EDD PFL application submitted - when will I hear back and how?

Congrats on your baby! When I applied for PFL baby bonding in January, I got a response in my EDD online account within 5 business days, and then received the official paperwork by mail about 4 days after that. Make sure you've set up notifications in your EDD account settings so you get emails when there are updates. The paper award letter will have all your weekly benefit amount details. If your claim is straightforward (meaning all your wage information matches what your employer reported), it should be processed pretty quickly.

mine took forever... like 3 weeks. they never emailed me just randomly got paperwork in mail. check ur spam folder 2 bc sometimes edd emails go there

I got my approval in 10 days. But my coworker only waited 3 days! I think it depends on how busy they are and if your application has any issues they need to resolve.

The EDD system is DELIBERATELY designed to be confusing and slow!! I waited 4 weeks for my baby bonding claim to process last year and by then I was almost done with my leave! They backdated everything but the stress was AWFUL. No one tells you that you have to call them every other day to make sure they're not "missing" something. And if they DO need more info they sometimes don't even tell you until weeks have passed!!

If you're coming directly from pregnancy disability leave (SDI), the transition to baby bonding PFL should be faster - mine took 4 days because the system already had all my info. If this is a brand new claim with no previous SDI claim, it typically takes 7-14 days for processing. You'll get notifications both ways - through your online account AND through mail. The online account usually updates first with your claim status, while the official award letter comes by mail with all the payment details. One thing to watch for - make sure you file your first certification as soon as you're eligible. Unlike regular unemployment, PFL doesn't automatically start sending payments after approval. You need to certify for each two-week period.

I had my baby in November and did my PFL application right after. It was right during holiday season so everything took longer but still got approved within 2 weeks. One thing - they never emailed me even though I set up notifications! I just randomly checked my account one day and saw it was approved. The paper letter came about a week after that. The first payment hit my account 3 days after approval. If it's been more than 10 business days with no update, you should definitely call them. Sometimes applications get stuck in their system and nobody looks at them unless you call.

I had the EXACT same anxiety when I applied for my PFL baby bonding last month! For reference, here's my timeline: - Applied online on March 4th - Account updated to "claim processing" on March 7th - Received approval notification in my online account on March 12th - Paper award letter arrived March 18th - First payment deposited March 20th The trick is getting through to EDD if there are any issues. I had a question about my weekly benefit amount calculation and tried calling for DAYS. Always busy signals or disconnects after waiting for an hour. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to a real EDD agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying to get through. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Don't wait too long if you don't hear anything - sometimes applications get stuck and nobody looks at them unless you call and ask about status.

When I had my twins last year I got so confused between all the different types of leave! Just FYI pregnancy disability is different from baby bonding. I didn't know that and almost missed out on half my benefits! For actual baby bonding PFL mine took 9 days to process and I got an award letter in the mail. Make sure you're checking for mail everyday because some of the certification forms HAVE to be done by certain deadlines.

Quick follow-up to my earlier comment - if you're anxious about the timeline, you can also check the status by calling the PFL automated phone line at 1-877-238-4373. Sometimes the automated system will tell you if your claim is pending/processing/approved before the online account updates. Be prepared to enter your SSN and application confirmation number.

One last thing to remember - if your application was submitted online yesterday, today would only count as day 1 of processing. EDD generally states that new PFL claims take 5-7 business days minimum for straightforward cases, so I wouldn't start worrying until at least the end of next week. The system will update your online account first, usually a few days before you receive anything in the mail. And make sure all your contact information is correct in your profile! I've seen people wait weeks only to discover EDD had been trying to reach them at an old address or phone number.

I just went through this process in February! Applied for baby bonding PFL on a Tuesday and got approved the following Monday - so 6 business days total. The key thing is that EDD will update your online account first with the approval status, then you'll get the official award letter in the mail about 3-5 days later. One tip: make sure you understand the difference between your claim being "approved" vs when payments actually start. Even after approval, you still need to certify for benefits every two weeks. My first certification period started the day after my approval, and I got my first payment about 4 days after certifying. Also, don't panic if you don't get email notifications even with them turned on - the EDD notification system is notoriously unreliable. I got in the habit of checking my online account every morning and evening during the waiting period. Good luck and congratulations on your little one!

I'm going through the same thing right now! Applied for PFL baby bonding on Tuesday and it's only been 3 days but I'm already checking my account multiple times a day. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - it sounds like anywhere from 3 days to 2+ weeks is normal depending on various factors. One thing I learned from my sister who did this last year is to screenshot your application confirmation page if you haven't already. She said EDD customer service sometimes asks for the confirmation number if there are any issues, and it's not always easy to find later in your account. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're trying to plan finances with a new baby. Fingers crossed we both hear back soon! Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it really helps manage expectations.

I went through this exact same process last September and totally understand the anxiety! My timeline was pretty typical - applied on a Wednesday, got approval notification in my online account the following Tuesday (6 business days), and received the paper award letter that Friday. One thing that really helped my peace of mind was calling the automated status line that someone mentioned earlier (1-877-238-4373). You can check your claim status 24/7 without waiting on hold. The system will tell you if it's "pending," "under review," or "approved" - sometimes even before your online account updates. Also, just a heads up about the first payment - even after you're approved and certify, there can be another 2-3 day delay for the actual deposit to hit your account. I was checking my bank obsessively until I realized that's just how their payment cycle works. The good news is that once everything is set up, the ongoing certifications and payments are pretty straightforward. Hang in there - you should definitely hear something by early next week based on everyone's experiences here!

Just wanted to add my recent experience to help with your anxiety! I submitted my PFL baby bonding application two weeks ago and got approved yesterday. My timeline was 8 business days total, which seems pretty average based on what everyone's sharing here. A few things I learned that might help: - The online account status changed from "submitted" to "processing" after about 3 days, then to "approved" on day 8 - I never got email notifications despite having them turned on (seems to be a common issue!) - The automated phone line was actually more up-to-date than the website - it showed "approved" about 6 hours before my online account did One thing that stressed me out unnecessarily was seeing "pending" status for days 4-7. I thought something was wrong, but my friend who works in HR said that's totally normal - it just means they're reviewing your employer's wage reports and making sure everything matches up. The first certification opened up the day after approval, and I was able to certify immediately online. Payment showed up 3 days later. Since you submitted yesterday, you're probably looking at hearing something by middle of next week. Try not to check more than once a day if you can help it - the stress isn't worth it! Congratulations on your little one! 👶

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Just submitted my PFL baby bonding application yesterday for my 5-week-old son and have been refreshing my EDD account way too often already. Reading through everyone's experiences here is so reassuring - it sounds like 5-10 business days is pretty typical for most people. I called that automated status line (1-877-238-4373) that several people mentioned and it currently says "claim received" so at least I know it's in their system. Planning to check that daily instead of obsessing over the online account. One question for those who've been through this - did any of you have issues if you're self-employed? I have W-2 income from my main job but also some 1099 income from freelance work. Hoping that doesn't complicate things since I made sure to report all of it accurately on the application. Thanks for starting this thread - it's exactly what I needed to read today! The waiting game with a newborn is definitely stressful when you're counting on those benefits.

I'm a new parent who just submitted my PFL baby bonding application three days ago and this thread is incredibly helpful! Reading everyone's timelines is really reassuring - it sounds like I should expect to hear something within the next week or so. I had no idea about the automated phone line (1-877-238-4373) that several people mentioned, so I just called and it says my claim is "under review" which feels like progress from the generic "submitted" status on the website. One thing I'm curious about - for those who got approved, did you have to provide any additional documentation after submitting the initial application? I'm worried I might have missed something or that they'll ask for more paperwork that could delay the process. Also really appreciate the tip about screenshotting the confirmation page and setting up account notifications (even though they apparently don't work reliably). The financial stress of waiting for benefits while on unpaid leave with a newborn is no joke! Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's making this whole process feel much less intimidating.

I'm in the exact same situation! Just submitted my PFL baby bonding application online yesterday for my 7-week-old daughter and have been checking my account obsessively already. Reading through everyone's timelines here is such a relief - it sounds like 5-10 business days is pretty standard for most people. I had no idea about the automated status line at 1-877-238-4373 that so many people mentioned, so I just called and it says "claim received" which is at least more specific than the vague "submitted" status on the website. Definitely going to check that daily instead of refreshing my online account every few hours! The financial anxiety is so real when you're on unpaid leave with a newborn. I'm budgeting everything down to the dollar right now, so knowing that most people hear back within 1-2 weeks helps me plan a bit better. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread is exactly what I needed to find today! Fingers crossed we all get good news soon 🤞

I just went through this process last month and wanted to share my timeline to hopefully ease some anxiety! Applied for PFL baby bonding on February 14th and got approved on February 22nd (6 business days). The key things that helped me: 1. The automated phone line (1-877-238-4373) was way more accurate than the online account - it updated about 12 hours before the website did 2. Don't panic if it shows "pending" for several days - that's completely normal while they verify your wage info with your employer 3. Make sure your address is correct in your profile! My neighbor had a 2-week delay because EDD was trying to mail stuff to her old apartment The first payment came 4 days after I certified, which you can do immediately once approved. The whole system is clunky but it does work! Since you just submitted yesterday, I'd expect to hear something by middle of next week. Try to check only once a day if possible - the constant refreshing just adds stress. Congrats on your little one! 🎉

I'm also a new parent who just submitted my PFL baby bonding application yesterday and this thread is incredibly reassuring! I've been checking my EDD account way too often already and was starting to panic that I hadn't heard anything yet. Reading everyone's timelines - anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks with most people hearing back in 5-10 business days - really helps set realistic expectations. Just called that automated status line at 1-877-238-4373 that so many people recommended and it shows "claim received" which is more informative than the generic "submitted" status online. I'm definitely going to check that daily instead of obsessively refreshing my online account! The financial stress of waiting for benefits while on unpaid leave with a 4-week-old is no joke. I'm budgeting everything down to the penny right now, so having a realistic timeline helps me plan better. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's exactly what I needed to read today. Fingers crossed I hear back by early next week! 🤞

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just submitted my PFL baby bonding application yesterday for my 8-week-old son and I'm already anxiously checking my account multiple times a day. This thread is so helpful - it's reassuring to see that most people hear back within 5-10 business days. I had no idea about the automated phone line at 1-877-238-4373 that everyone's mentioning, so I just called and it says "claim received" which is way more informative than just seeing "submitted" on the website. Definitely going to use that instead of constantly refreshing my online account! The financial stress while waiting for benefits to kick in is so real when you have a newborn and are on unpaid leave. I'm trying to budget everything carefully right now, so having these realistic timelines from everyone really helps with planning. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's exactly what I needed to read today! Fingers crossed I hear back by early next week 🤞