I feel your pain!!! We just went through this with my wife's claim. She had pregnancy disability then tried to transition to baby bonding. Took FOREVER and we nearly drained our savings waiting. The ONLY thing that worked was having my wife's mother (who works for the county) contact someone she knows at EDD directly. Regular people like us just get ignored. The system is totally rigged against normal families.

This is absolutely unacceptable! I'm dealing with something similar - submitted my baby bonding claim by mail 6 weeks ago and have heard nothing. What's really frustrating is that EDD doesn't even have a proper tracking system for mailed applications. You send important documents into a black hole and just have to hope for the best. I've started keeping a detailed log of every attempt to contact them because at this point I'm wondering if I'll need to file a complaint with the state. The fact that people are waiting 2+ months for basic communication about claims that should be processed within weeks is ridiculous. Has anyone had success reaching out to the governor's office or filing complaints with other state agencies? This system is failing California families when we need support the most.

Have you tried reaching out to your local representative? Sometimes they can help push things along with EDD.

idk if this helps but I had a similar issue and it turned out there was a flag on my account for potential identity verification. Might be worth asking about that when you do get through.

Just a quick follow-up on my earlier comment - one strategy to consider if you do get a job offer now: be upfront with the employer about your pregnancy after receiving the offer (not during interviews). Some employers might be willing to let you start, work for a few weeks, take leave for birth, and then return. Many employers would prefer this over restarting their search, especially if they like you as a candidate. You could potentially negotiate a modified onboarding plan that acknowledges your upcoming leave. This doesn't work in all fields or with all employers, but it might be worth considering.

I'm going through a very similar situation right now - 26 weeks pregnant and have been job searching since my unemployment ran out. The stress is real! One thing I learned from my sister who went through this last year is that you might want to check if your state has any temporary disability programs through other agencies while you're figuring out the EDD maze. Also, have you looked into any local pregnancy resource centers? Some of them have emergency financial assistance programs or can connect you with other support services while you're navigating this transition. I found one near me that helped with some bills while I was waiting for benefits to process. The timing is so hard because you need income NOW but also need to plan for maternity leave. Sending you lots of support - this system shouldn't be so complicated when we're already dealing with pregnancy stress!

I'm in the same boat, filed 3 weeks ago and still nothing. This is ridiculous. How are we supposed to pay bills?? 😡

PSA: If your claim isn't showing up online, it might be flagged for identity verification. Keep an eye out for any letters in the mail asking for additional documents.

@f5ca75619235 I can confirm what others said about Claimyr - you only pay after they successfully connect you to EDD. When I used it for my PFL claim a few months ago, the fee was $20 and honestly it was the best money I spent during that whole ordeal. The service connected me within 45 minutes and the EDD rep was able to resolve my issue immediately. Just have all your documents scanned and ready to upload before calling, because you want to take full advantage of that precious time with an actual human! Also keep your confirmation numbers from any uploads - the reps can see those in their system. Six weeks is way too long for a disability claim, especially when you need that income. Really hope Claimyr works for you too!

This entire thread is so eye-opening! I'm dealing with a similar SSN verification request for my PFL claim and was getting nowhere with EDD's phone system. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the combination of uploading ALL possible documents (SS card, ID, birth certificate, paystub) AND using a service like Claimyr to actually reach a human is the winning strategy. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay third parties to access our own state benefits, but if it works, it works. @d0ee615c27d1 thank you for posting that detailed update - it gives me hope that this nightmare can actually be resolved! Going to gather all my documents and try Claimyr this week.