UPDATE: Just wanted to check in - has your payment come through yet? It's been about 3 weeks now since you originally filed, right?

Congrats on getting your payment! This thread is super helpful - I'm in a similar situation right now (filed my PFL claim 10 days ago for my newborn) and was starting to worry. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel much better about waiting it out. It's crazy how inconsistent their processing times are though. Definitely saving this thread for future reference!

I'm in a similar waiting period right now - got approved last Friday and still checking the mailbox every day! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like the 7-10 business day timeline is pretty consistent, and I love that tip about the plain white envelope - I definitely would have overlooked that. @Giovanni Moretti your experience with the address issue has me paranoid, so I just double-checked mine in the system and thankfully it looks correct. @Sofia Perez thanks for mentioning that Claimyr service - good to know there's a backup option if I need to get through to someone quickly. It's amazing how much anxiety this waiting period creates when you're trying to plan finances around a new family situation! Will definitely update when my card arrives.

Just wanted to jump in and say how helpful this whole thread has been! I'm currently 8 months pregnant and planning to take PFL for bonding leave after my maternity leave ends, so reading everyone's experiences with the debit card timeline is super valuable for my planning. It sounds like the key takeaways are: expect 7-10 business days, watch for that plain white envelope, double-check your address in the system, and set up automatic transfers once you get the card. @Liam O'Donnell thanks for starting this conversation - I'm sure so many of us new parents have the same questions but are too nervous to ask! @Sofia Perez I'm definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service just in case. It's really reassuring to see how supportive this community is. Wishing everyone waiting for their cards a speedy delivery! 💙

I'm dealing with this exact same situation and it's so stressful! My PFL claim submitted about 5 weeks ago just completely vanished from the system. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful though - I had no idea about the 8 AM calling strategy or the pfl@edd.ca.gov email address. I'm definitely going to start that tracking spreadsheet everyone mentioned and try the multi-pronged approach. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become private investigators just to get updates on our own benefits, but seeing so many success stories here gives me hope that persistence really does pay off. The assemblyperson option is also good to know about as a backup plan. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences and practical solutions - this community is more helpful than anything I've found on the official EDD website!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now and finding this thread feels like discovering a hidden treasure of actually useful advice! My PFL claim vanished about 4 weeks ago and the stress has been overwhelming, especially when you're counting on that support for family care needs. After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm amazed at how common this problem is - it's both reassuring that I'm not alone and absolutely infuriating that the system is this broken. I'm putting together my action plan based on all the successful strategies shared here: • Starting that detailed tracking spreadsheet immediately (this is genius for staying organized!) • Setting my alarm for 7:55 AM to start calling right at 8:00 AM when they open • Emailing pfl@edd.ca.gov with that specific subject line format that actually gets responses • Gathering all my original documentation and confirmation numbers The assemblyperson option is definitely going in my back pocket if the first approaches don't work. It's wild that we need to become private investigators just to track down benefits we've already earned, but seeing so many success stories here gives me real hope that persistence pays off. Thank you all for sharing what actually works instead of just complaining (though the complaints are totally valid too!). This community is more helpful than the actual EDD website. I'll definitely update with my progress - fingers crossed we can all add to the success stories soon! 💪

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress with a newborn! I just went through a similar situation last month. EDD wrongly denied my PFL claim saying I received "full wages" when I was only getting 50% pay through my company's short-term disability. Here's what worked for me: I contacted my state assembly member's office and explained the situation. They have caseworkers who specifically handle EDD issues and can sometimes get faster responses. My assembly member's office submitted an inquiry on my behalf and I heard back from EDD within 10 days instead of waiting months for the appeal. You can find your assembly member here: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ Also, when you resubmit documentation, make sure to include a cover letter that explicitly states "This is NOT regular wages - this is sick leave/disability pay which is exempt from PFL wage calculations per CCR Title 22 Section 3302(s)-1." Sometimes being very direct helps cut through their automated systems. Don't give up - you're entitled to these benefits and EDD's initial determination is clearly wrong. The stress is awful but most of these cases do get resolved in the parent's favor once a human actually reviews the documentation.

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare with a newborn! Unfortunately, this is an incredibly common issue with EDD's automated system flagging any employer payments as "wages" even when they're clearly sick leave or disability benefits. A few things that might help speed up your case: 1. **Contact your Assembly member's office** - They have EDD liaisons who can sometimes get responses in 1-2 weeks instead of months. Find yours at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov 2. **Check your wife's employer reporting** - Ask HR how they coded her sick leave payments on their DE-9 quarterly forms to EDD. Sometimes the issue starts with incorrect employer reporting codes. 3. **Submit an expedited hardship request** with your appeal - Include documentation of overdue bills, low bank balances, and rent/utility notices to potentially cut wait time in half. 4. **Try the 1-800-300-5616 appeals line** - Sometimes has better connection rates than the main number. The good news is that these wrongful denials almost always get overturned once a human reviews the documentation. Make sure your appeal includes pay stubs, employer letter stating it was SICK PAY (not wages), and cite California Code of Regulations Title 22 Section 3302(s)-1. You've got this - don't let EDD's broken system defeat you!

This thread is absolutely invaluable! As a first-time parent who just had my baby 3 weeks ago, I'm so grateful I found this before making any decisions about my weekend catering job. I'm currently on PFL from my main office job and was considering picking up a few catering gigs to help with expenses, but after reading about Santiago's $2300 repayment and seeing how strict EDD is about ANY work during leave, I'm definitely not going to risk it. The system really is broken when they give you 60-70% income but penalize you for trying to survive on that reduced amount. Maria, thank you so much for calling EDD and sharing their response - it probably saved me and countless other parents from making costly mistakes. I'm also shocked that you had to use a paid service just to get through to them, but I'll definitely keep Claimyr in mind if I need to contact EDD about anything else. It's heartbreaking that new parents have to choose between financial stability and following confusing rules, but this community is amazing for helping us navigate these impossible situations together!

This thread has been such an eye-opener for me as someone who's currently 5 months pregnant and working both as a physical therapist at a clinic and doing home visits on the side. I had no idea these restrictions existed and was definitely planning to continue some home visits during PFL since it seemed like "different work" from my clinic job. Reading about Santiago's $2300 repayment and all the failed appeals is honestly terrifying - that's more than I'd make in several months of home visits! It's so backwards that EDD reduces our income but then punishes us for trying to survive financially. Maria, thank you for being brave enough to call EDD and share what they told you. Your experience with Claimyr is really valuable - I hate that we have to pay just to get basic information from our own government, but clearly it's worth it to avoid thousands in penalties. I'm definitely going to call them before I apply to get official guidance on my PT situation. This community is incredible for helping parents avoid these costly traps that EDD doesn't clearly explain upfront!