PFL application mistake after premature birth - should my daughter have filed for disability first?

Yes, technically she should have filed for State Disability Insurance (SDI) first. Typically, pregnancy disability covers 4 weeks before birth and 6-8 weeks after birth (8 weeks for c-section), then PFL for baby bonding kicks in after that recovery period. Since she had a premature birth, she wouldn't have used the pre-birth disability period, but she should still qualify for the post-birth recovery period on SDI before transitioning to PFL.

the same thing happened with my sister last year!! her baby came 6 weeks early and she was so confused about what to apply for. its super common with preemies, dont worry!

She needs to file for SDI immediately using the DE2501 form. For a c-section, she's entitled to 8 weeks of disability recovery then can transition to PFL for baby bonding. She'll need her doctor to certify the disability claim. EDD will likely adjust her current PFL claim or she may need to withdraw it and resubmit after the disability period ends. Have her call EDD right away to explain the situation so they can guide her on exactly what steps to take. Birth complications like premature delivery and c-section definitely qualify for disability coverage first.

Dont stress to much about it. My cousin had similar mixup, EDD actually fixed it for her and split the claims properly once they reviewed everything. Just make sure she gets the disability form filled out ASAP!!

I had my baby in March and the SAME THING happened to me!!! I applied for PFL right after birth not knowing I needed SDI first. EDD's website is SO CONFUSING and they never make this clear!!! I had to call them 17 TIMES before I got through to someone who could help. The whole system is RIDICULOUS especially for new moms who are already exhausted and stressed out!!! They should automatically detect this issue instead of making us figure it out!

I was in a similar situation with an emergency delivery last year. I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 When I explained my situation to the EDD rep, they helped me withdraw my incorrect PFL claim and properly file for SDI first. The rep walked me through everything while I was on the phone. Definitely worth it to get this fixed quickly since benefit payments can be significantly delayed otherwise.

When I had my baby, I just went to my obgyns office and they helped me fill out all the right forms in the right order. Maybe your daughter can ask her doctor's office for help with this? Sometimes they have staff who assist with all the paperwork and know exactly what needs to be done.

Here's what your daughter should do, step by step: 1. File a State Disability Insurance (SDI) claim immediately for her c-section recovery period using form DE2501 2. Have her doctor complete the medical certification portion (this is crucial for the c-section recovery time) 3. Contact EDD to explain the situation and request they adjust her existing PFL claim 4. Ask them to set the PFL start date to begin after her disability benefit period ends With a c-section, she's entitled to 8 weeks of disability recovery followed by 8 weeks of PFL for baby bonding. EDD can often fix this situation and properly sequence the claims. Make sure she mentions the premature birth and emergency c-section when she speaks with them - these are qualifying medical conditions for disability.

My friend just had her baby last month & forgot to do disability first too. She talked to someone at EDD who said its acutlaly pretty common for new moms to not know the right order. They should be able to help your daughter fix it without losing any benefits!

Just to clarify something important - your daughter won't lose any money by doing this correction. The total maximum benefits remain the same, it's just that disability benefits for recovery from childbirth need to come before baby bonding benefits. In fact, for a c-section, the SDI disability rate might be slightly higher than PFL depending on her income, so fixing this could actually benefit her financially. Also, she should be able to backdate the disability claim to her delivery date. Make sure she indicates June 3rd as the date of disability (date of birth/c-section) on her forms.

I went through something very similar when my son was born 4 weeks early last year. The stress of figuring out the right forms while dealing with a NICU stay and recovery from an emergency c-section was overwhelming. What really helped me was having my husband handle all the EDD calls while I focused on recovering and bonding with our baby. If your daughter is still in those early weeks, maybe you could offer to make the calls for her? EDD representatives are usually willing to speak with family members about the situation, especially when there's a new baby involved. Also, don't let her stress too much - I've seen this exact scenario play out successfully for several other moms in my new parent group. EDD deals with this mix-up constantly and they have processes in place to fix it.