Can husband start baby bonding PFL before claim approval? Worried about retroactive payments

Yes! You absolutely CAN start your baby bonding before the claim is approved. EDD will pay you retroactively from your claim start date. That's what I did with both my kids. The key is making sure your employer knows your official start date and that your DE2508 form lists the correct first day of leave. Just save ALL your documentation and make sure your claim start date matches when you actually began missing work. The only real risk is if somehow your claim gets denied (pretty rare for baby bonding if paperwork is correct), then you'd have taken unpaid time. But in my experience, as long as you qualified for SDI or PFL in the base period and your docs are in order, you should be fine starting before approval.

my husband did this last yr & got paid for all the days once approved but the EDD website was super confusing while waiting. it kept saying "pending" with no other info for like 5 weeks ugh

WAIT! Make sure your employer is actually OK with you taking leave before approval!! Some companies have policies that they won't approve your leave until EDD confirms your claim. My husband almost got marked as AWOL because of this stupid technicality. Double check your company's specific leave policy on this because every employer handles it differently.

I'd recommend calling EDD directly before starting your leave. There are specific timing requirements for baby bonding that differ from pregnancy disability. Since your child is already 3 months old, you need to ensure you take all 8 weeks within the first year of birth. Also, EDD sometimes has questions about the DE2508 form that can delay processing. The good news is that yes, they will pay retroactively from your official start date. Just make sure that date is clearly indicated on your claim forms. I've helped many employees navigate this process. If you're having trouble reaching EDD (which is common), check out Claimyr.com - they have a service that helps connect you with an EDD agent quickly. They have a video demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Getting your questions answered directly by EDD before starting leave can save a lot of stress.

jst remmbr that if u start leave b4 approval, u gotta certify for those weeks properly once ur online account is set up. my husband almost lost 2 weeks of pay bc he didnt realize he had to go back and certify for time he already took off. the system is confusing af

I'm actually going through this exact situation right now!!! Started my baby bonding 3 weeks ago while my claim is still processing. It's definitely nerve-wracking not having that money coming in yet, but from everything I've read and been told, EDD will backpay from the start date on your claim form. The most stressful part is just the waiting and uncertainty. I keep checking my claim status online like 5 times a day even though I know it won't change. My advice is make sure you have some savings to float you during the processing time because it really could be 6+ weeks before you see a penny. One question - has your employer already processed all your paperwork? Mine required me to go through our third-party leave administrator before they would approve my time off, which added even MORE time to the process.

My sister's husband had a similar situation last year and ended up waiting almost TWO MONTHS for his baby bonding claim to process! But he did eventually get all the back pay. The thing is, EDD is painfully slow with everything these days. If you can financially handle the wait for reimbursement, starting your leave before approval is totally fine. Just document EVERYTHING.

Just want to add something else - make sure you understand how your health insurance will be handled during leave! Some employers require you to pay your portion of premiums directly while on PFL since it's not coming out of your paycheck. We almost had our coverage lapse because of this stupid detail no one told us about.

One last tip - once your claim is approved and you start receiving payments, double-check the benefit calculation. EDD sometimes calculates the weekly benefit amount incorrectly. It should be approximately 60-70% of your average weekly wages during your highest-earning quarter in the base period (the 5-18 months before your claim started). If it seems low, don't hesitate to contact them to verify the calculation.

Hey Paolo! I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago with my daughter. Started my bonding leave while my claim was still pending and it worked out perfectly - got all the retroactive pay once approved. A few things that really helped me: 1) Keep detailed records of every day you're off work, 2) Screenshot your claim submission confirmation, and 3) Don't panic if your online portal shows "pending" for weeks - that's totally normal. The hardest part is honestly just the financial stress of waiting for that first payment. But once it comes through, you'll get a lump sum for all those back weeks. In my case, I started leave on a Monday and got my first payment about 5 weeks later covering everything from day one. Also - since your baby is 3 months old, you're still well within the window (you have until they turn 1), so no worries there. Just make sure your start date on the DE2508 matches when you actually begin missing work days. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to chime in as another dad who did exactly this! Started my 8-week baby bonding leave while my claim was still processing and it worked out great. Got the full retroactive payment about 6 weeks later. One thing I'd add that I don't see mentioned yet - when you do start your leave, make sure you're completely OFF work on those days. Don't check emails, don't take any calls, don't do ANY work tasks even from home. EDD can be really strict about this if they audit your claim later. I know it's tempting to stay connected, especially as a first-time dad wanting to prove you're still committed to work, but it could jeopardize your benefits. Also, once your claim is approved, you'll need to certify every two weeks. Set up those calendar reminders now because if you miss a certification deadline, it can delay your payments even more. The certification window is pretty narrow. Sounds like you're being smart about getting all your ducks in a row first. Your little one is lucky to have such a thoughtful dad! Those bonding weeks are absolutely precious - don't let EDD stress steal that joy from you.

Hey Paolo! As a fellow new parent who just navigated this process, I wanted to share my experience. I started my bonding leave 3 weeks before my PFL claim was approved and it worked out perfectly - got all the retroactive pay in one lump sum once everything went through. A couple things that really saved me stress: First, I kept a simple log of every single day I was off (even just dates in my phone notes worked). Second, I made sure my employer's HR department had clear documentation about my intended start date matching what I put on the DE2508 form. The waiting period is definitely anxiety-inducing, especially when you're trying to balance new parent finances, but EDD does honor that retroactive payment from your official start date. In my case it took about 6 weeks total to see the first payment, but once it hit, it covered everything from day one. One small thing - when you do start your leave, resist any urge to "just quickly" check work emails or take calls. EDD can be surprisingly strict about you being completely off work during claimed days. Good luck with everything, and enjoy those precious bonding weeks with your little one!