Impossible to reach EDD PFL phone agents - any working tricks?

same boat here...been trying for 2 weeks straight. gave up and just submitted everything through the portal. maybe try that?

The EDD phone system is notoriously difficult. Here's what worked for me: call exactly at 8:01am (not 8:00 when everyone else is calling), then immediately press 1-2-4 when the menu starts. Don't enter your SSN when prompted - that sometimes routes you to a general queue. Instead, wait through the prompts and only when forced to, enter your info. Also, Tuesdays and Wednesdays seem to have slightly lower call volumes than Mondays and Fridays.

LOL good luck getting through to those people! I had to call 37 TIMES over 3 days last month for my maternity leave transition to baby bonding! The system is BROKEN! They need to hire more people or fix their stupid phone system. I swear they hang up on purpose to keep their call stats down.

I was in your exact situation last month trying to get info about my PFL claim that was stuck in pending. After wasting hours calling repeatedly, I found a service called Claimyr that connects you with EDD without the wait. It worked perfectly - I got through to a rep in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and their website is claimyr.com. Totally worth it to resolve my baby bonding claim that had been stuck for almost a month.

As someone who used to work at EDD (not anymore thankfully!), here's what most people don't realize about the PFL phone lines: 1. The call volume is highest on Mondays and Fridays - try mid-week 2. EDD staffing is lowest from 12-2pm (lunch breaks) and after 4pm 3. The sweet spot is actually 8:30-9:15am on Tuesday-Thursday 4. If you have a complex question about transitioning from disability to baby bonding, ask specifically for a Tier 2 specialist 5. The online message system actually gets responses faster than phone for simple status checks Also, when you do get through, be specific about what you need. "Where's my payment" questions get generic answers, but "I filed form DE2501F on March 12th and need to know if you received my doctor's certification" gets you real answers.

have u tried faxing them lol? i kno it sounds crazy but my sister couldnt get thru on phone for her maternity leave so she sent a fax with her claim# and question and they called HER back next day! worth a shot maybe

u can also try the disability branch even if ur calling about PFL baby bonding. sometimes they can help or transfer u. that number is diffrent, u can google it

Just to clarify some misconceptions in this thread: Baby bonding PFL and pregnancy disability are two separate benefits with different eligibility requirements and documentation. For pregnancy disability (SDI), you need medical certification of your inability to work due to pregnancy/childbirth. For baby bonding PFL, you need proof of relationship to the child and employer verification. If you're transitioning from SDI to PFL, the most common issue is timing - you need to submit the PFL claim BEFORE your SDI claim ends to prevent gaps in payment. If your claim is stuck in pending, it likely means either: 1. They're missing documentation (birth certificate/proof of relationship) 2. Your employer hasn't responded to their verification request 3. There's a date mismatch between your disability end and PFL start Check your online account for any notices about required information. If nothing appears there, then yes, calling is your only option.

Update: I tried the Claimyr service I mentioned earlier after multiple failed attempts to reach EDD on my own. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes and resolved my issue! The website is claimyr.com for anyone else struggling to get through. Definitely worth it for the time saved and stress reduction.