Filing baby bonding PFL forms ahead of time - can we submit before leave starts?

u need the DE2508 form for PFL baby bonding even if it's ur second time taking it. i did the same thing, took 2 wks when baby born then took rest later. same form tho

You'll both need to complete the DE2508 form again for your remaining baby bonding time. Each claim is treated separately even though it's for the same child. Regarding timing - you can file the claim up to 41 days BEFORE your leave starts. This is actually recommended! According to EDD guidelines, you should apply no more than 41 days before your first day of leave, but definitely before your leave begins to avoid payment delays. Make sure you each have your own copy of the baby's birth certificate and your employer information ready. If you file online through SDI Online it's much faster than paper forms.

To answer your questions: 1. Yes, you'll each need to complete a new DE2508 form, even though you already took some baby bonding time. Each segment of PFL requires a separate claim application. 2. Unfortunately, you CANNOT file for PFL baby bonding before your leave starts. This is different from disability claims. For PFL baby bonding, you must file on or after your first day of leave. A few other important things to know: - You have 12 months from your child's birth to use all 8 weeks of PFL baby bonding - Make sure you specify the exact dates on your application - Your second claim may take longer to process than your first one did (2-3 weeks is common) - Both of you should note on your applications that this is a continuation of baby bonding from a previous claim Hope this helps!

when my husband and I did our baby bonding last year, we put down the exact same dates on our forms (thinking we could overlap) and EDD sent us this confusing letter saying we couldn't both bond with the baby at the exact same time?? Anyone else run into this? We had to redo everything and it was a nightmare with payments delayed for like 6 weeks

I literally just went through this exact situation last month! Took some time when baby was born, then went back to work, then took the rest. Here's what I learned: 1. Yes, it's the same DE2508 form 2. NO you cannot file early - I tried and my claim was denied 3. File literally the first day of your leave (set a calendar reminder!) 4. Processing took much longer for the second claim - about 12 business days vs 4 days for my first claim 5. Make sure your employer confirms your last day worked matches your PFL start date Also, when calling EDD with questions was impossible - busy signals for days! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human at EDD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 that shows how it works. Saved me hours of redial frustration when I needed to check why my claim was delayed.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I just called my HR department again and they confirmed we need to wait until the actual first day of leave to submit the DE2508. I'm going to make sure both our employers have the correct last day worked to avoid any delays. I'm also going to prepare everything ahead of time so we can submit first thing on our respective start dates. I appreciate all the tips about noting it's a continuation of previous baby bonding time. Really glad I asked here because our HR person was definitely giving us incorrect information about filing early!

my cousin works for edd and she said they're super backed up processing claims right now because of new system updates in 2025, so definitely file exactly on your first day off to avoid more delays!! also make sure your employer reports your last day correctly or it can cause issues with your claim

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who recently went through this process! I took my baby bonding leave in two separate chunks last year (4 weeks initially, then 4 weeks later). A few things that helped me: - Keep copies of your original birth certificate handy - you'll need it again for the second application - Double-check that your employer codes your leave correctly in their system. My HR accidentally marked my second leave as "vacation" instead of PFL, which caused a delay - If you're doing direct deposit, make sure your bank info is still current in the EDD system before filing The waiting period between filing and first payment was definitely longer for my second claim (about 2.5 weeks vs 1 week for the first), so budget accordingly. But once payments started, they were consistent and on time. Good luck with your leave planning! It's so nice that you and your husband can coordinate to maximize your time with your little one.