Filed PFL instead of SDI by mistake - how to cancel and refile?
I accidentally filed for paid family leave instead of disability. Now I need to cancel the wrong claim and file the correct one. Has anyone else made this mistake? How do I fix this without causing more problems?
38 comments


Tom Maxon
I found a way to solve canceling wrong claim, filing correct, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fLsP3qMfOg
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Aiden Rodríguez
Ugh, been there done that. The system is so confusing! I'd suggest calling them ASAP to explain the situation. Be prepared to wait on hold for hours tho 🙄
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Emma Garcia
•Hours on hold? No way, I cant afford to waste a whole day waiting
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Ava Kim
•Pro tip: call right when they open. Sometimes you can get through faster
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Good idea! I'll try that next time. Thanks for the tip! 👍
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Ethan Anderson
I found a method to get someone on the phone. I used this site's (claimyr.com) calling tool that dials the phone menu, stays on hold, waits for a live agent to pick up, then sends the call to my phone. It does cost $20, but it works. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM
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Layla Mendes
•Sounds too good to be true. Is this legit?
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Lucas Notre-Dame
•20 bucks? Thats kinda steep for just a phone call...
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Ethan Anderson
•I get the skepticism, but it saved me hours of frustration. Worth every penny IMO
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Aria Park
•How long did it take for them to call you back?
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Ethan Anderson
•It took about 2 hours, but I just went about my day and didn't have to actively wait on hold
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Noah Ali
This happened to me last year! Here's what you need to do: 1. Call the EDD office ASAP 2. Explain the situation clearly 3. Ask them to cancel the incorrect claim 4. File a new claim for disability 5. Follow up in writing (email or fax) to have a paper trail Don't worry too much, they deal with this kinda stuff all the time. Just be patient and persistent!
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Maya Patel
•Thank you so much for the detailed steps! I'll get on this right away. Did you have any issues after fixing the mistake?
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Noah Ali
•Nope, it all worked out fine once I got through to someone. Good luck!
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Chloe Boulanger
lol welcome to the wonderful world of government bureaucracy 🤡 good luck getting this sorted!
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James Martinez
Have you tried checking their website? Sometimes you can cancel claims online without having to call
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Maya Patel
•I looked but couldn't find an option to cancel. Maybe I missed it? I'll check again, thanks!
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Olivia Harris
Oof, what a headache. This is why we need a simpler system! 😤 Hope you get it sorted out soon, OP
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Alexander Zeus
Quick question - how long ago did you file the wrong claim? If it's been less than 24 hours, you might be able to catch it before it's fully processed
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Maya Patel
•It's been about 2 days now. I guess I'm past that window 😕
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Alexander Zeus
•Ah bummer. Well, at least you caught it relatively quickly. Some folks don't realize for weeks!
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Nolan Carter
I made a similar mistake a few months ago - filed SDI when I needed PFL! The key is to act fast and be super clear when you call. I'd recommend writing down exactly what happened before you call so you don't get flustered trying to explain it. Also, ask for a reference number for your call - it helps if you need to call back and reference the conversation. The whole process took me about 3 weeks to fully resolve, but they were able to cancel the wrong claim and get the right one started. Hang in there!
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Dylan Wright
•This is super helpful advice! Writing down what happened beforehand is such a smart idea - I always get tongue-tied when I'm on the phone with government agencies. Three weeks sounds like a long time but at least there's light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Tyrone Hill
Don't panic - this is actually more common than you think! I work adjacent to benefits processing and see this mix-up regularly. Here's what I'd suggest: 1. Call the EDD disability line (not the main number) - they have a specific process for switching claim types 2. When you get through, ask specifically about "claim type correction" - using those exact words helps them route you to the right department 3. Have your confirmation number from the PFL filing ready 4. Be prepared to provide medical documentation for your SDI claim right away to avoid delays The good news is they can usually transfer any payments you might have received to the correct claim type, so you won't lose money. Just expect about 2-3 weeks for the full correction process. Good luck!
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Aisha Khan
•This is incredibly helpful - thank you so much! I had no idea there was a specific disability line or that "claim type correction" was the magic phrase to use. I've been dreading having to navigate this mess, but your step-by-step breakdown makes it feel much more manageable. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your professional insight!
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Keisha Taylor
I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The stress was real, but it's definitely fixable. I ended up calling first thing in the morning (around 8:02 AM) and got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep was actually really understanding - apparently this happens more often than we think because the application process can be confusing. They were able to cancel my PFL claim and help me start the SDI application right over the phone. The whole correction took about 10 business days to fully process. Pro tip: if you have any medical paperwork ready, have it scanned and ready to email - they can expedite things if you can send documentation quickly. You've got this! 💪
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Jayden Reed
•Thanks for sharing your experience! It's such a relief to hear from someone who went through the exact same thing. 45 minutes on hold doesn't sound too bad compared to some of the horror stories I've heard. I'm definitely going to try calling right at 8 AM tomorrow and have all my medical docs ready to go. Really appreciate the encouragement - this whole situation has been stressing me out more than it probably should!
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Nia Jackson
I actually just went through this same mix-up last month! The confusion between PFL and SDI applications is so real - the forms look almost identical. Here's what worked for me: I called the EDD disability line at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday (avoid Mondays if possible, they're swamped). When I got through, I explained that I filed PFL by mistake and needed SDI instead. The rep was super helpful and said this happens all the time. They were able to cancel the PFL claim on the spot and walked me through starting a new SDI application over the phone. The whole process took about 2 weeks to fully resolve. One thing that really helped was having my doctor's contact info ready - they needed to verify some medical details right away. Don't stress too much about it, the system is designed to handle these corrections! 🙂
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Anastasia Ivanova
•This is exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you for the detailed walkthrough - it's so reassuring to know that the reps are used to handling this mix-up. I was worried they'd think I was an idiot for filing the wrong thing, but it sounds like it's actually pretty common. I'll definitely call on a Tuesday at 8 AM sharp and have my doctor's info ready. Two weeks doesn't sound bad at all compared to what I was imagining. Really appreciate you sharing your recent experience - it gives me so much confidence going into this! 😊
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Savannah Vin
I feel for you - this exact situation happened to my sister last year and she was panicking! The good news is that EDD deals with this mix-up constantly, so they have a pretty streamlined process. What really helped her was calling the dedicated disability line (1-800-480-3287) rather than the main EDD number - the wait times are usually shorter and the reps are specifically trained on SDI/PFL issues. She also kept a simple log of every call she made (date, time, rep name if they gave it, reference numbers) which saved her from having to re-explain everything when she called back for updates. The whole correction took about 2.5 weeks from start to finish. Don't beat yourself up about the mistake - the applications really are confusingly similar! You'll get through this 👍
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Joshua Wood
•Thank you for sharing that dedicated disability line number - I had no idea there was a separate line! That's super helpful. The idea of keeping a call log is brilliant too - I can already tell I'm going to need to make multiple calls to get this sorted out. It's such a relief to hear that your sister got through it successfully. I've been kicking myself for making this mistake, but hearing that the applications are "confusingly similar" from someone else makes me feel a bit less foolish. Really appreciate the practical tips and encouragement! 🙏
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Omar Hassan
I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Filed PFL when I needed SDI and I've been stressing about it all week. Reading through all these responses is giving me so much hope - it sounds like this mistake is way more common than I thought. I'm definitely going to try calling that dedicated disability line (1-800-480-3287) first thing Tuesday morning at 8 AM with all my medical docs ready. The tip about asking for "claim type correction" specifically is gold! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - knowing that others have successfully navigated this mess makes me feel so much better about tackling it. Fingers crossed I can get this sorted out quickly! 🤞
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Amara Torres
•You're definitely not alone in this - I'm reading through all these responses and feeling so much better about my own similar situation! It's amazing how much stress we put ourselves through when it turns out this is such a common mix-up. The fact that everyone who's dealt with this has gotten it resolved successfully is really encouraging. I love that this thread has basically become a support group for PFL/SDI mix-ups 😅 Good luck with your call on Tuesday - sounds like you've got all the best tips and tricks from everyone here!
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PrinceJoe
This thread is so reassuring! I made the exact same mistake three weeks ago - filed PFL when I desperately needed SDI for my back injury. I was absolutely panicking thinking I'd screwed everything up. I followed the advice about calling the dedicated disability line (1-800-480-3287) at 8 AM sharp on a Wednesday, had all my medical records scanned and ready, and used the magic phrase "claim type correction" when I got through. The rep was incredibly understanding and said they see this mix-up multiple times daily! She cancelled my PFL claim immediately and helped me file the correct SDI application over the phone. The whole correction process took exactly 2 weeks and 3 days. My first SDI payment just came through yesterday! Maya, don't stress about this - you caught it quickly and everyone here has given you the perfect roadmap. You've absolutely got this! 💪
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Owen Jenkins
•This is such amazing news to hear! Your timeline gives me so much hope - 2 weeks and 3 days isn't bad at all considering how complicated government stuff usually is. And the fact that your payment already came through is the perfect ending to this story! I was honestly losing sleep over this mistake, but seeing so many people share their successful experiences has completely changed my perspective. It's wild how something that felt like such a disaster is actually just a routine fix for EDD. Thank you for sharing the happy ending - it's exactly what I needed to hear! 🙌
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Caesar Grant
Wow, reading through all these responses is so helpful! I had no idea this was such a common mistake. I'm in a similar boat - filed PFL last week when I actually need SDI for a knee surgery recovery. I was beating myself up thinking I was the only one dumb enough to mix these up, but clearly the system is just confusing! I'm definitely going to call that dedicated disability line (1-800-480-3287) tomorrow morning at 8 AM with all my medical paperwork ready and use the "claim type correction" phrase. It's such a relief to see so many success stories here. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is a lifesaver! 🙏
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Javier Mendoza
•I'm so glad this thread exists too! It's incredible how something that feels so isolating and stressful is actually super common. I was literally googling "how badly did I mess up my benefits" at 2 AM last night, and finding this conversation has been such a relief. The knee surgery recovery sounds tough - I hope you get the SDI sorted out quickly so you can focus on healing instead of bureaucratic stress. It sounds like you've got all the right info now thanks to everyone's shared experiences. Wishing you luck with the call tomorrow! 🤞
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Aisha Jackson
This thread is giving me life right now! I literally made this exact same mistake just yesterday - filed PFL when I need SDI for a work injury. I was spiraling thinking I'd completely screwed myself over, but reading everyone's success stories is such a huge relief! It's crazy how something that feels like such a personal failure is actually just a super common mix-up due to confusing forms. I'm screenshot-ing all the key tips here: call 1-800-480-3287 at 8 AM sharp (avoiding Mondays), ask for "claim type correction," have medical docs ready to email, and keep a call log. You all are absolute heroes for sharing your experiences so detailed - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't find anywhere else! 🙌
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