Paper PFL application for baby bonding stuck in limbo for 4+ weeks - husband back at work with no benefits
Has anyone else's partner had to wait forever for their baby bonding PFL to process? My husband submitted his paper application exactly 4 weeks ago when our son was born (the online system was having issues so he had to use the paper form). We haven't received ANYTHING from EDD - no confirmation, no paperwork, literally nothing! He's already had to go back to work because we can't pay bills without his income. I'm so frustrated because we were counting on that money for at least a couple weeks of him being home with the baby. Is it normal to wait this long for paper apps? Did we mess something up? This is our first baby so we're totally lost with how this system works.
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Freya Andersen
Unfortunately paper applications are taking 6-8 weeks to process right now. EDD is completely backed up with claims. Did he make a copy of everything before sending it in? Also, did he call to check on the status? If he hasn't gotten ANY confirmation, it's possible his application never made it to them.
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Malik Jenkins
•Omg 6-8 weeks?! That's insane! He did make copies thankfully but we haven't been able to get through on the phone. He's tried calling like 15 times but either gets disconnected or is on hold forever until he has to hang up for work.
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Eduardo Silva
I had a similar nightmare with my baby bonding claim last year. The paper forms are THE WORST. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at EDD. It basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 When I finally got through, turns out they were missing one document from my employer that nobody told me about. Super frustrating but at least I found out what was happening.
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Leila Haddad
•is that service legit? sounds kinda sketchy tbh
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Eduardo Silva
•It worked for me! I was skeptical too but I was desperate after trying to call for two weeks straight. It's basically just holding your place in the phone queue without you having to actually sit there listening to hold music for hours.
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Emma Johnson
PAPER APPLICATIONS ARE A JOKE!!!! I swear EDD purposely delays them to save money. My partner applied on paper for his baby bonding time in February and it took 7 WEEKS to get approved. By then he'd already gone back to work part-time. The whole system is designed to make you give up!!
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Ravi Patel
•this is why i tell everyone to ALWAYS apply online!!! the paper forms just sit in a pile somewhere I swear
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Astrid Bergström
Hi there. Let me clarify a few things about paper applications vs online for PFL baby bonding claims: 1. Paper applications (DE2501F form) typically take 4-6 weeks to process in 2025, while online applications are processed in 1-2 weeks on average. 2. There is no automatic confirmation sent when they receive paper applications, unlike online applications which generate an immediate confirmation number. 3. Your husband can call 1-877-238-4373 to check the status, but as you've discovered, getting through is extremely difficult right now. 4. Important: If your husband has already returned to work, he should still qualify for retroactive benefits for the time he was off, as long as he properly documented his time off on the application. 5. One thing to check: did his employer complete their portion of the form before he submitted it? This is one of the most common reasons for delays. I'd recommend both continuing to try calling and sending a follow-up letter with his original application details and copies of the submitted paperwork to the PFL office.
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Malik Jenkins
•Thank you for all this info. His employer did complete their portion (we triple-checked that). It's good to know he can still get retroactive benefits - that would really help us catch up on some bills. I'll tell him to mail a follow-up letter tomorrow with copies of everything.
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Leila Haddad
my brothers gf had this happen too. turned out edd lost her application!! she ended up having to resubmit everything and it was a mess. try to call them!
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Malik Jenkins
•Oh no! That's what I'm afraid of. It's so frustrating that there's no tracking system for these paper applications.
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PixelPrincess
Wait, is PFL the same as SDI? My wife got SDI before the baby was born and that was processed super fast online. I thought PFL was the disability program?
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Astrid Bergström
•No, they're two different programs administered by EDD. SDI (State Disability Insurance) covers pregnancy disability before birth and recovery period after. PFL (Paid Family Leave) is the baby bonding benefit that mothers and fathers can use to bond with a newborn. They're often confused because they use similar forms and both go through EDD, but they're separate benefits with different eligibility requirements and processing systems.
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PixelPrincess
•Ohhh that makes more sense. So for our next baby my wife would get SDI for the pregnancy/birth part and then we could both potentially use PFL for bonding time?
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Astrid Bergström
•Exactly! In California, birth mothers typically use SDI for 4 weeks before birth and 6-8 weeks after birth (depending on delivery type). Then they can transition to PFL for baby bonding for up to 8 weeks. Non-birthing parents like fathers can take up to 8 weeks of PFL for baby bonding. The two parents can take their bonding time consecutively or at the same time.
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Ravi Patel
paper claims r the worst!! when i had my baby in 2025 i filed online and had my money in 10 days. tell him to try calling at exactly 8:01am thats when i always get thru
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Malik Jenkins
•Thanks for the tip! He'll try calling right when they open tomorrow.
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Freya Andersen
Just wanted to follow up - any updates on your husband's claim? Were you able to get through to EDD?
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Malik Jenkins
•Yes! Finally got some answers. He tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got through to EDD yesterday. Turns out they needed his doctor to fill out an additional certification form that was never sent to us. They're mailing it now and said once they receive it back, they'll process everything for the full retroactive period. So frustrating but at least we know what's happening now!
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