EDD PFL baby bonding payment delay - applied 9/20, still nothing?
I submitted my baby bonding PFL claim on September 20th and it's now been over 3 weeks with absolutely nothing happening. My online account just shows 'pending' with no other information. Has anyone applied recently? How long is it taking EDD to process claims and issue first payments these days? I thought they were supposed to be faster now but I'm getting worried since my maternity disability just ran out and I have bills piling up. Called multiple times but just get disconnected or told to call back later.
16 comments
Jacob Smithson
They're running way behind right now. I applied for my baby bonding in August and it took 5 weeks to get my first payment. My claim sat in 'pending' the entire time with no updates or explanation. If you check your EDD inbox, do you see any messages requesting additional information? Sometimes they need verification from your employer that delays things.
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Sophia Nguyen
•Thanks for sharing your experience. That's frustrating but helpful to know it might just be normal delays. I checked my inbox and there's nothing there - no requests for additional info. Did your claim status change before you got paid or did payment just suddenly appear?
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Isabella Brown
mine took 6 weeks lol welcome to california edd hell
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Sophia Nguyen
•Ugh, 6 weeks?? How did you survive that long without income? I'm honestly getting worried about making rent next month.
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Maya Patel
The EDD PFL processing times have definitely increased lately. There's a significant backlog due to staffing issues at EDD and higher claim volume. Here's what you should know: 1. Average processing time is currently 3-5 weeks for baby bonding claims (longer than the 2 weeks they claim on their website) 2. Make sure your DE2501F form was completely filled out - any missing information can cause delays 3. If you transitioned from pregnancy disability (SDI) to baby bonding (PFL), sometimes there are system issues with the transition If you're approaching week 4 with no updates, I'd recommend trying to speak with an EDD representative. You can request they expedite your claim if you're experiencing financial hardship.
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Sophia Nguyen
•Thank you for the detailed info. Yes, I did transition from pregnancy disability to baby bonding, so maybe that's causing issues? My DE2501F was definitely complete - I triple-checked everything before submitting. I've tried calling multiple times but can never get through to an actual person.
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Aiden Rodríguez
I was stuck in the same situation last month and was going CRAZY trying to reach someone at EDD to help with my baby bonding claim. After wasting days with busy signals and disconnects, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. It basically keeps dialing for you and puts you in line. Saved me a ton of stress. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and the website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Once I actually talked to someone, they found that my claim needed a simple verification and they processed it right away.
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Emma Garcia
•I used that service too and it actually worked! Never would have gotten my PFL issue sorted without finally talking to a real person. The hours I spent trying to call before that were just wasted.
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Ava Kim
My sister just had a baby and her PFL was approved in like 2 weeks! Maybe depends which office processes your claim?
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Maya Patel
•It can definitely vary by office, but it also depends on the claim type and complexity. Direct baby bonding claims (not transitioning from SDI) are often processed faster. Claims with employer verification issues or system transition problems take longer.
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Ethan Anderson
THIS IS WHY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! They expect new parents to just magically survive for WEEKS with NO INCOME while they sit on our claims!!!! I went through the EXACT same thing in July and had to borrow money from my parents just to make rent. Called 47 TIMES in one day and couldn't get through. The EDD is a JOKE and nobody in Sacramento seems to care that families are suffering!!!!
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Sophia Nguyen
•It really does feel like they don't understand how stressful this is. We have a newborn, medical bills, and no income coming in while they take their sweet time. I don't have family I can borrow from either.
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Isabella Brown
did u do paper or online application? heard paper is slower
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Sophia Nguyen
•I did everything online, so hopefully that helps speed things up a little.
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Jacob Smithson
Just an update for anyone reading this thread - I checked with a friend who works at an HR department that processes a lot of EDD claims, and she confirmed they're seeing 4-5 week processing times consistently for PFL baby bonding claims right now. Sadly, this delay seems to be the new normal, especially for claims transitioning from pregnancy disability to PFL. One thing that might help: if you're experiencing serious financial hardship, you can submit a request for expedited processing. You'll need to speak with a representative and explain your situation, but they can flag your claim for faster review if you're at risk of things like eviction, utility shutoffs, or inability to buy necessities.
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Sophia Nguyen
•Thank you for checking! That's really helpful. I'll definitely try to get through to request expedited processing since I'm genuinely worried about making rent. Appreciate everyone's advice here - at least I know I'm not alone in dealing with these delays.
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