EDD PFL paper claim approved - how long until paper check arrives in mail?

When my PFL claim was approved back in April, I got the check exactly 10 calendar days later. EDD seems to have a pretty consistent timeline for mailing them out. I think they process the payments in batches twice a week, so depending on when your husband's approval hit the system, it could take anywhere from 7-14 days total. Just make sure your mailing address is correct on his account!

got mine in 5 days but that was last year idk if theyve changed anything

The EDD is THE WORST with paper checks!!! My husband's PFL checks took TWENTY-ONE DAYS to arrive after approval!!! And when we called to ask where it was, they just kept saying "it's in the mail" and refused to help. Meanwhile we couldn't pay our rent on time and got hit with late fees. THEN they claimed they sent it but we never received it so we had to request a replacement which took ANOTHER 3 weeks!!! This was in February so pretty recent. Good luck with your husband's claim but DO NOT count on that money arriving anytime soon!!!

In my experience working with clients who've gone through the PFL process, paper checks typically arrive 7-10 business days after approval. The EDD processes payments on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so depending on when your husband's claim was processed, that affects when the check gets mailed out. Also, current USPS delivery times are running slower than usual in many areas of California. One thing to note - if this is his first payment, it sometimes takes a few days longer than subsequent payments because they're setting up the claim in their payment system. If you're anxious about timing, I'd suggest planning for 14 days to be safe, but it will likely arrive sooner.

I helped my brother with his PFL claim for baby bonding last month, and he was in the exact same situation. His check arrived 9 days after approval. One tip - log into the portal daily to see when the status changes from "approved" to "paid" - once it shows paid, the check has been mailed and you can usually expect it within 5-7 days. If you need to reach EDD to check on the status, don't waste hours on hold. I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an EDD agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 that shows how it works. Totally worth it when you need to get answers quickly about payment status.

make sure ur mail is secure cuz my neighbors PFL check got stolen from her mailbox last year and it was a HUGE hassle to get a replacement. took like 2 months she said. maybe get a mail lock box or something if u dont already have 1

Quick question - was your husband on State Disability Insurance before switching to PFL for baby bonding? My situation is similar but I'm transitioning from pregnancy disability to baby bonding next month and wondering if that affects the processing time?

Update: The portal just changed from "approved" to "paid" today (8/15)! Based on everyone's comments, sounds like we should expect the check within about a week. Thanks for all the helpful info everyone!

Congrats on getting to "paid" status! That's always such a relief. I'm currently waiting for my first PFL check too (approved last Friday) and this thread has been super helpful. One thing I wanted to add - if you're worried about mail theft like someone mentioned, you can also sign up for USPS Informed Delivery for free. They email you photos of what's coming in your mail each day, so you'll know exactly when to expect the check and can make sure to grab it right away. Really hope yours arrives quickly!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My PFL claim for baby bonding was approved on Monday and I'm also waiting for a paper check. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - it sounds like most people get their checks within 7-10 days which isn't too bad. I was getting worried because some horror stories online made it seem like it could take months. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines, especially the tip about watching for the status to change from "approved" to "paid" in the portal. That's going to help me track where things stand. Fingers crossed both our checks arrive soon!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I see a lot of people going through the same thing! My PFL claim for baby bonding was approved on July 28th and I received my paper check exactly 8 days later on August 5th. The status changed to "paid" 3 days after approval, so from "paid" status to mailbox was 5 days. I'm in the Bay Area if location matters. One thing that really helped my anxiety during the wait was setting up USPS Informed Delivery like someone mentioned - being able to see the check was coming that morning made such a difference! Also seconding the advice about checking your mailing address is correct and watching your mailbox closely. The check envelope looks pretty official but not super obvious it's from EDD, so don't overlook it. Hope everyone waiting gets their checks soon!

I'm currently waiting for my PFL check too and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My claim was approved 6 days ago and I'm starting to get anxious about when it will arrive. Reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that it should be coming soon. I especially appreciate the tip about USPS Informed Delivery - just signed up and it's already giving me peace of mind knowing I'll get advance notice. For anyone else in the same boat, it seems like the key takeaways are: watch for status change to "paid" in the portal, expect 7-10 days total from approval, and secure your mailbox. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips - this community is amazing for getting real-world experiences instead of just generic government website info!

I'm also waiting for my PFL paper check and this thread is exactly what I needed to find! My claim was approved 4 days ago and I've been checking the portal obsessively. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should see the status change to "paid" in the next day or two, then expect the actual check within a week after that. The USPS Informed Delivery recommendation keeps coming up - definitely going to set that up today. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money, but reading all these real timelines from people who've been through it recently is really helping manage my expectations. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this is way more helpful than the generic EDD website info!