EDD PFL question: What happens if I select "claim maximum benefit weeks now"?

I just did PFL in January! So that question just means do you want to claim all your available weeks now. You DON'T get paid upfront - you still do bi-weekly certifications and get paid every 2 weeks. Selecting yes basically tells EDD you want to use all 8 weeks at once rather than splitting them up.

This is a common source of confusion. Selecting "yes" to claiming the maximum weeks simply means you're establishing your intent to use all 8 weeks of PFL for baby bonding consecutively. You won't receive payment upfront - California EDD processes payments after you submit certification forms every two weeks. If you select "no," you'd need to specify exactly how many weeks you're claiming now, which is useful if you're planning to split your leave (like taking 4 weeks now and saving 4 weeks for later within your 12-month eligibility period). For most people taking consecutive leave, selecting "yes" is simplest.

I went thru this last month and was super confused too lol! Basically: - Yes = "I want to take all 8 weeks right now in one stretch" - No = "I want to take some weeks now and maybe save some for later" You still get paid every 2 weeks either way after you do those annoying certifications. I picked YES since I was taking all 8 weeks at once. BTW make sure you remember to do those bi-weekly certifications!! EDD doesn't always send reminders and I almost missed one. You gotta log in and do them like clockwork or your payments get delayed.

EDD's forms are THE WORST with their confusing questions!! I swear they intentionally make them complicated. When I did my PFL last year, I stared at that question for 20 minutes before calling. Took me 3 DAYS to reach someone who could explain it. For anyone who can't get through on the phone, I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an EDD agent in like 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Totally worth it when you're sleep deprived with a newborn and need answers fast!

ok listen im gonna say something different from everyone else here. i put YES on mine and i still got screwed up by the system. they only approved 4 weeks initially and i had to call and argue with them to get the other 4 weeks. the rep told me sometimes the system splits it automatically depending on how busy they are even if u request all 8 weeks. just keep an eye on ur claim if u do request all 8 weeks.

I process these claims for a living, so let me clarify. When the form asks if you want to claim maximum benefit weeks now, it's asking if you want to establish your claim for the full 8 weeks of PFL for baby bonding (or 8 weeks for caregiving) in one continuous period. Selecting "yes" means: - You're requesting all available weeks at once - You'll still certify bi-weekly to receive payments - Payments are never provided in advance - Your claim will be set up for consecutive weeks Selecting "no" means: - You'll specify fewer weeks (such as 4 of your 8) - You can file another claim later for remaining weeks - Useful for parents splitting leave or taking intermittent bonding time Most claimants taking their full entitlement at once should select "yes." This doesn't affect payment timing, only the duration of your established claim period.

Did anyone else get confused between pregnancy disability and baby bonding?? I thought I was applying for maternity leave but apparently thats SDI not PFL?? This system is so damn complicated!! I'm due in 3 weeks and still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be filing.

Just checking back in to say I selected "YES" to claim all 8 weeks, and my application was approved! Thanks everyone for your help. Just to confirm what everyone said - I'm still getting paid biweekly after submitting certifications, not all upfront (which makes way more sense now that I think about it). 😊

This thread is so helpful! I'm in the exact same situation as the original poster - about to submit my PFL application and was completely confused by that question. Reading everyone's explanations, especially from @Nia Davis who processes these claims, makes it crystal clear that selecting "yes" just means I want to use all 8 weeks consecutively, not that I'll get paid upfront. One follow-up question though - if I select "yes" for the maximum weeks, can I still go back to work early if needed? Like if I decide I only need 6 weeks instead of 8, or would I be locked into the full 8 weeks once I make that selection?

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant with my first baby and trying to wrap my head around all these different leave options. Reading through everyone's experiences really clarifies that the "maximum benefit weeks" question is just asking if you want to use all 8 weeks of PFL consecutively, not about getting paid upfront. One thing I'm still wondering about - when exactly should I submit my PFL application? I know I need to do SDI first for the disability portion, but should I wait until after I give birth to apply for the baby bonding PFL, or can I apply for both at the same time? I want to make sure I don't miss any deadlines or mess up the timing between the two different claims. Also, has anyone had experience with employers who offer additional paid leave on top of the state benefits? I'm trying to figure out how to coordinate everything so there are no gaps in pay.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm currently going through the PFL application process myself and that question about claiming maximum benefit weeks had me completely stumped too. Reading everyone's explanations really clarifies that it's just about whether you want to use all 8 weeks consecutively versus splitting them up. One thing that might help other newcomers like me - I found it useful to call the EDD customer service line even though the wait times are brutal. The representative I spoke with confirmed that selecting "yes" doesn't change your payment schedule at all, you still get paid every two weeks after certification. She also mentioned that if you're unsure about taking the full 8 weeks, you can always return to work early and just stop certifying. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it really takes the stress out of navigating these confusing government forms! 🙏

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm a first-time parent and just started my PFL application today. That "maximum benefit weeks" question had me completely paralyzed - I kept going back and forth wondering if I was about to accidentally request some kind of lump sum payment that would mess things up. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief. It sounds like selecting "yes" is pretty straightforward if you're planning to take all 8 weeks consecutively, which is exactly what I want to do. The clarification that you still get paid bi-weekly after certifications (not upfront) makes total sense now that I think about it. One quick question for anyone who's been through this recently - about how long did it take from submitting your application to getting your first payment? I'm trying to budget for the transition period between my last work paycheck and when the PFL benefits start coming in.

This thread has been incredibly helpful as a newcomer! I'm currently preparing my PFL application and was also completely confused by that "maximum benefit weeks" question. Reading through everyone's experiences really clarifies that it's just about establishing your claim period, not about payment timing. What really stands out to me is how misleading EDD's wording is on their forms. Like others mentioned, it seems almost intentionally confusing! I appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences - especially hearing from @Nia Davis who actually processes these claims professionally, and @StarSurfer confirming the details directly with an EDD rep. For other newcomers who might be reading this: the key takeaway seems to be that selecting "yes" to maximum weeks just means you want to use all 8 weeks consecutively, you'll still get paid every 2 weeks after certifications, and you can always return to work early if needed. Thanks everyone for making this so much clearer! 🙏

As someone who just went through this exact same confusion last week, I can definitely confirm what everyone else is saying! That question is SO poorly worded - I literally stared at it for like 30 minutes thinking I was going to accidentally request some kind of advance payment. I ended up selecting "yes" for maximum weeks since I'm planning to take the full 8 weeks consecutively. My application was approved within about 10 days, and I just received my first payment after doing my first bi-weekly certification. Everything worked exactly as everyone described - no lump sum, just regular payments every two weeks. One tip I'd add: make sure you have your baby's birth certificate ready when you apply! I didn't realize I'd need it right away and had to wait a few extra days for it to arrive before I could complete my application. Would have saved me some stress if I'd known that ahead of time. Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing their experiences - it really helps us newcomers navigate this confusing system! 😊

This thread is exactly what I needed! I'm a new parent currently filling out my PFL application and got completely stuck on that "maximum benefit weeks" question too. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring - especially knowing that selecting "yes" just means I want to use all 8 weeks consecutively and doesn't affect the payment schedule at all. It's honestly ridiculous how confusing EDD makes these forms. Like @Zoe Papadopoulos mentioned, it really does seem intentionally misleading! I was genuinely worried I was about to accidentally request some kind of lump sum payment that would create problems. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences here, particularly @Nia Davis for the professional insight and @Gemma Andrews for the birth certificate tip. This community is so helpful for navigating these government systems that seem designed to confuse us! Going to confidently select "yes" now and get this application submitted. 🙏

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant and trying to prepare all my paperwork ahead of time. That "maximum benefit weeks" question had me completely stumped too - I kept reading it over and over thinking there had to be some catch I was missing. Reading everyone's real experiences here makes it so much clearer that it's literally just asking if you want to use all 8 weeks at once versus splitting them up. The fact that you still get paid bi-weekly after certifications (not as a lump sum) makes total sense now that I understand it properly. Special thanks to @Nia Davis for the professional perspective and everyone else who shared their timing experiences. It's honestly such a relief to have this community break down these confusing government forms in plain English! Now I can focus on the other million things I need to prepare before baby arrives instead of stressing about this one question. 😊

This thread is a goldmine! I'm a new parent who just started the PFL application process and was totally baffled by that "maximum benefit weeks" question too. Like so many others here, I was terrified I was about to accidentally request some kind of upfront lump sum payment that would mess everything up. Reading through all these real experiences has been such a huge relief - especially the clarification from @Nia Davis who actually processes these claims professionally. Now I understand it's simply asking if I want to use all 8 weeks consecutively rather than splitting them up, and that payments still come bi-weekly after certifications just like everyone described. It's honestly mind-boggling how poorly EDD words their forms! Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences here - this community is amazing for translating confusing government-speak into actual helpful information that new parents can understand. Feeling much more confident about submitting my application now! 🙌

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently filling out my PFL application and was completely frozen on that "maximum benefit weeks" question. Like everyone else here, I was terrified I was about to accidentally request some kind of lump sum payment or lock myself into something I didn't understand. Reading through all these real experiences makes it crystal clear now - it's literally just asking if I want to take all 8 weeks consecutively versus splitting them up. The fact that you still get paid every 2 weeks after doing certifications (not upfront) makes so much more sense! It's honestly incredible how EDD manages to make such a simple question sound so complicated and scary. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here, especially @Nia Davis for the professional insight. This community is amazing for translating confusing government forms into actually helpful information! Going to confidently select "yes" and get this application submitted. 🙏

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a new parent who just started my PFL application and was completely paralyzed by that "maximum benefit weeks" question too. Like so many others here, I was convinced I was about to accidentally trigger some kind of lump sum payment that would cause problems. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been such a relief - especially the professional clarification from @Nia Davis and all the confirmation that payments still come bi-weekly after certifications regardless of which option you choose. Now I understand it's simply asking whether I want to take all 8 weeks consecutively or split them up. It's honestly absurd how EDD manages to make such a straightforward concept sound so intimidating! This community is amazing for translating government-speak into actually useful information that new parents can understand. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - it makes navigating these confusing systems so much less stressful! 🙏

This thread has been absolutely amazing! I'm a new parent just starting my PFL application and was completely stuck on that "maximum benefit weeks" question. Like everyone else here, I was terrified I was about to accidentally request some kind of advance payment or get locked into something I didn't understand. Reading through all these real experiences has been such a huge relief - especially knowing from @Nia Davis's professional perspective and everyone else's confirmations that selecting "yes" just means taking all 8 weeks consecutively, and you still get paid every 2 weeks after certifications like normal. It's honestly ridiculous how EDD manages to make such a simple question sound so scary! I was literally googling "EDD maximum benefit weeks lump sum" trying to figure out what I was getting myself into. This community is incredible for breaking down these confusing government forms into actually understandable information. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made what seemed like a terrifying decision into a straightforward one. About to confidently select "yes" and submit this application! 🙏