EDD SDI payment confusion - Does holiday delay 14-day processing time for pregnancy claim?

The 14 days is more of a guideline than a hard rule, especially around holidays. EDD technically means 14 business days, not calendar days, so Christmas and weekends don't count toward that timeframe. Based on my experience with my pregnancy claim last year, I'd expect your payment around January 5-7, 2026. The first payment typically takes the longest, then they're more regular after that.

they deff dont count holidays n weekends in the 14 days lol... my claim took 3 weeks during thanksgiving time last yr

To clarify some misinformation: The 14-day processing time DOES include weekends but NOT holidays. EDD operates on calendar days for claims processing timeframes, but state holidays pause the count. For December 2025, you'd have Christmas Day and New Year's Day extending your wait time by 2 days. More importantly, once approved, your benefit payments will be backdated to your disability start date, not the processing date. So you won't lose any money, just timing might be delayed. Also, for your first payment: they typically issue what's called a "partial payment" for any partial week at the beginning of your claim, then regular payments follow a bi-weekly schedule after that.

I went through EXACTLY this last December with my pregnancy disability! The holiday season COMPLETELY messes up their processing times. I waited almost 3.5 weeks for my first payment, and calling was IMPOSSIBLE - busy signals or 3+ hour wait times. I nearly missed my mortgage payment waiting. The EDD website is USELESS during holidays because they don't update the automated messages to account for their reduced holiday staffing. The "14 days" estimate is a JOKE in December!

Try using Claimyr to reach an EDD rep directly (claimyr.com). I was in the same situation with my pregnancy disability claim processing during a holiday period, and waiting for weeks with no updates. After trying for 3 days to call EDD directly and getting nowhere, I used Claimyr and they got me connected to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to manually push my claim through since it was complete but just sitting in their backlog. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 - definitely worth it when you're waiting on payments you need for bills!

They just need your phone number so their system can call you back when they get an EDD rep on the line. They don't need your SSN or any actual claim details - those you only share directly with the EDD agent once you're connected. It's basically just a service that does the waiting on hold for you.

is everyone here talking about SDI or PFL? i'm confused cause they're different right? I'm about to have my baby in February and trying to figure out which one I apply for first...

I'm currently on pregnancy disability leave too, and the payment schedule is super confusing! I got my first payment exactly 15 days after everything was received (including doctor forms), but then the next payment came randomly 12 days later? And now I'm waiting for my third payment and it's been 8 days. No rhyme or reason to their timing!

Update from my earlier comment: SDI payments for pregnancy claims are generally processed faster than regular disability claims, especially if your doctor submitted everything correctly. The 14-day guideline is usually accurate for the initial payment outside of major holidays, but with Christmas/New Year's, you're likely looking at 16-18 days instead. One tip: make sure you've certified for your benefit period if prompted in your online account. Sometimes there's a certification requirement even for pregnancy claims that can hold things up if missed.

If there's no certification prompt, you're good! Some pregnancy claims require it and others don't, depending on various factors. As long as your account shows 'claim received' with no action items, you're just in the waiting period now.

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed my pregnancy disability claim in early December and the waiting is so stressful when you're trying to budget for the holidays and upcoming baby expenses. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the holiday delays are pretty common. One thing that's been helpful for me is setting up text alerts through the EDD website so I get notified immediately when there's any status change on my claim. At least then I don't have to keep logging in to check manually every day. The waiting game is the worst part of this whole process! Hope your payment comes through soon - keeping my fingers crossed for both of us that it's sooner rather than later! 🤞

I'm in a similar boat - filed my pregnancy disability claim on December 10th and still waiting! Reading through all these comments has been really helpful, especially learning about the business days vs calendar days distinction. I had no idea holidays would pause the processing time like that. For anyone else waiting, I found it helpful to call the EDD automated line (1-800-480-3287) just to confirm they have all your documents on file. You don't talk to a person, but at least you can verify everything was received properly. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, especially when you're nesting and trying to get finances sorted before the baby arrives! Zainab, I hope your payment comes through by early January - the backdating policy should at least ensure you don't lose any money, just the timing delay. Hang in there! 💙

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed my pregnancy disability claim on December 9th and my doctor submitted everything by December 16th. The holiday timing is so frustrating when you're trying to budget for baby expenses and end-of-year bills. From what I've gathered from friends who've been through this, the key thing is that once your claim is approved, all payments will be backdated to your actual disability start date. So even though the processing delay is stressful, you won't lose any money - just the timing gets pushed back. I've been checking my EDD account obsessively, but based on everyone's experiences here with holiday delays, I'm now expecting my first payment around January 6-8th instead of before New Year's. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, especially when you're in nesting mode and trying to get everything organized financially! Hang in there - sounds like we're all in this holiday processing limbo together! 🤰

I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and about to start this process myself, so this thread has been incredibly helpful! The holiday timing confusion makes so much sense now - I was planning to submit my claim right after New Year's but now I'm wondering if I should wait until mid-January to avoid any lingering holiday processing delays? Also, for those who've been through this - do you recommend having all your doctor paperwork ready to submit the same day you file your initial claim? It sounds like getting everything in quickly helps speed up the overall timeline. The financial planning aspect is definitely stressing me out, especially after reading about 3+ week delays during holiday periods! Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world info you can't find on the EDD website! 🙏