EDD maternity payments DELAYED - 6 weeks after birth and still nothing!

omg same thing happened to me!!! i filed 8 weeks before due date back in january and didn't get my first payment until 3 weeks AFTER my baby was born. the worst part is they never even told me why it was delayed, the money just randomly showed up one day. the system is sooooo broken

Unfortunately, this is pretty common with the EDD system right now. For my twins last year, it took about 4 weeks after birth to get my first disability payment, then another 2 weeks to successfully transition to PFL baby bonding. Make sure you've properly completed your transition from pregnancy disability to PFL using form DE2501FP - many people miss this step and it causes additional delays. Also double-check your EDD account online to see if they've posted any notices requesting additional documentation that might be holding things up.

Mine took forever too. I finally got my pregnancy disability payment about 5 weeks after filing, and my baby bonding PFL payments started about 2 weeks after that. The key thing that worked for me was actually getting through to an EDD representative on the phone who could see that my claim was stuck in "pending medical review" even though all my paperwork was complete. Have you been able to speak with an actual agent yet? That made all the difference for me.

After dealing with the same nightmare (took 7 weeks to get my first payment!), I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. It basically calls EDD for you and connects you when they answer. Totally worth it for my sanity. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and their website is claimyr.com. The agent I spoke with was able to immediately see that my claim had a "pending verification" flag that nobody had bothered to review, and she cleared it while I was on the phone.

THE EDD SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN!!!! I had my baby in February and didn't see a SINGLE PAYMENT until mid-April, and even then they only paid me for half the time I was out. Had to fight for another MONTH to get the rest. Meanwhile bills were piling up and my partner and I were choosing between diapers and electricity. It's CRIMINAL how they treat new parents!!! Don't expect anything to happen without fighting for it - that's my advice after going through this nightmare.

My wife had her baby in March and we got payments pretty quick actually about 10 days after she filed her final claim. But we had a previous issue with her regular disability for something else last year so maybe our paperwork was already in order? Dont know if that helps but not everyone has problems.

While you're waiting for payment, make sure you're continuing to certify for benefits every two weeks through your online account. Missing a certification period can further delay your payments. Also, check if your employer submitted their portion of the paperwork correctly. Sometimes delays happen because employer verification is incomplete or missing, especially if you work for a smaller company that doesn't process many leave claims.

just wanted to add that when i finally got thru to someone at edd they told me theyre super backlogged because of staffing issues and that its taking 4-6 weeks for most pregnancy claims right now. which is RIDICULOUS considering they know exactly when babies are due!!! like why cant they plan ahead???

Just an additional tip - if you do manage to reach an EDD representative, ask them to check for "stop payments" or "pending verification" flags on your account. Sometimes these get added automatically by their system and need manual clearing. Also, be sure to ask for a direct number or extension for follow-up - some agents will provide this if you ask nicely, which can save you from starting over with a new agent next time.

Update on my previous comment: The current average processing time for pregnancy disability claims is actually 5-7 weeks according to what I've heard from several other moms in my support group. For the transition to PFL baby bonding, it's another 2-3 weeks. The most common delay factors are: 1) Doctor's verification forms being incomplete 2) Employer verification delays 3) System backlogs, especially during summer months when many staff take vacation. If it's been 6+ weeks since you filed, you definitely should try to speak with a representative, as your claim might have an issue that needs manual intervention.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of not getting payments while caring for a newborn is just awful. I went through something similar last year and what finally helped was calling EDD at exactly 8:00 AM when they open - I literally had my phone ready to dial at 7:59 AM. It took me about 12 tries over different days, but I finally got through without being disconnected. The agent found that my claim had been flagged for "manual review" even though all my paperwork was complete, and she was able to release the payments that same day. Also, make sure you're checking your EDD online account daily for any notices - sometimes they request additional info but don't always send it by mail or email. Hang in there, you WILL get your money eventually!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! Filed my pregnancy disability claim 10 weeks ago, had my baby 4 weeks ago, and still haven't seen a penny. What's even more frustrating is that my online account just shows "claim pending" with no explanation of what they're waiting for. I've tried calling dozens of times but like everyone else, I either get busy signals or sit on hold forever. My partner and I are basically living paycheck to paycheck at this point and it's causing so much stress during what should be a happy time with our new baby. Reading these comments at least gives me hope that the money will eventually come through, but the system is just completely broken. How are new parents supposed to survive financially when the benefits we pay into through payroll deductions don't actually show up when we need them most?

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare - it's absolutely infuriating that new parents have to go through this stress when they should be focusing on their babies. I'm a new mom too and had a similar experience with EDD delays, though not quite as severe as yours. What helped me was actually contacting my state assembly member's office (you can find yours at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov). They have constituent services that can intervene with EDD on your behalf. I sent them an email explaining my situation with my claim number and timeline, and within 3 business days an EDD supervisor called me directly and resolved the issue. My payments started flowing within a week after that. It's ridiculous that we have to escalate to elected officials to get basic benefits we've paid into, but sometimes that's what it takes to cut through the bureaucratic mess. Also, document everything - dates you called, reference numbers, what you were told - it helps when you're explaining the situation to your assembly member's office.

I'm going through the exact same thing and it's absolutely maddening! Filed my pregnancy disability claim 3 months ago, had my baby 5 weeks ago, and still haven't received a single payment. What makes it worse is that I can see in my online account that they've been "processing" my claim for over 2 months now with zero updates or communication about what's causing the delay. I've burned through all my savings and we're now relying on credit cards just to buy groceries and baby supplies. The stress is overwhelming when you're already dealing with postpartum recovery and a newborn. Reading through these comments, it sounds like contacting your assembly member might be the way to go - I'm definitely going to try that next. It's absolutely criminal that a system designed to support families during one of the most vulnerable times in our lives is this broken. Hang in there everyone, and thank you for sharing your experiences - at least we know we're not alone in this nightmare!