Can self-employed contractors qualify for EDD PFL maternity benefits?

Yes, you can qualify for PFL maternity benefits as a self-employed person through EDD's Elective Coverage program! But there are some important things to know:\n\n1. You need to enroll in the Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (DIEC) program first\n2. There's a 2-year commitment with quarterly payments\n3. There's a waiting period - you must be enrolled for at least 6 months before filing a claim\n\nSince you're already 8 weeks pregnant, it might be too late for this pregnancy if you haven't already enrolled, since benefits wouldn't kick in until you've been in the program for 6+ months. But definitely worth checking with EDD directly to confirm timelines for your specific situation.

Thank you SO much for this info! I had no idea about the 6 month waiting period 😭 That's definitely going to be a problem since I'm due in August. Do you know if there's any way to get that waived or expedited? Or am I just completely out of luck for this pregnancy?

congrats on the baby!! i was in a similar situation last year. the elective coverage costs about 3% of your income & you have to pay quarterly. But like the other person said theres that waiting period which is a huge bummer if your already pregnant

Thanks! Did you end up signing up for it anyway for future coverage? I'm trying to figure out if it's still worth doing even if I can't use it for this pregnancy. Also wondering if there are any other programs I should look into since EDD seems like it won't work out timing-wise.

I tried dealing with EDD for my maternity leave when I was a freelancer and it was a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE!! First they told me I qualified, then after I paid into the system for 4 months they said I didn't because my business wasn't structured properly (I was a sole proprietor). Then I couldn't even get someone on the phone to explain what happened to the money I already paid in!!!\n\nDo yourself a favor and just save up as much as you can before the baby comes. The system is BROKEN and not designed for people like us. If your partner has good benefits, see if they offer anything for family leave. Or check if your clients might be willing to work with you on a reduced schedule with guaranteed hours after baby comes. That worked better for me than dealing with the EDD bureaucracy.

Wow that sounds terrible! Did you ever get your money back from what you paid in?

NOPE! They said it was \

There's some misinformation in this thread, so I want to clarify a few points about EDD Elective Coverage for self-employed people:\n\n1. You need to apply for the DIEC program using form DE 1378N\n2. You must have been a CA resident for at least 2 years \n3. The 6-month waiting period is indeed required before benefits can be claimed\n4. You need to commit to at least 2 years of participation\n5. The contribution rate is set by EDD (currently around 3-3.5% of your profit)\n\nOnce enrolled, you're eligible for both State Disability Insurance (SDI) for pregnancy disability (up to 4 weeks before birth and 6-8 weeks after) AND Paid Family Leave (PFL) for bonding (up to 8 weeks).\n\nFor your current pregnancy, you should also check these alternatives:\n- State-sponsored Paid Leave program (if available in your area)\n- Short-term disability insurance policies (some accept new pregnancies)\n- Check if you've paid into SDI through any W-2 work in the last 18 months\n\nDocument everything and keep detailed records of all communications with EDD.

This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I'll look into the Paid Leave program and short-term disability options. I did have some W-2 income about 14 months ago when I briefly took a part-time position with another company. It wasn't much, but maybe that could help with qualification? I'll definitely start the DIEC application process regardless, so I'm covered for any future pregnancies or medical issues.

If you had W-2 income with SDI deductions in the past 18 months, you might qualify for some benefits! Check your paystubs - look for the \

I was in ur exact situation in 2023! Pregnant and self-employed. What people arent telling you is you need to call EDD directly to get accurate info because the rules change all the time and the website is never updated. but goodluck getting through to a real person!!! I tried for 3 weeks straight and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours only to get cut off. it was beyond frustrating especially with pregnancy hormones lol

I had the same problem trying to call EDD last month about my PFL claim! After wasting days trying to get through, I found this service called Claimyr that connected me to an EDD rep in under 20 minutes. It was such a relief after all the frustration of calling directly. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and their website is claimyr.com. Definitely worth checking out if you need to talk to a real person at EDD without the endless hold times.

omg why didnt i know about this before?! definitely saving this for next time i need to call them. did they have good info about self-employed coverage?

Yes! The EDD rep I talked to through Claimyr was actually super knowledgeable about the Elective Coverage program. She walked me through all the requirements and even emailed me the forms I needed. Made such a difference talking to someone who actually knew what they were doing.

soo i just remembered another thing to look into - if you file taxes with a 1099, you should check with your client companies. some bigger companies actually have benefits for their regular contractors even if your not an employee. my friend got 6 weeks paid thru her main client even tho she was 1099. worth asking!!

That's a great idea! The agency I work with most frequently is pretty large, so maybe they have something available. I'll definitely reach out to my contact there. Thanks!

Have you looked into disability insurance? I'm self employed too and i have a private disability policy that covered part of my maternity leave. it was more expensive than the state program but at least i got something when i had my baby. might be worth checking but some have pregnancy exclusions if you get it while pregnant.

I haven't looked into private disability insurance yet. Do you remember which company you used? Did they cover the full time you were off work or just the recovery period?

I used Aflac but there are lots of companies. They only covered 6 weeks for vaginal delivery and 8 weeks for c-section. It's considered disability from birth not the whole leave. It paid out about 60% of my income for those weeks. You should talk to an insurance broker who can explain all the options!

One more important point about EDD and self-employment: make sure you're truly independent and not misclassified as a contractor when you should be an employee. California has strict ABC test rules under AB5 legislation. \n\nIf you're working regularly for the same company, using their equipment, following their schedules, and doing work that's central to their business, you might actually qualify as an employee under CA law. In that case, you should be getting SDI and PFL contributions paid on your behalf.\n\nIt might be worth a consultation with an employment attorney to review your situation. Sometimes companies misclassify workers to avoid paying benefits and taxes. If this applies to you, you could file for reclassification and potentially qualify for regular SDI/PFL benefits.

That's a really interesting point. I set my own hours and use my own equipment, but I do work almost exclusively for this one agency. I'll definitely look into the ABC test criteria - thank you for bringing this up! I wonder if requesting reclassification would damage my relationship with them though...

It's a delicate situation for sure. You could approach it as a collaborative conversation rather than a demand - something like \

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I went through something similar two years ago as a freelance graphic designer. Here's what I learned that might help: Since you're already 8 weeks along, the EDD Elective Coverage won't work for this pregnancy due to the 6-month waiting period. BUT - definitely still apply for it now for future coverage. It's been a lifesaver for me since then for other medical issues. A few other things to explore immediately: - Contact your local Women, Infants & Children (WIC) office - they sometimes have resources or can point you to emergency assistance programs - Look into California's State Disability Insurance if you've had ANY W-2 income in the past 5 quarters (even part-time work counts) - Check if you qualify for Medi-Cal pregnancy coverage - income limits are higher when you're pregnant - Some counties have their own paid leave pilot programs that might have different eligibility Also, start documenting everything about your work arrangement NOW. Keep all contracts, invoices, emails about work expectations. As others mentioned, if there's any chance you're misclassified, that could open up regular SDI/PFL benefits. Don't panic - there are more options than it seems at first! Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more about navigating this as a freelancer.