EDD PFL Application: What date to enter as 'last day worked' when transitioning from pregnancy SDI?

You should put 11/11/25 as your last day worked. That box is asking for the literal last day you physically performed work. The effective date of your SDI claim and your recent paycheck don't matter for that specific question. I got confused by this too when I did my leave last year!

The 'last day worked' should be 11/11/25 - the actual last day you physically worked before going on any type of leave. The system is designed to understand you're transitioning from SDI to PFL, so this won't cause any issues. The 1/31/26 date is just relevant for when your PFL claim should start (2/1/26), but it doesn't change your last day worked. The EDD systems for SDI and PFL are connected, so they'll see you're transitioning from pregnancy disability to baby bonding. One tip: make sure to note in the comments section of your PFL application that you received wages through 1/31/26 and that's why you're requesting a 2/1/26 PFL start date. This adds clarity to your claim.

I've been through this exact scenario! You absolutely need to put your actual last day worked (11/11/25). The 'last day worked' question is specifically asking for the last day you physically performed work duties before any leave began. The system is designed to handle the transition from pregnancy disability to baby bonding, so don't worry about the gap between November and February. What matters most is that you're honest about when you actually stopped working. Also, good thinking on delaying your PFL start date to 2/1/26 because of that paycheck. That will prevent potential overpayment issues.

DONT put 1/31 as ur last day!!! That will mess up your entire claim!!! EDD will think you were working this whole time and deny your PFL claim!!! I put the wrong date on mine and it took 2 MONTHS to fix!!! Always put your actual last physical work day which would be 11/11/25 in your case!!!!

when i did my leave i put the wrong date and then spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone to fix it. literally called 50+ times and could never get through. so frustrating!!! make sure you get it right the first time!

i think i saw somewhere that for pfl after pregnancy disability u actually put the day before ur pfl starts as the "last day worked" but im not 100% sure. the edd website is sooooo confusing!!!

Thank you all SO much for the quick responses! I'm going to put 11/11/25 as my last day worked, and I'll definitely add a note in the comments section explaining about the paycheck through 1/31 and why I'm starting PFL on 2/1. Hopefully this will make the transition smooth! I submitted my claim online this morning. Now the waiting game begins... fingers crossed it all goes through without issues!

Good luck! Just so you know - my baby bonding PFL took about 10 days to process after I submitted everything. Hopefully yours will be quick too!

One last tip: take screenshots of your application confirmation page and track your claim number. Sometimes the online system has glitches, and having proof of submission with dates and claim numbers can save you headaches later if anything gets lost in their system. Enjoy your time with your little one when benefits start!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this exact situation! You definitely made the right choice putting 11/11/25 as your last day worked. I had a similar transition from pregnancy SDI to PFL and was so worried about the gap between my actual last work day and when my PFL started, but EDD handled it seamlessly. The key thing is being transparent about everything - which it sounds like you did with that note in the comments section. That's exactly what I did when I had wage payments that overlapped with my leave period. EDD appreciates the clarity! Also, don't stress too much about the processing time. Mine took about 8 days from submission to first payment, and I know others who got theirs even faster. You've got this! Hope you get to enjoy your bonding time with your baby soon without any benefit headaches.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in HR and deals with these transitions regularly! You absolutely did the right thing putting 11/11/25 as your last day worked. That's exactly what that field is asking for - your literal last day of performing work duties. The confusion often comes from people thinking that date needs to somehow align with when benefits start or end, but it doesn't. EDD's system is designed to handle these complex transitions between different types of leave, and they see pregnancy SDI to baby bonding PFL transitions all the time. Your approach of starting PFL on 2/1/26 to avoid the payroll overlap was smart too. I've seen employees get into overpayment situations when they don't account for those kinds of wage payments, so you're being proactive. One thing I always tell our employees - keep copies of everything you submit, including that explanatory note you added. If any questions come up later, having that documentation makes resolving issues much faster. Sounds like you handled this perfectly though!

I went through this exact same situation last year and it can definitely be confusing! You're absolutely right to put 11/11/25 as your last day worked - that's your actual last physical work day before any leave began. The EDD system is actually pretty good at handling these SDI to PFL transitions, so don't worry about the gap between November and February. What you did by noting the payroll situation in the comments section was perfect - that kind of transparency really helps prevent any confusion or delays. One thing that helped me was checking my EDD account online regularly after submitting. You should be able to see your claim status update within a few days, and it gives you peace of mind that everything is processing correctly. Good luck with your claim and congratulations on your new baby!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who responded to help with this! As a newcomer to navigating California's leave system, I was really overwhelmed by all the different dates and forms. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice made me feel so much more confident about my application. It's clear that putting 11/11/25 (my actual last work day) was the right call, and I'm glad I added that explanatory note about the payroll situation. The tip about taking screenshots and keeping documentation is something I'll definitely remember for any future interactions with EDD. This community is such a valuable resource for people trying to figure out these complex benefit systems. Hoping my PFL processes smoothly and I can pay it forward by helping others with similar questions in the future!

As someone who just went through this process a few months ago, I can confirm that everyone's advice here is spot on! The 11/11/25 date (your actual last work day) is definitely what you want to put. I had a very similar situation where I transitioned from pregnancy SDI to PFL with a gap in between, and I was so worried about how that would look to EDD. But honestly, they see these transitions all the time and their systems are designed to handle them. The most important thing you did was being transparent about the payroll situation in your comments. I did something similar when I had overlapping wage payments, and it really helped prevent any delays or confusion. EDD actually appreciates when applicants provide that kind of context upfront. One small tip - if you haven't already, make sure you have your SDI claim number handy when you're filling out the PFL application. Sometimes they ask for it to help connect the claims in their system. Wishing you a smooth processing experience and congratulations on your new little one! The bonding time is so precious, and it's great that California has these benefits to help support families during this special time.

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - you definitely made the right choice with 11/11/25 as your last day worked! I went through this transition about 6 months ago and had the exact same confusion about dates. What really helped me was thinking of it this way: EDD wants to know when you literally stopped performing work duties, not when various benefits started or ended. Your actual work stopped on 11/11, so that's the date they need. I also had a payroll complication (though not as complex as yours) and adding that explanatory note in the comments was clutch. EDD processors see these situations constantly, so being upfront about it actually speeds things up rather than slowing them down. One thing I wish someone had told me - once you submit, you can check the status online but sometimes it takes a day or two to show up in the system, so don't panic if you don't see it immediately. My claim showed "pending" for about 3 days before switching to "processing" and then I got my first payment about a week later. You've got this handled perfectly! Enjoy your bonding time with your little one once everything comes through.

As someone who recently navigated this same transition, I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus confirming you made the right choice! The 11/11/25 date (your actual last physical work day) is absolutely correct. I had a very similar situation where I went from pregnancy SDI to PFL with a timing gap, and I was so nervous about how EDD would handle it. But honestly, their systems are built for these exact transitions - they happen thousands of times every year across California. Your proactive approach with the payroll overlap was really smart. I've seen people run into overpayment headaches when they don't think ahead like that. Adding the explanatory note was perfect too - EDD appreciates that transparency. One thing that helped ease my anxiety was remembering that the "last day worked" question is asking for a factual date, not a strategic one. You physically worked until 11/11, so that's your answer regardless of what happened with benefits or paychecks afterward. Sounds like you've handled everything perfectly! Hope your processing goes smoothly so you can focus on enjoying those precious early weeks with your baby. Congratulations!

As someone who just went through this transition a couple months ago, I can totally relate to your confusion! The EDD forms can be so overwhelming, especially when you're dealing with multiple types of leave. Everyone here is absolutely right - you want to put 11/11/25 as your last day worked. That field is literally asking for the last day you physically performed work duties, not when benefits started/ended or when you got paid. I had a similar gap between my pregnancy SDI and PFL (though not as long as yours) and I was so worried EDD would flag it as suspicious. But their systems are actually really good at handling these transitions - they see pregnancy-to-bonding leave switches constantly. Your strategy of delaying PFL start until 2/1/26 to avoid the payroll overlap was super smart. I've heard horror stories about people dealing with overpayment issues, so being proactive like that will save you headaches later. The explanatory note you added in the comments section was perfect too. EDD processors appreciate that kind of transparency - it actually helps them process claims faster when applicants provide context upfront. You've handled this really well! Hoping your claim processes quickly so you can focus on enjoying those precious bonding moments with your little one.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who recently navigated this exact same situation! I was in the same boat - went from pregnancy SDI to PFL with a gap in between, and I was SO confused about the "last day worked" field. Everyone here is absolutely right that you should put 11/11/25 (your actual last physical work day). I made the mistake of overthinking it at first and almost put a different date, but thankfully I got advice similar to what you're getting here. The key thing I learned is that EDD's question is really straightforward - they just want to know the literal last day you performed work duties. All the other dates (SDI effective date, payroll dates, PFL start date) are separate pieces of information that don't affect that specific answer. Your approach with the explanatory note about the payroll situation was spot-on too. I did something similar when I had overlapping payments, and it definitely helped my claim process smoothly. EDD sees these complex transitions all the time, so being transparent about the details actually makes their job easier. One small tip - keep checking your EDD online account over the next week or so. My claim status updated pretty regularly, and it was reassuring to see the progress. Mine went from "submitted" to "processing" to "approved" over about 8 days. Congratulations on your new baby, and I hope you get to enjoy that bonding time without any benefit stress soon!

I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! As someone who's currently pregnant and will likely be going through this exact same SDI to PFL transition in a few months, reading through everyone's experiences has been so educational. The consensus is crystal clear - use your actual last physical work day (11/11/25 in your case) for the "last day worked" field. I love how someone explained it as a "factual question, not a strategic one" - that really clarifies the confusion! Your proactive approach with the payroll overlap and adding that explanatory note shows exactly how to handle these complex situations. It's so reassuring to know that EDD's systems are designed for these transitions and that transparency actually speeds up processing rather than causing delays. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for when I need to file my own PFL claim later this year. Thank you for asking the question and to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes navigating California's benefit system so much less intimidating! Congratulations on your new baby and I hope your claim processes smoothly so you can enjoy that precious bonding time!