EDD PFL claim: Received letter about missing proof of relationship despite uploading birth certificate. What now?
Has anyone else gotten a letter saying they didn't submit proof of relationship to their kid? I uploaded my baby's birth certificate like 10 days ago but just got this letter in the mail. I'm so confused and frustrated. What should I do now? Do I need to upload it again or call them? This is for my Paid Family Leave claim.
52 comments


Tom Maxon
I found a way to solve PFL document submission issues, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfKTocKqTdg
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Sadie Benitez
Hey OP, just wondering - did you black out any parts of the birth certificate before uploading? Sometimes they reject it if any info is redacted.
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Alana Willis
•Nope, I uploaded the whole thing as is. Good thought though!
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Drew Hathaway
•Sometimes even minor things like this can cause big issues.
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Tyler Murphy
Ugh, I'm in the same boat! 🚣♀️ Uploaded everything weeks ago and still got that stupid letter. The system is so broken, I swear.
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Sara Unger
•Totally agree, it's like they intentionally designed it to be confusing!
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Elin Robinson
have you tried faxing it? I know it sounds like we're living in 1995, but sometimes that works better than their online system 🤷♂️
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Alana Willis
•Lol I don't even know where to find a fax machine these days 😂 But if all else fails, I might have to track one down!
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Atticus Domingo
•There are online fax services now. Welcome to the future, where we use new tech to use old tech 🤣
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Beth Ford
•Check out local libraries or office supply stores, they might have fax machines too!
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Dominique Adams
I had a similar issue and used Claimyr. It's a legit service that can save you time, especially if you're frustrated with hold times. However, it's important to weigh the cost against your time and financial situation. For some, the $20 fee is worth the time saved, but others might prefer to try other free methods first, like calling at off-peak times or trying to resolve the issue online. Always remember to keep detailed records of all your communications with them. In case you need to escalate the matter, having a comprehensive record can be beneficial. Good luck!
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Morita Montoya
This happened to me too! Turns out they needed the long form birth certificate, not the short form. Check which one you submitted.
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Kingston Bellamy
•I had the same issue, make sure you double-check the form requirements!
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Laila Prince
tldr: government gonna government 🙄 good luck OP!
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Isabel Vega
•Yup, it's a never-ending story with them.
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Butch Sledgehammer
Call them ASAP! Sometimes their system doesn't update properly and they need a human to manually check it. It's annoying but better than waiting and potentially having your claim denied.
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Alana Willis
•Thanks for the advice! Do you know how long the wait times are usually? I've heard horror stories about being on hold for hours.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•Last time I called, I was on hold for about 2 hours. It sucks but its worth it to get things sorted out. Bring a book or put on a movie while you wait lol
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Freya Ross
•Pro tip: call right when they open in the morning. You might get lucky and only wait 30 mins or so.
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Leslie Parker
•Sometimes calling on a Friday can help too, as it's less busy.
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Joy Olmedo
ugh the bureaucracy is REAL. sending positive vibes your way, OP! 💖✨
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Isaiah Cross
•Seriously, it's like navigating a maze.
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Christian Burns
guys. i've been dealing with this for MONTHS. uploaded my docs 3 times, called 12 times, even went to the office in person. still no resolution. im bout ready to give up tbh
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Alana Willis
•Oh no, that sounds awful! I'm so sorry you're going through that. Sending you strength 💪
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Sasha Reese
•Don't give up! Have you tried contacting your state rep like someone suggested above?
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Christian Burns
•yeah, tried that too. they said theyd "look into it" but its been radio silence for weeks now 😞
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Maybe consider seeking legal advice if it continues to drag on.
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Alice Pierce
Here's what you need to do: 1. Don't panic! This happens more often than you'd think. 2. First, check your online account to see if the document shows as "received" or "processed". 3. If it doesn't, try uploading the birth certificate again. Sometimes files get corrupted or don't upload properly. 4. Call the PFL office. Yes, it's a pain, but it's the fastest way to resolve this. 5. When you call, have your claim number ready and ask them to check if they can see the uploaded document in their system. 6. If they can't see it, ask if you can email it directly to a case worker. 7. Get the name and ID number of the person you speak to, and note the date and time of the call. 8. Follow up with a written letter referencing your call and reiterating what was discussed. Remember, persistence is key. Don't let them give you the runaround. Good luck!
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Alana Willis
•Wow, thank you so much for this detailed response! I'll definitely follow these steps. Fingers crossed it gets resolved quickly 🤞
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Esteban Tate
•This is great advice! I'd add: if you email anything, always request a read receipt. CYA all the way!
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Also consider keeping physical copies of everything you send, just in case.
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Kiara Greene
Have you tried reaching out to your local state representative? Sometimes they can help push things through faster.
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Alana Willis
•I hadn't even thought of that! How would I go about contacting them?
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Kiara Greene
•Just google "[your area] state representative" and you should find their office contact info. Give em a call!
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Evelyn Kelly
•They can be surprisingly helpful with stuff like this.
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Sergio Neal
I found a way to get someone on the phone without the wait. I used this site's (claimyr.com) calling tool that dials the phone menu, stays on hold, waits for a live agent to pick up, then sends the call to my phone. It does cost $20, but it works. Here's a video explaining it: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM
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Savanna Franklin
•Sounds sketchy. Is this legit? $20 seems steep just to make a phone call.
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Sergio Neal
•I get the skepticism, but it's totally legit. I was desperate and tried it out. Saved me hours of hold time. Worth every penny imo.
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Juan Moreno
•How long did it take for them to get someone on the line?
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Sergio Neal
•It took about an hour and a half, but I didn't have to sit there listening to that awful hold music 😅
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Amy Fleming
•I think it's worth trying if you really value your time and can't afford to wait.
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Paloma Clark
Plot twist: the government is actually run by toddlers who eat important documents for breakfast. 🤡
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Heather Tyson
•LOL that would explain so much 🤣
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Raul Neal
•Nah, toddlers are more efficient than this 😂
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Jenna Sloan
•Imagine if toddlers actually ran it, things might be more colorful at least!
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Noland Curtis
Anyone else feel like we need a complete overhaul of this system? It's 2023, why are we still dealing with lost documents and hour-long hold times? 🤔
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Diez Ellis
•Preach! 🙌 We put people on the moon but can't figure out how to process a simple claim smh
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Vanessa Figueroa
•For real tho. My cousin works in tech and says he could build a better system in his sleep 💤💻
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Abby Marshall
•Honestly, a tech overhaul is long overdue. This system is so outdated.
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Sophie Duck
This exact thing happened to me last month! I uploaded my son's birth certificate twice and still got that letter. Turns out their system had a glitch and wasn't properly processing PDF files over a certain size. I ended up having to compress the file and re-upload it as a smaller PDF. Also make sure you're uploading it in the right section - I accidentally put mine under "medical documents" instead of "relationship verification" the first time 🤦♀️ Keep screenshots of everything you upload with timestamps as proof!
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Giovanni Rossi
•Oh wow, this is super helpful! I never would have thought about file size being an issue. I'll definitely check that and make sure I uploaded it to the right section. Thanks for the tip about screenshots too - I wish I had done that from the beginning! Did you have to wait long after re-uploading the compressed file before hearing back from them?
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Luca Greco
•This is such great advice! I'm definitely going to try compressing my file and double-check which section I uploaded to. The file size issue makes total sense - government systems are probably running on ancient servers that can't handle larger files properly. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it gives me hope that this can actually get resolved! 🙏
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