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. 😔