CA PFL Refund Received - What's Your Experience with EDD PFL Process?
Hey everyone, I just got a refund for my Paid Family Leave application in California. Has anyone else gone through this process? What was your experience like? I'm curious about what issues people have faced with PFL and how long it typically takes to get approved.
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Yara Haddad
I applied for PFL last month and it was a nightmare! Took forever to get approved and then they said I made a mistake on my application. Had to start all over again. 😤 Anyone else have issues with the application process?
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Keisha Robinson
•Same here! The forms are so confusing. I swear they make it complicated on purpose 🙄
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Paolo Conti
•Pro tip: call your doctor's office and ask them to double-check everything before you submit. Saved me a ton of headaches!
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Yara Haddad
•Thanks for the tip! Wish I'd known that before. Guess I'll try that next time... if there is a next time lol
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Amina Sow
I found a way to actually get someone on the phone at EDD. I used this site's (claimyr.com) calling tool that dials the phone menu, stays on hold, waits for a live agent to pick up, then sends the call to my phone. It does cost $20, but it works. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM
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GalaxyGazer
•Sounds too good to be true. Has anyone else tried this?
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Oliver Wagner
•$20 just to talk to someone? That's ridiculous. The system is so broken 🤦♂️
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Amina Sow
•I know it sounds crazy, but it seriously saved me hours of frustration. Worth every penny imo
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Can you give more details about how it works? Do they guarantee you'll get through?
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Amina Sow
•Yeah, so basically you choose the number you want to call on their website, pay the fee, and they start calling right away. They use some tech to navigate the phone tree and wait on hold. When a real person picks up, they forward the call to your phone. No guarantee, but it worked for me!
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Javier Mendoza
Okay, here's the deal with California PFL (I've been through this rodeo a few times): 1. Make sure you have all your docs ready before applying. This includes medical certification from your doctor. 2. Double-check EVERYTHING on your application. One small error can set you back weeks. 3. If possible, apply online. It's generally faster than paper applications. 4. Keep a record of when you applied and any communication you have with EDD. 5. Be prepared to wait. Processing times can vary, but it's usually 2-3 weeks if everything goes smoothly. 6. If you haven't heard anything after 3 weeks, start trying to contact them. 7. Remember, PFL is capped at 8 weeks total. Hope this helps someone! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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Emma Thompson
•This is gold! 💯 Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Malik Davis
•Quick question - do you know if the 8 weeks have to be taken consecutively?
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Javier Mendoza
•Good question! The 8 weeks don't have to be consecutive. You can break them up as needed within a 12-month period.
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Isabella Santos
ugh im so tired of dealing with edd. been trying to get my pfl sorted for 2 months now. feels like im just shouting into the void 😫
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StarStrider
Has anyone successfully appealed a denial? I got denied and I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle to appeal.
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Ravi Gupta
•I appealed and won! It took about 6 weeks, but it was def worth it. Make sure you have all your documentation in order tho
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StarStrider
•That's encouraging! Did you use a lawyer or handle it yourself?
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Ravi Gupta
•Did it myself. Just made sure to provide tons of evidence and a clear explanation. You got this! 💪
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Freya Pedersen
PSA: If your employer offers supplemental PFL, make sure to coordinate with them! You might be able to get more than the state benefit.
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Omar Hassan
•Wait, what? I've never heard of this. Can you explain more?
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Freya Pedersen
•Sure! Some companies offer additional paid leave on top of the state PFL. It's not required, but it's worth checking your employee handbook or talking to HR.
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Omar Hassan
•Mind. Blown. 🤯 Gonna check this out asap. Thanks for the tip!
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Chloe Anderson
Anyone else feel like the whole system is designed to make us give up? It's like they're playing 4D chess and we're playing checkers 🙃
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Diego Vargas
•Preach! 🙌 I swear they make it confusing on purpose
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CosmicCruiser
•Nah, never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence. The system's just old and underfunded.
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Chloe Anderson
•Maybe, but it sure FEELS malicious when youre stuck in bureaucratic hell lol
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Natasha Orlova
I'm going through the PFL process right now and honestly feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the horror stories! 😅 But reading through everyone's experiences here is actually super helpful. Quick question - for those who got approved eventually, what was the one thing you wish you'd known before starting the application? Trying to avoid the common pitfalls if possible!
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