PFL payments stopped after first payment - do I need to certify again? Confused about EDD accounts

PFL doesn't require bi-weekly certifications like unemployment. Once approved, payments should continue automatically every two weeks for your claim period. The fact that you got one payment but nothing after suggests there might be an issue with your claim. You DON'T need a separate UI account - PFL is handled through your SDI account since it's technically part of State Disability Insurance, not Unemployment Insurance. Check your claim status in your SDI account. Look for any messages or notices. Also check if your claim period dates are entered correctly - sometimes the system misinterprets your intended leave dates.

omg the EXACT same thing happened to me!!!! got my first payment then NOTHING for like 3 weeks!! i was freaking out about rent. turned out EDD had some random "eligibility issue" they never bothered to tell me about 🙄

yeah had to call like 50 times before getting thru. they said something was "flagged" on my account but wouldnt even tell me what! took another week after the call to get paid. so frustrating!!!

The EDD system is DESIGNED to make you give up! They're hoping you'll just walk away and not get the benefits you deserve. I've been through this THREE TIMES with different claims over the years and it's ALWAYS the same story - payments start then mysteriously stop with ZERO notification. The ONLY way to fix it is to call them, but good luck getting through their phone system. They must have the WORST phone system in any government agency I've EVER dealt with!!!

I had the same payment gap during my baby bonding leave earlier this year! After trying to get through on the phone for days with no luck, I used a service called Claimyr to reach an EDD agent. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 It got me connected to a real person at EDD within 20 minutes. Turns out there was a random "quarterly review" flag on my account that stopped my payments. The agent removed it right away and my payment arrived two days later. Saved me weeks of stress with a newborn! Their website is claimyr.com if you're interested.

wait so do we need to certify for pfl or not??? i thought we did every 2 weeks like regular unemployment

Here's what's likely happening: at the beginning of each quarter, EDD runs eligibility verifications on active claims, which can sometimes delay payments. We're just past the start of Q2 2025, so this timing aligns with your payment gap. Since you've received one payment, your claim is obviously approved, but it may be temporarily paused for this verification process. Unfortunately, EDD doesn't notify claimants about this process. You need to call the PFL customer service line at 1-877-238-4373. Ask specifically if there's a "quarterly review" or "quarterly verification" hold on your account. The agent should be able to release the hold and resume your payments. If your claim period is correctly showing March-May in your account, and there are no messages indicating issues, this is almost certainly what's happening.

when i was on maternity leave last year my doctor didnt fill out the form right or somethin and my payments stopped after the first one too but then i got backpaid for everything once they fixed it so dont worry youll get all your money eventually

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD using the Claimyr service someone recommended here (it actually worked!). The agent confirmed there was a quarterly review flag on my account that stopped my payments. She removed it immediately and said I should receive all my missing payments within 48 hours. So relieved! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.

so glad u got it fixed!! enjoy your baby bonding time and try not to stress about EDD anymore 👶💕

This is such a relief to hear your issue got resolved! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where my PFL payments stopped after the second payment in February. Reading through this thread, it sounds like the quarterly review flag is exactly what's happening to me too. I'm definitely going to try calling with that specific question about quarterly verification holds. It's so frustrating that EDD doesn't notify us when these automatic reviews happen - we're already stressed enough with new babies! Thanks for sharing your update, it gives me hope that this will get sorted out quickly once I can get through to someone.

This thread has been so helpful! I'm a new parent dealing with my first PFL claim and had no idea about these quarterly review holds. It's really reassuring to see that this seems to be a common issue with a clear solution. For anyone else reading this who might be in the same boat - it sounds like the key is to call and specifically ask about "quarterly verification" or "quarterly review" holds rather than just saying payments stopped. I'm bookmarking this thread because the advice about timing (start of quarters) and the specific phone number for PFL customer service is gold. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially Ella for the update!

Just want to echo what others have said about how helpful this thread is! I'm currently on my second week of PFL for my newborn and was getting anxious about potential payment issues after reading horror stories online. Seeing that there's actually a logical explanation for the payment gaps (quarterly reviews) and specific steps to resolve them makes me feel much more prepared. The tip about asking specifically for "quarterly verification holds" rather than just saying payments stopped seems like it could save a lot of time and frustration. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences - it's so much more valuable than the vague info on EDD's website!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with the exact same issue - got my first PFL payment in early March and then nothing for weeks. I had no idea about the quarterly review holds and was starting to panic about my bills. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much relief knowing this is a common issue with a clear solution. I'm definitely going to call the PFL line at 1-877-238-4373 and specifically ask about quarterly verification holds like others suggested. It's so frustrating that EDD doesn't communicate these automatic reviews to us - we're already dealing with the stress of new babies and shouldn't have to guess what's happening with our benefits! Thank you especially to Ella for sharing your update about getting it resolved, and to everyone else who shared the specific terminology and phone numbers. This community support means everything when you're trying to navigate this confusing system while caring for a newborn.

This thread is exactly what I needed to see! I'm going through the same issue right now - received my first PFL payment in mid-March and then complete radio silence for over two weeks. Like everyone else, I was starting to panic about whether I filled something out wrong or missed some kind of certification requirement. The quarterly review explanation makes perfect sense given the timing. I had no clue this was even a thing that EDD does automatically. It's really maddening that they don't send any kind of notification when these holds happen - especially when we're dealing with the financial stress of new parenthood! I'm going to call the PFL line tomorrow and specifically ask about quarterly verification holds like others have suggested. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their experiences and the specific terminology to use. This community knowledge is invaluable when EDD's own website and customer service are so unhelpful. Really hoping I can get this resolved quickly like Ella did!

This entire thread has been such a blessing to find! I'm currently in week 3 of my PFL claim and thankfully haven't hit any payment issues yet, but reading everyone's experiences has me so much better prepared for what might come up. The quarterly review hold explanation is something I never would have known to ask about - it's ridiculous that EDD doesn't inform claimants about these automatic processes. I'm saving the PFL customer service number (1-877-238-4373) and all the specific language about "quarterly verification holds" just in case. It's clear that knowing exactly what to ask for makes all the difference when trying to get through to them. What really strikes me is how this community has created the resource that EDD should have provided in the first place. New parents shouldn't have to piece together this crucial information from each other's trial and error experiences. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and solutions - you're helping so many of us navigate this confusing system during an already stressful time!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for me as someone who's currently experiencing the exact same issue! I received my first PFL payment in early March and then nothing for almost three weeks now. I was starting to think I had messed something up with my application or that there was some certification requirement I was missing. The explanation about quarterly review holds makes so much sense, especially given the timing at the start of Q2. It's really frustrating that EDD doesn't notify us about these automatic processes - we're already dealing with enough stress as new parents without having to worry about mysterious payment gaps! I'm definitely going to call the PFL customer service line at 1-877-238-4373 tomorrow and specifically ask about "quarterly verification holds" like others have suggested. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to Ella for the update about getting it resolved. This community knowledge is absolutely invaluable when EDD's own resources are so lacking. Fingers crossed I can get this sorted out quickly too!