Confused about timing - Can't file EDD claim before pregnancy leave date? SDI vs PFL difference?

You're correct that you can't file until right before your leave starts. For pregnancy, you file for State Disability Insurance (SDI) first - that covers you for the 4 weeks before birth and then typically 6-8 weeks after birth depending on delivery type (vaginal vs c-section). Then after your disability period ends, you transition to PFL for the baby bonding portion. The system won't let you file more than about 5-7 days before your actual leave start date. This is normal, though frustrating! Once you're within that window, you'll be able to submit your claim with the doctor's certification (DE2501) form.

same thing happened 2 me. its super annoying but yeah u gotta wait till ur almost starting leave. my hr told me wrong 2 and i was all stressed out for nothing lol. the before birth + healing after is disability (SDI) and then the baby time is PFL. make sure u have the right forms!

The EDD system is DELIBERATELY DESIGNED to make this process confusing and difficult. I went through this last year and it was a NIGHTMARE. They won't let you apply early, then take FOREVER to process, then blame YOU when there are delays. Technically it's SDI for pregnancy/recovery (4wks before + 6-8wks after depending on delivery) and then PFL for bonding (8 weeks). But nobody at EDD seems to understand their own system!!! BE PREPARED to fight for your money and benefits. Document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots. Keep a log of ALL communications.

To clarify what others have said: 1. Pregnancy leave is broken into two programs: State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) 2. SDI covers: - Up to 4 weeks before your due date - 6 weeks after vaginal birth OR 8 weeks after c-section - You file this claim using form DE2501 (doctor completes this) 3. PFL covers: - 8 weeks of baby bonding time - You file this claim AFTER your disability ends - Uses form DE2508 (no doctor signature needed) For timing: Yes, unfortunately, you cannot file your SDI claim until about 5-9 days before your actual leave start date. This is by design in their system. Once your SDI claim is established, they'll automatically send you information about transitioning to PFL. Despite the inability to file early, your benefits should be backdated to your first day of leave as long as you file within the appropriate window. Processing is currently taking about 2-3 weeks for initial payments.

I remember trying to submit my forms early too haha. When I called after getting frustrated with the online system, the EDD rep basically said "the computer knows your due date, so it won't let you file until closer to your leave start date." It's annoying but actually makes sense - they don't want claims in their system too far in advance since things can change (early delivery, complications, etc). I used Claimyr to reach EDD when I had questions during my transition from SDI to PFL - saved me hours of waiting on hold! Their site (claimyr.com) has a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Just make sure you keep all your claim numbers and paperwork organized because you'll need to reference them when you transition from disability to baby bonding.

When i was pregnant last year I also tried filing early and gotthe same message. But dont worry! Just mark your calendar for exactly 7 days before your leave starts and submit then. Thats what I did and it worked fine! Also my sister had a baby in January and her doctor put her on bedrest at 32 weeks (high blood pressure) and they let her file right away for that unexpected early leave. So I think the system is mainly preventing people from filing months in advance when the dates might change, but they are flexible for actual medical needs.

OMG I went through this exact same confusion 5 months ago! The whole SDI vs PFL thing is so unnecessarily complicated. Nobody tells you that it's TWO separate claims! For the record, my timeline was: - Filed SDI claim 5 days before leave - First payment arrived 12 days after filing - Had baby (c-section) - Got SDI for 8 weeks post-birth - Had to file separate claim for PFL - About 2 week gap in payments during transition - PFL payments for 8 weeks The transition between programs was the most confusing part. Make sure you don't wait until your SDI completely ends to file the PFL claim - you can actually file for PFL about a week before your disability ends to minimize gap.

hey just wanted to update - my benefits started like 10 days after i applied. backpay from the first day of leave. u will be ok! but yeah u cant apply early its stupid

I'm a new parent who just went through this whole process! The timing restriction is definitely frustrating but it's actually pretty standard. I ended up filing my SDI claim exactly 6 days before my leave started and everything worked out fine. One tip that helped me: while you're waiting for your filing window to open, use this time to double-check all your paperwork. Make sure your doctor filled out the DE2501 form completely (including the specific dates) and that your HR gave you the employer portion. I caught a small error on my form during this waiting period that would have caused delays later. Also, consider setting up your EDD online account now if you haven't already - that way when you're ready to file, you won't have to deal with account setup while juggling everything else. The whole process ended up being much smoother than I expected once I actually got to submit everything! Good luck with your pregnancy and leave! 🍼

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this recently! I had the exact same confusion about the timing and the SDI vs PFL programs. The key thing that helped me was understanding that you're basically dealing with two separate benefit periods: first the medical disability part (SDI) which covers your pregnancy leave and recovery, then the family bonding part (PFL) which is specifically for bonding with your new baby. I filed my SDI claim exactly 8 days before my leave started and got my first payment about 2 weeks later, backdated to my first day of leave. The transition to PFL was actually pretty seamless - they sent me the paperwork automatically when my disability period was ending. One thing I wish someone had told me: keep detailed records of all your dates and claim numbers because you'll need to reference them multiple times throughout the process. Also, don't stress too much about the timing restriction - it's annoying but the system is designed this way for a reason, and your benefits will be backdated as long as you file within the proper window. You've got this! The waiting period is definitely the most stressful part, but once you can actually submit everything, it moves along pretty well.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Due in 2 months and was so frustrated when the EDD system wouldn't let me file early. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - especially knowing that the backdating works properly and processing times are around 2-3 weeks currently. One thing I'm still confused about though - when you transition from SDI to PFL, do you have to wait for your SDI payments to completely stop before filing the PFL claim? Or can you file for PFL while still receiving SDI payments? I've seen conflicting info on this and want to make sure I don't mess up the timing and create a gap in benefits. Also, has anyone had experience with what happens if your baby comes early or late? I'm worried about having filed based on my due date but then having different actual dates.

I just went through this whole process last month and wanted to share what worked for me! The timing restriction is definitely annoying, but here's what I learned: I filed my SDI claim exactly 7 days before my leave started (my doctor recommended starting 3 weeks before due date). The system accepted it right away at that point. My first payment came through about 11 days later, backdated to my first day of leave, so no money was lost by waiting. For the SDI vs PFL confusion - think of it as two separate "chapters" of your leave: - Chapter 1 (SDI): Medical necessity - pregnancy symptoms + recovery after birth - Chapter 2 (PFL): Family bonding - spending time with your new baby The forms are different too: DE2501 for SDI (doctor signs), DE2508 for PFL (no doctor needed). My biggest tip: about 2 weeks before your SDI is scheduled to end, start watching for the PFL paperwork to arrive. File it as soon as you get it - don't wait until your last SDI payment! I had maybe a 3-day gap between programs, which was way better than some of the horror stories I'd heard. You're being smart by getting organized early. Just set that calendar reminder for 7 days before leave and you'll be all set! The stress of waiting is honestly worse than the actual process.

I'm currently 6 months pregnant and went through this exact same frustration a few weeks ago! The system absolutely will not let you file until you're within that 5-9 day window before your leave starts - I tried multiple times thinking it was a glitch, but nope, it's by design. Here's what I learned from calling EDD directly (after waiting on hold for 2 hours): they don't want claims sitting in the system for months because due dates can change, complications can arise, or leave plans can shift. Once you're in that filing window, though, the process moves pretty quickly. I ended up using that "waiting period" productively by triple-checking all my paperwork with HR and my doctor. Found a small date discrepancy that would have caused delays later! Also made sure I had digital copies of everything saved in multiple places. The SDI vs PFL distinction finally clicked for me when someone explained it like this: SDI is for when YOU need medical care (pregnancy complications, recovery from childbirth), while PFL is for when you're healthy but taking time to care for your FAMILY member (bonding with baby). Same money, different legal purposes. Set that calendar reminder for exactly one week before your leave starts, and try not to stress about the processing time. Most people I know got their first payment within 10-14 days, and it's backdated to your first day of leave so you don't lose any money by waiting to file. You've got this! 💪

I'm 5 months pregnant and dealing with this exact same timing issue! It's so frustrating that you can't file early when you're trying to be responsible and get everything organized ahead of time. After reading through all these responses, I finally feel like I understand the system better. The key things I'm taking away are: 1. File exactly 7-9 days before your leave starts (I'm setting a phone alarm!) 2. SDI covers pregnancy/recovery (with doctor form DE2501), PFL covers baby bonding (with form DE2508) 3. Benefits get backdated to your first day of leave, so no money lost by waiting 4. File for PFL about a week BEFORE your SDI ends to avoid payment gaps The waiting period is definitely the most stressful part, but it sounds like once you can actually submit everything, most people get their first payment within 2 weeks. I'm going to use this time to quadruple-check all my paperwork and make sure everything is perfect! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has been more helpful than anything my HR department told me! 🙏

I'm currently 7 months pregnant and just went through this same exact situation last month! The timing restriction is SO frustrating when you're trying to be organized and prepare everything in advance. What finally helped me was understanding that EDD's system is actually protecting you from potential complications. If you file too early and then your due date changes, go on bedrest early, or have other medical changes, it creates a mess in their system that's harder to fix later. Here's my experience: I filed exactly 6 days before my leave started, got my first SDI payment 10 days later (backdated to day 1 of leave), and the whole process was much smoother than I expected based on all the horror stories online. One thing that really helped during the waiting period was creating a "leave binder" with copies of all forms, important phone numbers, claim confirmation emails, etc. When you're sleep-deprived with a newborn, having everything organized in one place is a lifesaver! Also, pro tip: download the EDD mobile app now while you have time. It makes checking claim status and certifying for benefits much easier than logging into the website every time, especially when you're juggling baby care. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but you're going to be fine! Set that calendar reminder for one week before your leave and try to relax knowing that thousands of people go through this process successfully every month 💙

I'm 4 months pregnant and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was getting so stressed about not being able to file early, but now I understand it's actually designed that way for good reasons. One question I still have - for those who mentioned getting their first payment 10-14 days after filing, was that business days or calendar days? I'm trying to plan my budget and want to make sure I have enough savings to cover that initial gap. Also, has anyone had experience with what happens if you need to modify your leave dates after filing? Like if your doctor recommends starting leave earlier than planned due to complications? I'm hoping everything goes smoothly but want to be prepared for different scenarios. Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this is way more informative than anything I've gotten from official sources!