Can I restart my partially used EDD PFL baby bonding claim after returning to work?

u dont make a new claim. log into ur edd account and look for 'reactivate claim' or something like that. i did this last yr when i split my bonding time into 2 parts. no waiting period for baby bonding!

Thanks! I'm logged in now but don't see any 'reactivate claim' option anywhere. Did you have to call them to set it up?

You need to submit a \

This is totally wrong. There is NO DE2575C-V form for baby bonding PFL. That's for disability. For PFL you just call them directly and tell them you want to reactivate your claim. The system is horrible and makes no sense!!!!

You're right, I apologize for the confusion. The DE2575C-V is for disability claims. For PFL baby bonding, you would need to submit a new Claim for Paid Family Leave (DE2501F) form and indicate it's for the same bonding period/child.

I split my baby bonding leave into three segments earlier this year. Here's exactly what you need to do:\n\n1. Log into your EDD account\n2. Go to \

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I didn't realize I could just message them through the portal. Do you remember how long it took them to respond to your message? I'm trying to plan this about 3 weeks in advance.

I tried doing this last year and it was a NIGHTMARE. Sent messages through the portal that nobody ever responded to. Tried calling for WEEKS and could never get through. Eventually had to give up and just go back to work because I couldn't afford to wait any longer without pay. The system is completely broken. Good luck.

I had trouble reaching them too until I used Claimyr. It got me connected to an EDD agent in about 25 minutes after trying for days on my own. Saved me so much frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and their website is claimyr.com. Worth it when you're desperate to actually talk to someone who can help.

Thanks for the tip! I'll give the portal messages and regular phone line a try first, but good to know there's a backup option if I can't get through.

My sister is going through this right now! She said the key thing is that you HAVE to specify it's for the same child and bonding period as your original claim. If you don't make that clear, they might try to process it as a new claim which will cause delays or get denied. Also make sure you're still within your 12-month eligibility window from the birth.

That's a really good point about specifying it's the same child. I'll definitely make that clear in my message. And yes, we're still within the 12-month window - she was born in January 2025 and it's now June, so we have plenty of time left.

Does anyone else think it's RIDICULOUS that there's no clear way to do this on their website??? Like why not just have a button that says \

Omg yes!! When I did my maternity leave I ended up in tears like 3 different times just trying to figure out how to file properly. And then when my payment was late I couldn't even get anyone on the phone to tell me why. The whole system needs to be rebuilt from scratch.

It really is frustrating. You'd think with all the technology available today, they could make a user-friendly system. I work in software development and this would not be that complicated to implement!

When you do get your claim reactivated, be prepared for potential payment delays. It took them almost 3 weeks to process my continuation payment last year, even though regular certifications were paying out in 3-4 days. I'd recommend having some savings to cover the gap if possible. They'll backpay you eventually, but it can take time.

That's really good to know, thank you. I'll make sure to have some extra savings set aside to cover that potential gap. Did you ever figure out why it took so much longer?

Just a reminder that if your employer requires you to use vacation/PTO while on leave, make sure to coordinate the dates with your HR department as well. Some companies have policies about how you can split up PFL time. My company required at least 2-week chunks when taking intermittent bonding leave.

That's a good point - I'll double check with HR. I think they just require a one-week minimum for PFL, but I should confirm their policy on splitting it up. Thanks!