Applying for PFL right before baby turns 1 - will EDD pay for all 8 weeks?
First time mom here trying to figure out this whole EDD PFL timing thing! My situation is I want to save my baby bonding leave for later instead of using it right after birth. I'm planning to start my 8 weeks of PFL around September 6th, but my son will turn 1 on October 10th. So here's my confusion - if I apply that late, will EDD still pay me for the full 8 weeks of PFL benefits? Or will they just cut off my payments once he hits his first birthday and I lose those last 2 weeks? I know we have to use PFL within the first year, but does that mean the claim has to be COMPLETED before they turn 1, or just STARTED before they turn 1? Anyone deal with this timing issue before? Thanks in advance for any help!!
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Freya Andersen
You need to finish using all your PFL benefits before your child turns 1. The EDD won't pay for any days after your baby's first birthday. So if you start on September 6th, they'll only pay you through October 9th (about 4-5 weeks), not the full 8 weeks you're entitled to. I'd recommend starting your claim by mid-August at the latest to get your full 8 weeks of paid benefits.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Oh no!! That's not what I wanted to hear but thank you for being straight with me. So I'll only get paid for like 4.5 weeks instead of the full 8? That stinks! Do you know if there's any way to appeal this or get an extension? Or am I just out of luck on those other weeks?
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Omar Farouk
The claim ENDS when baby is 1. Period. I tried to do something similar and they straight up cut me off on my daughters bday. Don't wait!!!
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Ravi Choudhury
•Ugh that's so frustrating! I was trying to time it with my husband's schedule so we wouldn't have overlapping leave. Guess I need to rethink our whole plan now. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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CosmicCadet
To clarify the exact rule: According to the EDD PFL guidelines, all baby bonding benefits must be used within the first 12 months after the child's birth. Any unused portion that would extend beyond the child's first birthday is forfeited - you don't get to claim those weeks later. If you start on September 6, 2025, and your child turns 1 on October 10, 2025, you'll receive approximately 4.5 weeks of benefits instead of the full 8 weeks you're entitled to. The remaining 3.5 weeks would be forfeited. To receive your full 8 weeks of PFL benefits, you should start your claim no later than August 15, 2025 (8 weeks before October 10).
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Ravi Choudhury
•Thank you for that clear explanation! This honestly changes everything for our family planning. I definitely don't want to lose those benefits. Looks like I need to start my leave earlier than I wanted.
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Chloe Harris
This happened to my sister last year!!! The EDD completely STOPPED her payments on her son's birthday even though she still had like 3 weeks left of her claim. And when she called they basically said too bad so sad those weeks are GONE forever. The system is so unfair to parents!!!! They should at least give you a grace period or something. Those are YOUR BENEFITS that YOU earned!!!!!
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Diego Mendoza
•same thing happened to my coworker too. its ridiculous tbh. i get there has to be a cutoff but at least give people some warning? my coworker didnt even know until her payments just stopped coming.
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Anastasia Popova
I had this exact same issue last year! I wanted to use my PFL time strategically so I could be with my baby during a specific period, but I didn't realize how strict the cutoff was. If you want to talk to someone at EDD to confirm this (which I'd recommend), good luck getting through on their phone lines. It took me over 20 calls and being on hold for ages. I eventually used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD agent in about 10 minutes instead of spending hours calling and getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 The agent confirmed that PFL benefits cannot be paid for any days after the child's first birthday, even if you haven't used all 8 weeks. So definitely adjust your plans accordingly!
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Ravi Choudhury
•Thanks for the tip about Claimyr! I was dreading having to call EDD, especially after hearing horror stories about being on hold forever. I'll check them out. And yes, I'm definitely adjusting my plans now!
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Omar Farouk
•Is that service legit?? I need to call EDD about something completely different (transition from disability to PFL) and have been putting it off because I CANNOT spend 3 hours on hold with a screaming baby.
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Anastasia Popova
•Yes, it's legit! I was skeptical at first too but it saved me hours of frustration. The service just connects you with an actual EDD agent, so you're still dealing directly with EDD for all your personal info and claim details.
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Sean Flanagan
i think u can do intermitent leave instead of all 8 weeks at once? maybe do 4 weeks now and try to use the other 4 weeks before bday? not 100% sure but worth looking into
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CosmicCadet
•That's correct! PFL for baby bonding can be split into smaller increments, but you still need to finish using all increments before the child's first birthday. The minimum increment is 1 week unless your employer agrees to smaller periods. You would need to file separate claims for each increment of leave.
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Diego Mendoza
this whole system is so confusing lol. when i had my twins i thought i would get double the time because... you know... TWO babies? but nope same 8 weeks whether you have one kid or triplets makes no sense
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Ravi Choudhury
•Omg I never even thought about that! That does seem really unfair for parents of multiples. This whole system needs an overhaul.
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Chloe Harris
•They don't give you ANY extra time for multiples?!?! That's INSANE!! How are you supposed to bond with multiple babies in the same time as one?? This system is BROKEN!!
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Freya Andersen
Just to add one other option - if your employer offers additional baby bonding leave beyond what the state provides, that leave might have different rules about when it has to be used by. Worth checking your employee handbook or talking to HR!
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Ravi Choudhury
•That's a great point! My company does offer an additional 4 weeks of paid parental leave on top of state benefits. I need to check if their policy has the same 1-year cutoff or if it's more flexible. Maybe I could use the company leave first and then the state PFL? Thanks for the suggestion!
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Chanaii Hgmg
•@Freya Andersen and is that gonna be payed by the edd aswell?
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Ethan Taylor
•@Chanaii Hgmg No, employer-provided parental leave is separate from EDD benefits. The employer pays for their additional leave directly, not through EDD/state disability insurance. So if your company offers extra weeks beyond the state s'8 weeks of PFL, that s'coming out of the company s'pocket, not from your SDI contributions. You d'need to coordinate with both your employer and EDD to make sure you re'getting the maximum benefits from both sources without any overlap issues.
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