Can I apply for EDD PFL baby bonding right before my son turns one year old?

What did you end up doing? Were you able to get the benefits?

This ↑↑↑ Make sure you start before that birthday!! The EDD is VERY strict on this rule. I missed out on $3400 of benefits because I tried to start one day after my daughter's first birthday. They don't care if you apply before - the actual LEAVE has to start before. Still bitter about this!!

@Mei Wong yall please help me they stoped my claim because my kid turned 1

@Chanaii Hgmg I m'so sorry to hear your claim was stopped! Unfortunately, the PFL baby bonding leave does have a strict deadline - you must both apply for AND complete the leave before your child turns 1 year old. Once they hit their first birthday, eligibility ends immediately. At this point, you might want to: 1. Contact EDD directly to confirm if there are any appeal options though (this is unlikely since the age limit is statutory 2.) Check with your employer about any company-specific leave options that might still be available to you 3. Look into whether you qualify for any other types of leave like FMLA/CFRA if you need time off Did you already start your leave and then it got cut off mid-way? Or were you just applying when they denied it? Knowing exactly where in the process you were might help figure out if there s'any recourse.

If you're struggling to get through to EDD on the phone, try using Claimyr. It's a service that connects you directly to an EDD agent without the endless redial loop. Saved me from losing my mind during my maternity leave transition. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92Ay5?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2wM and their website is claimyr.com. I was skeptical at first but got through to an agent in 20 minutes after trying for days on my own.

Thank you so much for laying this out clearly! I'm definitely going to start my leave a week before his birthday just to be safe. Does the actual application have to be processed and approved before his birthday too, or just submitted? I'm worried about processing delays.

The key is when you BEGIN taking leave, not when your application is processed. Keep documentation showing your last day worked was before the birthday. EDD might take weeks to process your claim, but as long as your actual leave started before the birthday, you're eligible. Make sure your employer also documents this correctly on their end.

@Giovanni Greco where you got this info? please help they stoped my help claim(because) my kid turned 1

@Chanaii Hgmg I m'not Giovanni, but I can share what I know about this situation. Unfortunately, it sounds like you ve'run into the strict 1-year deadline that exists for PFL baby bonding benefits. From what I understand, both applying for AND taking the leave must happen before your child turns 1 year old. Since your benefits were stopped when your child turned 1, this confirms what many parents worry about - there really is a hard cutoff. You might want to: 1. File an appeal with EDD if you believe there was an error or if you had applied before the deadline 2. Call the PFL helpline 1-877-238-4373 (-) yes, it s'frustrating to get through, but keep trying different times of day 3. Reach out to a legal aid organization that specializes in employment benefits if you think there were special circumstances Did you have any documentation showing you applied before your child turned 1? That would be crucial for any appeal. I m'sorry you re'dealing with this stress - the system isn t'very forgiving with these deadlines.

This is an excellent point that often gets overlooked! PFL only provides wage replacement, not job protection. You need FMLA/CFRA coverage for that, and those have their own eligibility requirements (like working at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months and having 50+ employees within 75 miles). Talk to your HR about your specific situation!

congrats!! enjoy that precious time with your baby boy!

@Zoe Alexopoulos please help me bro they stoped my help because my kid turned 1 they only paid me 5 days and stoped because of my kid 1 birthday

@Chanaii Hgmg I m'so sorry this happened to you! It sounds like you did start your leave before your child s'1st birthday since they paid you for 5 days, but then had to stop when the birthday hit. Unfortunately, this is exactly how the system works - even if you start before the deadline, all PFL baby bonding benefits must end on the child s'1st birthday. Since you already received some payments, it shows EDD recognized you were eligible initially. You might want to call them to confirm if those 5 days were all you were entitled to given the timing, or if there was some other issue. The 1-year cutoff is really harsh, but it s'written into the law. I wish I had better news for you - this deadline has caught so many parents off guard. 😔

That's such great news @Zoe Alexopoulos! I'm so glad you were able to get through to EDD and get everything sorted out before the deadline. Your story is going to help so many other parents who might be in the same panic situation. Splitting the 8 weeks is such a smart move too - gives you flexibility for when you really need that bonding time. Enjoy every moment with your little one! 💙

@Keisha Brown this is really helpful advice! @Chanaii Hgmg I m new'here but I ve been'reading through this whole thread and my heart goes out to you. It definitely sounds like you should try the appeal process that Keisha mentioned. Even though the 1-year rule is tough, if there was any confusion about your start date or if EDD made an error in processing, you might still have options. The fact that they paid you for 5 days shows you were eligible initially, so there might be documentation issues or miscommunication that an appeal could address. Keep all your paperwork handy when you call - dates are going to be super important. Wishing you the best of luck getting this resolved!

@Chanaii Hgmg I m'really sorry you re'dealing with this situation! As someone new to this community, I ve'been reading through all the responses and it s'clear how frustrating this must be. The advice about filing an appeal sounds really important - especially since you did receive 5 days of benefits, which shows you were initially eligible. Have you been able to gather all your documentation showing when you actually started your leave? That could be crucial for an appeal. Also, if you re'having trouble getting through to EDD by phone, you might want to try their online contact forms or even visit a local office if there s'one near you. Sometimes in-person visits can be more effective than phone calls. Don t'give up - you deserve to have this reviewed properly!

@Chanaii Hgmg I m'new to this community but I ve'been following your situation throughout this thread and I really feel for what you re'going through. The advice about filing an appeal within 20 days is crucial - don t'let that deadline pass! Since you received 5 days of benefits, it proves you were eligible and started your leave properly. The issue seems to be with the hard cutoff at your child s'1st birthday. When you call for the appeal, emphasize that you followed all the rules by starting before the deadline, and ask them to review whether the full benefit period you re'entitled to should have been honored. Also, document everything - keep records of all your calls, any emails, and especially your original application dates. Sometimes these cases get resolved when you can show a clear timeline. You ve'got a community here rooting for you!

@Chanaii Hgmg I m'also new here but wanted to add my support after reading through everything. The appeal process that @Keisha Brown mentioned is definitely worth pursuing. Since you got those 5 days of benefits, it shows EDD acknowledged you started before the deadline - the question is whether they should have continued paying until you used your full 8 weeks or until the birthday cutoff, whichever came first. When you file your appeal, ask specifically about the benefit period "vs eligibility" period "- sometimes" there s confusion'about whether the 1-year rule cuts off eligibility entirely or just prevents NEW claims. You clearly had an existing valid claim. Don t give'up - bureaucratic mistakes happen and appeals exist for exactly these situations!

@Chanaii Hgmg I just joined this community and have been reading through your situation - I m'so sorry you re'dealing with this stress! Everyone s'advice about the appeal process is spot on. The fact that EDD paid you for 5 days is actually really important evidence that you did everything right initially. When you call for your appeal, make sure to ask them to clarify the exact reason for stopping your benefits. Was it because of the 1-year birthday cutoff, or was there some other issue? If it was just the birthday cutoff and you had already started your leave before that date, there might be room to argue that you should have been able to continue receiving benefits for whatever portion of the 8 weeks remained before the birthday. Also, keep trying to get through to a live person - I know it s'frustrating but persistence often pays off with EDD. Wishing you all the best with this appeal!

@Chanaii Hgmg I m'new to this community but your situation really caught my attention after reading through this whole thread. The appeal advice from @Keisha Brown is absolutely crucial - you definitely need to pursue that within the 20-day window if you haven t already.'Since you received 5 days of benefits, that s proof'positive that EDD recognized you started your leave before the 1-year deadline. The question for your appeal should be whether they correctly applied the cutoff rules. Sometimes there are misunderstandings about whether partial benefit periods should be honored. I d also'suggest when you call, ask to speak with a supervisor or specialist who handles PFL appeals specifically. Regular customer service reps sometimes don t have'the full picture on complex timing issues like yours. Document every conversation with names, dates, and reference numbers. You ve got'people here pulling for you - don t give'up on this!

@Paolo Conti Thank you for summarizing this so clearly! As someone new to this community, I found this thread incredibly eye-opening too. The strict deadline really seems to catch a lot of parents off guard, especially when you re'juggling everything that comes with a new baby. Your checklist is perfect - I m'bookmarking this for future reference. It s'also worth noting from reading through everyone s'experiences that calling EDD right at 8am seems to be the best strategy for actually getting through to someone. And definitely don t'wait until the last minute like some of us do! The job protection point that @Fatima Al-Farsi brought up is so important too - PFL only covers your paycheck, not your actual job security. It s a'lot to coordinate but threads like this make it so much more manageable. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences!

@Paolo Conti Exactly! This thread has been such a lifesaver for understanding the baby bonding PFL process. As a new community member, I m'amazed at how helpful everyone has been in breaking down these complex rules. One thing I d'add to your checklist is to also document everything with screenshots and emails - it seems like having a paper trail is crucial if you ever need to appeal or clarify dates later. The story from @Chanaii Hgmg really shows how important it is to have proof of when you actually started your leave. I m definitely'sharing this thread with other new parents in my area who might not know about these deadlines. The EDD website is so confusing, but getting real advice from people who ve been'through it makes all the difference!

@Paolo Conti This is such a helpful summary! As someone new to this community, I m'really grateful for threads like this that break down the PFL process in plain language. The strict 1-year deadline is definitely something I wish was more widely publicized - it seems like so many parents get caught off guard by it. I d'also add that it might be worth setting calendar reminders well in advance if you re'planning to use baby bonding leave. From reading everyone s'experiences, it seems like the earlier you can plan and submit your paperwork, the better. The stress of trying to rush through everything right before the deadline sounds overwhelming! Thanks to @Zoe Alexopoulos for sharing her successful outcome too - it s encouraging'to see that with the right timing and persistence, it can work out. And my heart goes out to @Chanaii Hgmg - I really hope the appeal process works out for you!

@Keisha Johnson Great question about intermittent leave scheduling! As a newcomer here too, I ve'been wondering the same thing. From what I ve'read in this thread, it sounds like employer approval is key for splitting up the 8 weeks - @Zoe Alexopoulos mentioned her company let her take 3 weeks initially and save 5 weeks for later in the year, which sounds like an ideal setup. I d'imagine you d'want to discuss this with HR early in the process when you re'filing your DE2508 form, so they can plan coverage and document the arrangement properly. The flexibility would be amazing for managing childcare and work demands throughout that first year! Also wanted to say how helpful this thread has been for learning about all the nuances of PFL baby bonding - the real experiences shared here are so much more valuable than trying to decode the official EDD guidelines alone!

@Keisha Johnson That s'such a smart question to ask while you re'still planning ahead! From what I ve'seen in other threads, intermittent bonding leave coordination really depends on your specific employer s'policies. Some are super flexible and let you give shorter notice like (a few weeks ,)while others want the full schedule mapped out when you submit your initial paperwork. I d'suggest having a conversation with your HR department early - maybe around your 3rd trimester - to understand their specific requirements. Some employers are great about letting you adjust dates as needed especially (if baby arrives early/late ,)while others are more rigid. The key seems to be getting any intermittent arrangement documented properly so both EDD and your employer are on the same page about your planned leave schedule. Congrats on your pregnancy! It sounds like you re'being super proactive about planning, which is exactly what this thread shows is so important for navigating the PFL system successfully.