EDD PFL debit card not received after approval letter - normal timeline?
I'm super confused about the EDD PFL payment process. My husband just got his baby bonding approval letter yesterday which shows he'll get $1,460/week for 8 weeks (we had twins in January!). The letter has all the payment dates and amounts listed, but no actual debit card came with it. Is this normal? Does the Bank of America EDD card come separately after the approval letter? This is our first time dealing with any state benefits and we're not sure if we should be calling EDD about a missing card or if we just need to wait longer. The first payment is supposed to post next week according to the letter.
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Ruby Garcia
Yes, the BofA EDD debit card comes separately from the approval letter. The approval letter just confirms eligibility and benefit amount. The card usually arrives 5-7 business days after the approval letter, but sometimes it can take up to 10 days. If you don't receive it by then, that's when you should contact EDD or Bank of America EDD card services.
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Isaiah Thompson
•Thank you SO MUCH! That's a relief. We'll wait another week before panicking then.
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Alexander Evans
Congrats on your twins! 👶👶 The card definitely comes separate. My husband just went through this for our baby in November.
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Evelyn Martinez
The card comes separately but MAKE SURE you activate it immediately when it arrives! My husband waited a few days to activate his and somehow they flagged the account for potential fraud which caused a 3-week delay in getting the first payment. The approval letter is just telling you what you'll get, but you need that physical card for the actual money. Also set up direct deposit ASAP so you don't have to deal with the card after the first payment!
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Isaiah Thompson
•Oh wow, thank you for the heads up! We'll definitely activate it right away and set up direct deposit. I had no idea they could flag it just for not activating quickly!
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Benjamin Carter
Trying to reach EDD about anything is literally IMPOSSIBLE!!! I spent 14 DAYS trying to get through about my missing card last year. They send the stupid approval letter but then the card goes to the wrong address and you're just STUCK. The system is completely broken!!!
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Maya Lewis
•If you're having trouble reaching EDD by phone, you might want to try Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to an EDD agent without waiting on hold for hours. My sister used it when her PFL card never arrived and she got through to a rep in minutes instead of days. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and their website is claimyr.com. Saved her a ton of stress during an already stressful time with a newborn.
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Isaac Wright
the card comes after did it right but make sure ur mail is secure cus my neighbors got mine by accident lol and i had to request a new 1
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Lucy Taylor
Just wondering - did your husband have to submit additional documentation for twins? We're expecting twins in April and I'm worried about whether my husband will need anything special for his baby bonding claim beyond what's needed for a single birth. Sorry, I know this doesn't answer your question about the card!
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Isaiah Thompson
•No worries! He didn't need to submit anything different for twins vs a single baby. The PFL benefit is the same 8 weeks regardless of having one baby or multiples (which seems a bit unfair tbh!). He just needed to provide both birth certificates though. Good luck with your twins! Feel free to message me if you have any other questions - twin life is crazy but wonderful!
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Ruby Garcia
One more thing to be aware of - if your husband received SDI for Pregnancy Disability Leave before applying for PFL Baby Bonding, he should already have an EDD debit card. In that case, the PFL funds would go to the existing card, not a new one. But since you mentioned this is your first time with state benefits, I'm assuming he didn't have SDI first.
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Isaiah Thompson
•Oh that's good to know for future reference! But you're right, this is his first claim since obviously he couldn't get pregnancy disability leave (that was me, but I have private disability through my employer so I never dealt with EDD). This is just for his 8 weeks of baby bonding with the twins.
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Evelyn Martinez
Has your husband checked his UI Online account? Sometimes the payment will show as issued there before the physical card arrives. It might give you peace of mind to see if the system shows the payment as processed yet.
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Isaiah Thompson
•That's a smart idea! I just asked him to check and he says it shows the claim as approved but no payment activity yet. I guess that means they haven't sent money to the card yet anyway, so we're not missing anything even without the card. Hopefully both will show up soon!
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