btw if u already had a disability claim for pregnancy before ur baby bonding claim they sometimes dont send a new card. they just load the money on ur old one. happened to me and i kept waiting for a new card but the $ was already on my old card lol

I just went through this exact same situation in February! The debit card message had me so confused too. Here's what I learned from my experience: The automated system mentions the debit card for EVERYONE who calls about PFL, regardless of approval status. It's super misleading! What actually happened with my claim: - Week 1-3: Called daily, heard debit card message, got my hopes up - Week 4: Finally got through to a rep who told me my claim was still "under review" - Week 5: Randomly checked my online account and saw the first payment had been processed! - Week 6: Debit card arrived in mail So the timeline can vary a lot. Since you found that letter asking for your baby's birth certificate, that's probably what's been holding things up. Once you upload that document, you should see movement within 5-10 business days. The good news is that when it does get approved, you'll get all the back pay from when you first filed. Keep checking your SDI Online account daily - that's where you'll see the payment show up first before any card arrives. Hang in there!

This thread is such a treasure trove of information! I'm 35 weeks pregnant and work in healthcare, so I've been trying to plan for every possible scenario with my maternity leave timing. Reading through everyone's experiences has really helped clarify things that the official EDD materials make sound so complicated. What I love about this discussion is how it shows that these holiday/early delivery situations are actually pretty common and manageable once you understand the basics. @Summer Green, your question was perfect because it covered exactly the kind of real-world complexity that so many of us face! The consistent advice from everyone about using your actual medical disability start date (regardless of employer pay) makes total sense now. And @Gael Robinson's point about the two payment systems being separate but coordinated really clicked for me - I was also thinking I'd have to choose between them somehow. I'm definitely implementing the wage tracking system that @Owen Jenkins and others mentioned. Even though I'm not there yet, I can already see how having those amounts organized would make the bi-weekly certifications so much less stressful when you're dealing with a newborn. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been incredibly helpful for understanding how these benefits actually work in practice rather than just in theory! Congratulations @Summer Green on your little one! 🎉👶

This entire thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm 30 weeks pregnant and due in mid-March, but after reading everyone's experiences here, I feel so much more prepared for whatever timing surprises my baby might have in store. @Summer Green, first off - huge congratulations on your little one! 🎉 Your question was absolutely perfect because it addressed such a common real-world scenario that the official EDD materials don't really explain clearly. The fact that your baby arrived on your last work day before the holidays is like the ultimate test case for how these benefits work! What really clicked for me reading through all the responses is @Gael Robinson's explanation that SDI and employer holiday pay are two completely separate systems that just coordinate with each other. I had been stressing about having to "choose" between them somehow, but now I understand you can receive both - EDD just adjusts your benefit amount based on what wages you report. The wage tracking advice from @Owen Jenkins and others is brilliant and something I'm implementing right now. Even though I'm still weeks away from potentially needing it, I can already see how having those amounts organized would make the certification process so much smoother when you're sleep-deprived with a newborn. I also really appreciated @Liam Murphy's HR perspective - it's reassuring to know that employers actually prefer transparency in these situations rather than employees trying to game the system somehow. This community is amazing for getting real-world guidance that goes way beyond what you can find in official materials. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is definitely getting bookmarked for future reference! 💕

Just joined this community after dealing with the exact same "system exception" error for my PFL claim! I've been stuck with this frustrating message for about 2 weeks now and was starting to panic that something was seriously wrong with my application. Reading through all these experiences has been such a huge relief - I had no idea this was affecting so many other new parents. I'm definitely going to try that automated phone system at 1-800-300-5616 that @Zainab mentioned first thing tomorrow morning. It sounds like that's been the most reliable way for people to at least confirm their claim status exists while this whole online system is broken. It's absolutely maddening that we have to deal with this technical nightmare when we're already sleep-deprived and stressed about caring for a newborn. The fact that so many families are stuck in this same broken system mess is just unacceptable. Thank you everyone for sharing your workarounds and solutions - this community support has been a real lifeline during this whole ordeal!

Just found this community while desperately searching for solutions to this exact same "system exception" error! I've been stuck with this message for my PFL claim for almost 2 weeks now and was starting to think I had somehow broken my application. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - I genuinely had no idea this was a widespread issue affecting so many new parents. I'm definitely going to try that automated phone system at 1-800-300-5616 that @Zainab mentioned first thing tomorrow morning. It sounds like that's been the most reliable workaround for people to at least confirm their claim status while the online system is completely broken. It's absolutely insane that we have to deal with this technical nightmare when we're already exhausted from caring for a newborn and really need this financial support to come through. The fact that EDD's system is this broken during such a critical time for families is just unacceptable. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and experiences - finding this community has honestly been a lifesaver during this whole mess!

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare! I had almost the exact same experience with my PFL claim when my daughter was born last year. The SDI to PFL transition is definitely a major problem area in their system - my claim got stuck for 6 weeks because the systems didn't communicate properly. What finally worked for me was calling at exactly 8:00 AM on a Thursday (I tried Tuesday and Wednesday with no luck, but Thursday seemed to have shorter wait times). I got through after about 50 minutes and the representative found that my SDI claim hadn't been properly closed out, which was preventing my PFL from processing. She fixed it right there on the call and I had my first payment within 3 days. A few things that helped: - Call from a landline if you have one - I swear the call quality was better and I didn't get dropped - Have your baby's birth certificate number ready (not just the date) - Ask specifically about your "claim transition status" between SDI and PFL - If they say everything looks fine, ask them to manually refresh both claims in their system The financial stress with a newborn is absolutely brutal. If the calling doesn't work this week, definitely contact your assembly member's office - I wish I had known about that option sooner. You've got this, mama! Don't let EDD's broken system make you feel like you're asking for something you don't deserve. 💪

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and reading all these comments has been both reassuring and frustrating! My baby is 5 weeks old and I've been waiting almost a month for my PFL benefits after transitioning from SDI. Based on everything I've read here, I'm convinced the SDI to PFL transition is where most of our claims are getting stuck. It's absolutely ridiculous that EDD's systems can't handle what should be an automatic process, especially when we're already dealing with the stress and financial pressure of having a newborn. I'm definitely going to try the 8am calling strategy this week - it sounds like Tuesday through Thursday are the best days to try. The tip about having the birth certificate number ready (not just the date) is really helpful, and I'm going to write down that phrase about asking for "claim transition status" between SDI and PFL. If anyone has any other specific questions or phrases that worked when they finally got through to a representative, please share! It's clear that knowing exactly what to ask for makes a huge difference in getting our claims resolved quickly. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences - this community support has been invaluable when the official EDD resources have been completely useless. We shouldn't have to become experts at navigating broken bureaucracy just to get benefits we've already paid into! 🤞💪

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I literally just went through this transition last month! My PDL weekly benefit was $687 and my PFL baby bonding ended up being the exact same amount - $687. So the comments about them being calculated the same way are spot on in my case. One thing that really helped me was calling EDD about 2 weeks before my estimated due date to get the PDL claim started early. They can begin processing it even before you actually go on leave, which helped avoid any payment delays. And definitely second the advice about the DE 4P form - I submitted it with my initial claim and had 10% withheld automatically. Made tax time so much easier! Also, pro tip: keep screenshots of all your EDD online account pages showing payment amounts and dates. The 1099-G they send can sometimes have errors, and having your own records makes it easier to catch and fix any mistakes. Good luck mama! 🍼

Hey Zadie! Congrats on your pregnancy! 🎉 I just wanted to add something that might help with your planning - when you're calculating your budget, remember that the 60-70% benefit amount is based on your highest quarter earnings in your base period, not necessarily your most recent salary. So if you got a raise recently, your benefit might be slightly lower than expected. Also, I noticed someone mentioned the waiting week gets paid at the end - that's actually not entirely accurate anymore. As of recent changes, the 7-day waiting period for PDL is truly unpaid and won't be reimbursed later. Just wanted to clarify so you can budget accordingly! One last thing - if you're planning to breastfeed, you might also want to look into whether your employer is required to provide break time and a private space for pumping when you return to work. California has pretty strong protections for nursing mothers that can help with your transition back. Best of luck with everything! 💕