactly 8:00 AM (set multiple alarms!) and explaining that it was a technical issue preventing me from completing my claim rather than a new claim request. The rep was able to see my original claim was still active in their system even though the website wasn't showing it properly. She manually noted my account so I could fax the birth certificate directly to their document processing center. Got confirmation within 3 days that they received it. Sometimes you just have to work around their broken website! Don't let them tell you to start over - your original claim is probably still there, just hidden by their glitchy system.

I'm dealing with a similar upload issue right now! One thing that helped me was trying the upload process using Safari browser instead of Chrome - apparently EDD's system has weird compatibility issues with certain browsers. Also, if you're still stuck, try logging in at exactly midnight or very early morning when their servers have less traffic. I've heard from others that the upload buttons sometimes reappear during these low-traffic windows. It's ridiculous that we have to work around their technical problems like this, but hopefully one of these workarounds helps you get that birth certificate uploaded!

Protip: If you cant get through on the main line, try calling some of the other departments and ask to be transferred. Sometimes works for me!

Just went through this exact same situation last month! What worked for me was calling the PFL line and explaining that I accidentally submitted a duplicate application. The rep was actually pretty understanding about it - apparently it happens more often than you'd think. She was able to cancel the first one on the spot and confirmed my second application was processing normally. Definitely mention that you needed to change the date, that's a valid reason for the duplicate. Good luck! 🤞

Have you checked if your UI Online account is fully set up? Sometimes incomplete registration can cause login issues.

I ran into the E324 error a few weeks ago and it was so frustrating! What finally worked for me was calling the EDD tech support line at 1-800-300-5616. I know it's hard to get through, but I called right at 8am when they opened and got connected after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep was able to reset something on their end and I could log in immediately after. Might be worth a shot if the browser fixes don't work!