Paternity leave payments delayed for 6+ weeks - Can't reach EDD on phone

Unfortunately this is pretty standard for paternity PFL claims right now. My claim took 7 weeks to process in March 2025. I think they're prioritizing pregnancy disability claims over baby bonding/paternity claims. Did you complete the DE2508 form correctly and have your employer fill out their section? One thing - make sure you're still doing your bi-weekly certifications even while waiting for approval, otherwise you'll have even more delays.

Call early!! I mean like 7:59am right before they open. Thats what worked for me lol I used to call in the middle of the day and gave up after a week. Once I started calling right at opening I only had to wait like 25 minutes.

This happened to me too but it was because I accidentally marked that I worked one day during my leave (I didn't). Check your certifications carefully. Might be something simple holding it up.

I went through this exact issue with my paternity PFL claim in January. The problem is that baby bonding claims are experiencing huge backlogs right now, especially for fathers (hate to say it, but it's true). The best way to resolve this is to speak with an actual EDD representative. After struggling like you for weeks, I discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD agent in under 30 minutes when I'd been trying for days. Their system basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through. Saved me at least another 3-4 weeks of waiting. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and sign up at claimyr.com if you want to try it. When I finally spoke with the EDD agent, they found that my claim had been flagged for identity verification, but the notice got lost in the mail. They resolved it on the spot once I actually reached someone.

This entire system is BROKEN. I had to wait 9 WEEKS for my paternity benefits and then they only paid me for 6 weeks even though I was approved for 8 weeks!!! I called 47 times before getting through and then the person couldn't even help me and transferred me to another department where I waited for 1.5 hours before being disconnected. The EDD is deliberately making it impossible to contact them so they don't have to help people. They're probably hoping you'll give up and go back to work so they don't have to pay you!!!

I work in HR and deal with this frequently. Here are some tips that might help: 1. Check if your employer properly completed their portion of the DE2508 (Paid Family Leave form) 2. Verify that your doctor properly completed Section B of the form if applicable 3. Make sure all dates on your claim match your employer's records 4. Check your EDD online account - sometimes they post messages requesting additional information 5. The most common reason for delays in paternity PFL is incomplete documentation or date mismatches If you still can't get through on the phone, you can also try sending a secure message through your online account. Sometimes they respond faster that way since fewer people use it.

My wife is going thru somethiing similar with her materinity leave they just dont care about new parents at all its so frustrating

Update us if you manage to get through! I'm curious if that Claimyr service actually works as well as some people say. It would be nice to have a reliable way to reach EDD when necessary.

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD! I tried calling right at 8AM as suggested but still couldn't get through after 7 attempts. So I used the Claimyr service mentioned above and got connected to a representative in about 25 minutes. Turns out my claim was flagged because my employer accidentally listed my return-to-work date incorrectly (they put the date I started leave instead of the date I'm returning). The EDD agent fixed it immediately and said my payments should be processed within 3-5 business days for the full 8 weeks. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! If anyone else is stuck in PFL limbo, definitely try either calling right when they open or use a service to get through if you're desperate like I was.