Does EDD PFL weekly benefit amount change when transitioning from pregnancy disability?
Hi everyone, I need some clarity on the maternity leave transition process. My wife is about to finish her pregnancy disability leave in a couple weeks, and we're getting ready to file for the baby bonding PFL. I'm a bit confused about the payment amounts - will her weekly benefit stay exactly the same when she switches from disability to PFL, or does the calculation change? Her current SDI payments have been helping us cover bills, and I'm trying to budget for the next few months. Anyone recently gone through this transition who can share their experience?
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Dana Doyle
the amount is the SAME!! both SDI and PFL use the same calculation based on her highest quarter earnings from the base period. so whatever shes getting now is what shell get during baby bonding too. congrats on the new baby btw!
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Darcy Moore
•Thanks for the quick answer! That's a huge relief to hear. We were worried about having to adjust our budget again.
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Liam Duke
Yes, the weekly benefit amount (WBA) should remain identical when transitioning from pregnancy disability (SDI) to Paid Family Leave (PFL) for baby bonding. Both benefits use the same calculation method based on her highest quarter earnings during the 12-18 month base period before her claim began. The transition should be seamless in terms of payment amount, though there can sometimes be a processing gap between the two benefits that causes a delay in payments.
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Darcy Moore
•Good to know about the potential gap. Do we need to file the PFL claim before her disability ends to minimize that gap?
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Liam Duke
It's best to file the PFL claim about 1-2 weeks before her disability claim ends. Use the DE2508 form (Claim for Paid Family Leave Benefits) or file online through SDI Online. Have her doctor complete the transition date on her final pregnancy disability certification, and that will help establish the start date for PFL without delays.
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Manny Lark
•yep this is right!! my wife and i had a baby last yr and we started the pfl paperwork like 10 days b4 her disability ended. still ended up with a 1 week gap cuz edd is slow but at least it wasnt worse
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Rita Jacobs
I don't think this is right. When I transitioned from SDI to PFL last month, my weekly payment dropped by about $75. When I called EDD they said something about different withholding rates or taxes. So technically the GROSS amount is the same but the NET you actually receive might be different.
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Khalid Howes
•There's actually a simple explanation for this. The benefit amount calculation is exactly the same for both SDI and PFL (60-70% of highest quarter wages). However, while SDI is not subject to federal taxes, PFL payments ARE taxable at the federal level. So if you elected to have federal taxes withheld from your PFL benefits, that would explain the $75 difference you noticed. The base benefit amount is identical though.
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Ben Cooper
Just went thru this whole process and had HUGE problems reaching anyone at EDD when we had questions about the transition. My wife's disability ended and there was a 3 week gap before PFL payments started coming in. We kept calling that stupid number and getting disconnected or waiting for hours. FINALLY someone told me about Claimyr.com - it's a service that gets you through to an actual EDD agent quickly! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Totally worth it for us because we needed to fix the transition date issue and couldn't get through on our own after trying for days.
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Manny Lark
•is this legit?? how does it even work? seems sketchy that u can somehow magically get through when nobody else can
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Ben Cooper
•It's definitely legit. They basically keep calling for you using their system until they get through, then connect you. Saved me hours of frustration. I was skeptical too but it actually worked.
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Naila Gordon
Fun fact: I actually work in payroll (not for EDD) and deal with this stuff frequently. The SDI/PFL transition is supposed to be seamless with identical benefit amounts, BUT I've seen cases where the transition causes issues. Make sure your wife's last day of disability and first day of PFL are properly documented and there's no gap or overlap. If there's an overlap EDD might consider it an overpayment, and if there's a gap you could lose money. I recommend taking screenshots of all online claim info and keeping copies of everything.
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Darcy Moore
•Great advice about documenting everything. I'll definitely start taking screenshots. We can't afford to have any payment issues right now with the new baby expenses.
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Dana Doyle
btw dont forget ur wife only gets 8 weeks of baby bonding!! and u can get 8 weeks too if ur employer is covered. my husband and i split it up - he took 4 weeks right after baby was born while i was still on disability, then i took my 8 weeks of bonding, then he took his other 4 weeks. worked great for us!!
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Darcy Moore
•That's a really smart arrangement! I hadn't thought about splitting it up that way. My employer does offer paid leave, but it's only 3 weeks. I might look into taking the additional PFL time later.
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Manny Lark
when my wife had our baby last year her disability weekly pay was $1,250 and then her PFL was exactly the same amount $1,250 so yea they should be identical unless something weird happened with her income during the base period maybe?
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Khalid Howes
Just to summarize the key points that have been shared: 1. The weekly benefit amount (WBA) calculation is identical for both SDI and PFL 2. Both are based on highest quarter earnings in the base period (roughly 5-18 months before the claim) 3. Current benefit rate is 60-70% of those wages, depending on income level 4. Key difference: PFL is subject to federal taxes while SDI is not 5. File the PFL claim (DE2508) 1-2 weeks before disability ends 6. Document everything to avoid transition problems Hope this helps with your planning!
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Darcy Moore
•This is super helpful, thank you! I feel much more prepared for the transition now. I'll make sure to file that DE2508 form soon.
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Isaac Wright
Just wanted to add that you should also check if your wife's employer offers any supplemental benefits during the transition. Some companies will "top up" the difference between her full salary and the SDI/PFL payments. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to update your health insurance beneficiaries and look into whether you need to adjust any automatic bill payments during this period. The consistent payment amount is great, but it's still usually less than full salary so budgeting adjustments might be needed. Good luck with everything!
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