Confused about timing: Apply for PFL now after C-section or wait until disability ends?

u can apply for pfl like a week b4 ur disability ends. thats what i did after my c section in march. dont wait til the last day or youll have a gap

You should apply for PFL approximately 5-7 days before your disability claim ends. This gives EDD enough time to process your PFL claim so payments continue smoothly. Your disability and PFL should connect without gaps if you time it right. For your situation, I'd recommend applying around June 29th-July 1st. Make sure you have your baby's birth certificate (or hospital documentation if the certificate hasn't arrived) ready when you apply. You'll need to complete the DE2508 form. Also important: your disability and PFL are two separate claims, so you need to actively apply for PFL - it doesn't happen automatically after disability ends.

I HATE how confusing EDD makes all this!!! I had my c-section in January and they never explained we needed to apply for PFL separately from disability. Ended up with a TWO WEEK gap in payments while they processed my late PFL application. Literally had to borrow money for diapers. The EDD website is terrible and the instructions make no sense.

If you've been calling EDD about your disability claim, you've probably already noticed how impossible it is to get through to an actual person. When I had my baby last year, I spent HOURS trying to reach someone about transitioning from disability to PFL. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to EDD much faster. They have a service that calls EDD for you and connects you once an agent is on the line. Saved me literally hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Definitely worth checking out if you need to speak with someone at EDD about your transition from disability to PFL!

My husband and I just went through this in April! One thing no one told us - when you apply for PFL after disability, you need to use the SAME EDD account you used for disability. My husband created a new account for the PFL application (thinking it was completely separate) and it caused a huge mess that took weeks to untangle.

Everyone is giving good advice about timing, but I wanted to add something important - make sure your doctor files the final disability paperwork correctly to show you're released from disability specifically due to having delivered your baby. My doctor just marked "released to work" on my form which caused problems with my PFL application. The correct way is for them to indicate you've been released from pregnancy disability because you're no longer disabled from pregnancy (because you delivered), NOT because you're fully recovered. This distinction matters for how EDD processes your transition to baby bonding PFL. Congratulations on your baby, by the way! The paperwork is a pain, but the baby bonding time is so precious.

When I applied for PFL after having my baby, i applied exactly 1 week before my disability ended. But then i had this whole issue where they wanted more identity verification and it delayed everything, so maybe apply a little earlier?? like 10 days before? I dunno I think the whole system is broken anyway LOL

One more important detail - when you apply for PFL, you'll be asked to provide your baby's date of birth and documentation. The PFL claim date should be the day after your pregnancy disability ends (in your case, July 7th). Don't put your baby's birthdate as the start date for PFL - that would create an overlap with your disability claim which can cause problems. Just to clarify: 1. Pregnancy Disability: May 1 - July 6 2. Baby Bonding PFL: Should start July 7 You apply for PFL around June 29th, but specify July 7th as the start date for benefits. This ensures a smooth transition without gaps or overlaps.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact same situation last year! All the advice here is spot-on. I applied for PFL about 8 days before my disability ended and had zero gap in payments - it was seamless. One small tip that helped me: when you're filling out the PFL application online, save it as a draft first and double-check all your dates before submitting. I caught a mistake where I accidentally put my baby's birth date instead of my PFL start date (thanks to Riya's advice above, I knew this was wrong!). Also, don't stress too much about the birth certificate - I used the hospital discharge paperwork and it was totally fine. The birth certificate took like 3 weeks to arrive anyway. You've got this mama! Focus on healing and bonding with your little one. The paperwork will work out! 💕