Missing final week PFL payment & transitioning to disability for postpartum depression - need urgent advice

You should definitely get that 8th week of PFL! Sometimes the final payment takes a few extra days to process, especially if it's a single week rather than the usual two-week payment. Check your claim history online to make sure all weeks show as certified and paid. For the postpartum depression disability, yes, you'll need to file a new claim using the DE2501 form. Your doctor/psychiatrist will need to complete the medical portion. This is considered a separate benefit from your baby bonding PFL. The good news is that since you already served a waiting period for your pregnancy disability (assuming you had that before PFL), you should not have another waiting period for PPD disability. I don't recommend going back on UI while waiting because you have to certify you're able and available for work, which contradicts needing disability. Instead, file your disability claim ASAP and ask your doctor to submit their portion promptly.

I jst went thru this!! Call them ASAP about ur last week. Mine got stuck in the system and they had to manually push it thru. Took me 3 WEEKS to get that payment and we were stressing bad cuz rent was due. For PPD, get ur doc to fill out paperwork NOW. I waited and ended up with no income for almost a month. Its a whole new claim and since u didnt have PDL before then ya u will have a waiting period. Its stupid but thats how it works.

I went through something similar last year. I had PPD after my baby and needed to transition from PFL to disability. Here's what I learned: 1. For the missing 8th week - don't wait, call EDD immediately. If the week is showing as "pending" it could be stuck in their system. 2. For PPD disability - yes, it's a separate claim. Since you didn't have pregnancy disability before baby bonding, you'll unfortunately have a one-week waiting period where you won't get paid. 3. File online if possible - it's faster! Go to the SDI Online portal (same as what you used for PFL). Your doctor will need to submit their certification directly to EDD. 4. Processing took about 10-14 days for me once all docs were submitted. I found using Claimyr to reach EDD was a lifesaver when I couldn't get through on my own. They connect you directly to an EDD rep without the endless waiting - saved me hours of frustration. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 or visit claimyr.com. Totally worth it when you're dealing with time-sensitive benefit issues.

DONT try to get UI while waiting for disability approval!!! You have to certify that you're able and available for work on UI which completely contradicts needing disability leave. EDD will see this as fraud and you could end up with an overpayment and penalties. The systems DO talk to each other eventually. Instead, make sure your doctor submits their certification promptly. If you're really worried about the gap, ask if your doctor can backdate the disability claim start date to begin the day after your PFL ends. They sometimes can do this if you were already experiencing symptoms.

Hey, I just wanted to share that I was diagnosed with PPD after my second baby too. The transition from PFL to disability was pretty smooth once I got all the paperwork submitted correctly. The most important thing is making sure your psychiatrist completes a detailed medical certification explaining why you can't work. For mental health claims, EDD sometimes requests additional information, so be prepared for that possibility. Also, don't forget that disability benefits are calculated differently than PFL. Mine were actually a bit higher than my PFL amount because of how the base period worked out. So that was a nice surprise! Hanging in there mama - PPD is tough but it does get better with proper treatment. ❤️

im in the EXACT SAME BOAT!!! ppd is kicking my butt and i just applied for disability after pfl too. did you get your final week payment yet? mine is also missing and i cant pay my stupid car payment now. edd is the WORST. 😡

To follow up on your questions about mental health documentation for disability: For PPD claims, your psychiatrist should clearly document: 1. Your specific symptoms and how they prevent you from working 2. Your current treatment plan (medication, therapy, etc.) 3. Estimated duration of disability 4. Any work restrictions if you could potentially do modified work Make sure all this information is included in the medical certification. If your psychiatrist isn't familiar with EDD disability claims, you might want to provide them with the EDD guidelines or sample documentation. And regarding the online filing - yes, you can file for disability online through SDI Online (same portal you used for PFL). Your doctor will need to submit their portion separately, either electronically or by mail. Electronic submission is much faster if they're set up for it.

My sister had this exact thing happen with her last week of PFL not showing up. The EDD system is garbage for handling single weeks at the end of claims. She had to call like 20 times before getting through to a human who fixed it. Good luck!!

I'm so sorry you're going through this - PPD is incredibly difficult and the last thing you need is EDD stress on top of it. I went through a similar transition about 6 months ago. For your missing 8th week, definitely call first thing in the morning (8am sharp) - that's when I had the most luck getting through. The single week payments seem to get stuck in their system more often than the bi-weekly ones. Don't wait too long because there are time limits on when they can fix payment issues. Regarding the PPD disability claim - yes, it's a completely separate claim from PFL. Since you went straight from unemployment to PFL (no pregnancy disability), you will unfortunately have the one-week waiting period. But here's something that helped me: ask your psychiatrist if they can backdate the start date to the day after your PFL ends if you were already experiencing symptoms. This can help minimize any gap. One thing I wish someone had told me - make sure your psychiatrist is very specific about your functional limitations in their certification. Don't just say "depression" - detail how it affects your ability to concentrate, make decisions, handle stress, etc. The more specific they are about work-related limitations, the smoother your approval will be. File online through SDI Online as soon as possible, and push your doctor to submit their portion quickly. My approval took about 2 weeks once everything was submitted properly. You've got this mama - focus on getting better, the financial stuff will work out! ❤️