EDD Baby Bonding PFL Payment Delays - How Long Before First Check?

dude b patient, its EDD lol. took like 3 weeks for my 1st payment when i did baby bonding last yr. their 5-7 days thing is a total joke

The first payment typically takes 10-14 days from when they receive a COMPLETE application. Did you make sure your employer submitted their portion? That's usually what causes delays. Also, check your online account to see if your claim shows as 'pending' or if there are any outstanding items they need from you. If everything looks good on your end, I would give it until the 2-week mark before calling.

My payment took FOREVER too!!! I was so stressed about it. Called like 50 times and couldn't get through. The system is TOTALLY BROKEN. When I finally got someone they said there was some flag on my account that no one told me about! Check your mail too because sometimes they send letters asking for more info but don't update the online portal!!!

Just went through this in February for my baby bonding PFL. First payment took exactly 12 days for me, but my friend who applied at the same time didn't get his for almost a month because there was some issue with his ID verification. If you want to call them, use Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's the only way I actually got through to a real person. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Saved me hours of frustration and busy signals. The EDD agent told me they're still backed up from all the pandemic claims.

Yeah, it definitely did. Instead of calling for days and getting nowhere, I got through to an agent in about 20 minutes who could see that my claim was just sitting in a processing queue. They expedited it and I had the money 2 days later. Worth it for the peace of mind alone.

Hey there! Congrats on your baby girl! I just went through this whole process with my baby bonding leave that started in January. Something no one mentioned - make sure you look for the EDD debit card in your mail! I was waiting for a direct deposit that never came because they automatically send a debit card for the first payment even if you selected direct deposit for future payments. I almost threw mine away thinking it was junk mail! Also, my first payment took 10 business days (so 2 weeks), but after that, the bi-weekly payments were pretty consistent.

For baby bonding PFL, the actual processing time has been running between 7-14 business days recently, but it can occasionally take up to 21 days. Their system is still catching up after staffing shortages. A few things to check that might speed things up: 1. Verify your identity verification is complete (they sometimes require additional ID) 2. Check that your employer submitted their form (DE2501F) 3. Confirm your doctor submitted the certification form completely 4. Make sure your birth certificate or other proof of relationship is on file If you call, use the main PFL number (877-238-4373) but call right when they open at 8am. If you wait until 9am or later, you'll almost never get through.

Just as an update for anyone finding this thread later - PFL payment timelines in 2025 have been somewhat inconsistent. I process these for our company's employees, and I've seen everything from 8 days to 3+ weeks. The biggest factor seems to be whether your claim gets randomly selected for additional review. About 20-30% of claims get flagged, which adds 1-2 weeks to processing time.

Quick update - payment finally came through today! It took exactly 12 business days from filing. The EDD rep I spoke with (finally got through after using the 8am trick) said they're currently processing most baby bonding claims in 10-14 business days, so right on schedule I guess. And yes, it came on a debit card even though I selected direct deposit. Thanks everyone for the help and advice!