EDD Baby Bonding PFL payment delays in 2025 - applied 2/3, still nothing?
My wife and I just had our first baby on January 28th. She's been on SDI for her pregnancy disability, but I applied for my PFL baby bonding on February 3rd (almost 3 weeks ago) and haven't seen a single payment or update. My online account just shows 'claim received' status - nothing about processing or approval. The estimated payment date came and went last week with nothing hitting our account. No correspondence, no explanation. Is this normal for baby bonding claims in 2025? How long should it take to get the first payment? I'm starting to get worried because we budgeted based on having this income and our savings are getting tight. Anybody else experiencing delays right now?
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Aaliyah Jackson
mine took like 17 days to get the first payment back in jan. did u double check all ur info was correct on the application? one wrong digit in ur acct number can mess everything up
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Giovanni Rossi
•I'm pretty sure all my info is correct, but I'll double-check the account details. Was your claim status updated online before you got paid, or did the money just show up?
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KylieRose
Current processing times for baby bonding PFL claims are running about 14-21 business days from submission to first payment according to the EDD website. Since you applied on 2/3, you're just hitting the outer edge of that window now. A few things that might be causing the delay: 1. Did you complete the DE2508 form completely including all employer information? 2. If your employer needed to verify anything, that can add time 3. February is typically a high-volume month for baby bonding claims You should see a payment soon, but if it goes beyond 4 full weeks, you should definitely contact EDD directly. Your claim status should have updated to 'approved' by now if everything was in order.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Thanks for the timeframe info. I did complete everything, and my employer already confirmed they submitted their portion. The not knowing is what's driving me crazy - if I at least knew it was approved and when to expect payment, I could plan better. Do you know if there's a backlog specifically for 2025 claims?
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Miguel Hernández
I JUST went through this exact nightmare!!! Applied for baby bonding Jan 12 and didn't get paid until Feb 18th - over 5 weeks!!! When I called (after trying for THREE DAYS), they said my claim was stuck in some 'review queue' but couldn't tell me why. No flags, no issues, just sitting there. The system is completely broken this year with all the new changes they made to the online portal.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Oh man, 5 weeks?? That's terrifying. We literally can't wait that long. How did you finally get through to someone? I've been calling the main number and it's always 'too many callers, try again later' and then disconnects.
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Sasha Ivanov
I used Claimyr to get through to an EDD agent when my baby bonding claim was stuck for weeks. Best $20 I ever spent - they got me connected to a live person in about 20 minutes after I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent was able to push my claim through right away once I explained the situation. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92Ay5?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and their website is claimyr.com if you're desperate to get this resolved.
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Giovanni Rossi
•I hadn't heard of this service before. At this point, I'm willing to try anything to get this sorted out. Did the EDD agent give you any explanation for why your claim was delayed?
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Sasha Ivanov
•The agent told me there was a processing backlog due to their system update in January, but claims weren't being flagged properly as delayed. Once I got through, she was able to override something in the system and my payment was processed the next day. Totally worth it versus waiting another few weeks!
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Liam Murphy
my baby bonding got approved right away but then the debit card took another 10 days to arrive which nobody warned me about!! check if maybe ur claim is actually approved but ur waiting on the card?
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Giovanni Rossi
•I opted for direct deposit, not the debit card, so that shouldn't be the issue. But good point - maybe I should check if my deposit info got recorded properly.
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Amara Okafor
The entire EDD PFL system is TERRIBLE this year. I filed for baby bonding in January and had to call SEVENTEEN times before getting through to fix my claim. They had somehow lost my employer verification even though my HR department submitted it twice. Then they told me I had to resubmit the DE2508 form because of a "system error" whatever that means. Meanwhile I'm trying to care for a newborn and not lose my mind from sleep deprivation. My advice - don't wait. Call them NOW and keep calling until you get through. The longer it sits in limbo the harder it gets to fix.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Seventeen calls is insane. I've made about 8 attempts so far with no luck. I'm starting to think I need to try that service the other commenter mentioned just to get a human on the phone. Did they backpay you for all the weeks once they fixed it?
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Amara Okafor
•Yes, they did backpay everything once it was fixed, so at least there's that. But it took another week after they "fixed" it for the money to actually hit my account. The whole process took almost 7 weeks from filing to first payment. Just ridiculous.
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CaptainAwesome
This is actually pretty common with PFL baby bonding claims. The first payment often takes longer because they're establishing a new claim, verifying your eligibility, and setting up your payment method. A few tips that might help: 1. Check your UI Online account regularly - sometimes the status updates without notification 2. Verify your identity document submission was accepted (driver's license/passport) 3. Confirm your employer completed their portion (though you mentioned they did) 4. Make sure your direct deposit information is accurate If none of that helps, definitely try to reach an agent by phone. Baby bonding PFL should typically process within 14 days, but first-time claims can take up to 3-4 weeks. If you're approaching that mark, it's time to be more proactive about contacting them.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Thanks for the detailed response. I've checked all those things and everything seems to be in order. I'm going to give it until the end of this week (which will be right at 4 weeks), and then I'll try more aggressively to reach someone. I appreciate everyone's help and advice here!
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KylieRose
Just checking back - any updates on your claim? Did you ever get through to EDD or receive payment?
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Giovanni Rossi
•Yes! Finally got an update yesterday. I used that Claimyr service after nothing happened by the end of week 4. Got through to an agent who said my claim had been flagged for "identity verification" but they never sent me the notice. She pushed it through and my account now shows the payment should hit tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help and advice. The system is definitely broken but at least there's a resolution in sight!
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