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!

I went through this exact same situation last year! You definitely don't need to file a new claim. Here's what worked for me: I called the PFL line directly (1-877-238-4373) early in the morning around 8:05 AM and got through after about 45 minutes on hold. Just tell them you want to continue your existing baby bonding claim for the same child. They'll ask for your claim number and verify some details, then they can reactivate it over the phone. The whole process took maybe 10 minutes once I got an agent. No waiting period since it's a continuation of the same claim period. Make sure you have your original claim documents handy when you call!

I'm in a similar situation with my son who was born in February. I used 4 weeks initially and now want to use my remaining 4 weeks before he turns 1. From what I've read in this thread, it sounds like calling that PFL number at 8:05 AM is the way to go. @Victoria Jones your advice about having the claim documents ready is really helpful! I'm curious though - for those who have done this successfully, how far in advance should I call to reactivate? I'm planning to take my remaining time in about a month and want to make sure everything is processed in time.

Just wanted to add my experience from earlier this year - I was in almost the exact same situation! Used 6 weeks for bonding with my daughter, went back to work for a few months, then wanted to use my remaining 2 weeks. I followed @Victoria Jones advice and called the PFL line at 1-877-238-4373 right at 8:05 AM and got through after about 30 minutes on hold. The agent was super helpful and reactivated my claim in just a few minutes. They did ask me for approximate dates when I wanted to take the remaining time, but they said I could always adjust those dates later by calling back or certifying differently. The key thing they emphasized was making sure I was clear it was for the same child and bonding period. My first payment after reactivation came through normally with no issues - took about 5 days just like my original claim. Definitely call at least 3 weeks before you want to start your leave though, just to be safe with processing time!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just wanted to share that I called the PFL number (1-877-238-4373) this morning at 8:05 AM following @Victoria Jones and @Jacinda Yu's advice and got through after about 40 minutes on hold. The agent was really helpful and confirmed that you absolutely do NOT need to file a new claim - they can reactivate your existing baby bonding claim for the same child. They asked for my claim number (which I found in my EDD online account under "Claim History"), verified my info, and reactivated it in literally 5 minutes. They did ask for approximate dates when I want to take my remaining weeks, but said I can always call back to adjust if my work schedule changes. The agent also confirmed there's no waiting period since it's a continuation of the same bonding period. Really glad I found this thread - saved me so much confusion! For anyone planning to call, definitely have your original claim documents and claim number ready, and try that 8:05 AM timing. It really does seem to make a difference in wait times.

This thread has been SO helpful! I'm in the exact same boat - took 6 weeks of bonding leave when my son was born in February, went back to work for a project, and now want to use my remaining 2 weeks before his first birthday. Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to try calling 1-877-238-4373 tomorrow morning at 8:05 AM sharp with my claim number and documents ready. It's such a relief to hear from multiple people that this actually works and doesn't require filing a new claim. @Victoria Jones @Jacinda Yu @Alejandro Castro thank you all for sharing your experiences! One quick question - for those who successfully reactivated, did you notice any difference in how the weekly certifications worked compared to your original claim, or was the process exactly the same once reactivated?