Pregnancy Disability payment delays after premature birth - can visiting EDD office help?

I had a similar issue last summer. The Long Beach office can help but be prepared for a LONG wait (bring snacks and water). I actually had better luck at the Santa Ana office - shorter wait times and the staff seemed less overwhelmed. Either way, bring EVERYTHING with you - your claim ID, any letters they've sent, doctor's info, employer info, baby's birth certificate, and your ID. Also, did you file for pregnancy disability first and then will transition to PFL baby bonding later? Sometimes what happens is they're waiting for additional documentation to process the claim but never actually notify you about it.

the santa ana office is hit or miss. i went there twice for my claim last year. first time waited 3 hrs and the lady was super rude. second time only waited like 45 min and the guy fixed everything in 10 mins. so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This is why I always tell new moms to save at least 6-8 weeks of expenses before going on leave, because EDD is CONSISTENTLY delayed with their payments, especially with premature births because it throws off their paperwork timeline. The system is broken. To actually help though - call exactly at 8:00:00 AM when they open. Not 8:01. Not 8:05. EXACTLY when they open. That's the only way I ever got through. And when your claim does get approved, they'll pay you retroactively for all the weeks you certified for, so you'll get a larger lump sum payment.

have u tried using Claimyr? i was in the exact same situation with my baby (also a preemie!!) and was going crazyyyy trying to reach someone. My sister told me about this service that gets you through to an actual EDD rep without the endless busy signals. I was skeptical but it totally worked - they got me connected to an agent in like 20 mins when I had been trying for weeks. The website is claimyr.com and they have a demo video you can watch first: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 The agent I talked to was able to see that my doctor's form had an error on it (they checked the wrong box for disability type) and fixed it right away. Got my payment 3 days later.

Idk about visiting the office, but my doctor had to resubmit my forms THREE TIMES before EDD processed them correctly. Something about the diagnosis code being wrong. Make sure your doctor used the right pregnancy codes on your DE2501 form. Also did you do your certifications online? Sometimes people miss that step.

Another thing to check - login to your SDI account (not the regular EDD account) and see if there are any messages in your inbox or any forms they're waiting on. Sometimes there's a request for additional information that doesn't get mailed to you but shows up in the online portal. Also, for the transition from pregnancy disability to baby bonding PFL later - make sure you submit your PFL claim (DE2501F form) before your disability claim ends. There should be no gap between them. I've seen so many new moms have payment delays because they didn't realize these are technically two separate claims even though they're both through EDD.

this whole system is a JOKE. they expect new moms with freaking newborns to jump through all these hoops just to get money we're entitled to after paying into the system for years. i had my baby in 2023 and it took SEVEN WEEKS to get my first disability payment. and then another 3 week delay transitioning to baby bonding. i ended up having to borrow money from family which was humiliating.

Quick update on my previous comment - if you do go to the office, try to be there at least 30 minutes before they open. The lines get extremely long, especially at month-end when everyone is desperate for their payments to pay rent. Also, check if the office near you requires appointments now. Some EDD offices changed their policies after COVID and now require scheduled appointments for certain services.