Switching from C-section disability to PFL baby bonding - help with continuous payment gap!
Had my baby via C-section on January 3rd, 2025 and my pregnancy disability is set to end on February 28th. I submitted paperwork to transition to baby bonding PFL starting March 1st, but I'm confused about what happens next. Will EDD automatically process my PFL claim since I'm already in their system for disability? Will there be a gap in payments? Do I need to file something special to make sure I get paid continuously without interruption? I'm the primary income earner right now and really can't afford any delays between benefits. My doctor already submitted the medical release form saying I'm recovered from surgery. Any advice from moms who've navigated this transition successfully?
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Oliver Weber
You need to file a seperate claim for PFL baby bonding. Your SDI claim ending and PFL beginning are two completely seperate benefits even though they're both through EDD. The online system should have given you an option to file for PFL after your disability ends. If you already did that and received confirmation, you're probably good, but I would check your EDD account to make sure it shows the PFL claim as 'pending' at minimum.
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Amina Toure
•Thanks for your help! I did submit the DE2501F form online for the PFL transition, but it still shows as 'processing' in my account. Does that mean there will definitely be a gap between payments? I'm getting really anxious about bills.
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FireflyDreams
I went through this EXACT same thing last year with my c-section! There was about a 10-day gap between my last disability payment and my first baby bonding payment. Super annoying but I think its just how their system works. 🙄
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Amina Toure
•Ughhh that's what I was worried about. Did you have to do anything special to make sure the baby bonding part actually started?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
when i had my baby i had to call like 50 times to get anyone at EDD. my advice is start calling NOW not when your disability ends. they take forever to process the switch and nobody tells you that! if you wait til your disability ends youll be waiting weeks with no money coming in!
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Javier Morales
•THIS! The phone system is a nightmare. I spent 3 weeks trying to get through to someone about my transition from disability to PFL and kept getting disconnected or told to call back later. I finally used Claimyr to get connected (claimyr.com) and they got me through to a real agent in about 20 minutes who fixed my claim right away. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Saved me a ton of stress during an already stressful time with a newborn!
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Emma Anderson
not to hijack but does anyone know if you can do baby bonding if you already went back to work? I had my baby 4 months ago and went back after disability but now my mom is sick and can't watch him anymore
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Oliver Weber
•You can take PFL baby bonding anytime within the first 12 months of your child's birth, so yes, you should still be eligible. You'd need to file a new claim and you might need your employer to verify your leave. Hope your mom feels better soon!
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Malik Thompson
To ensure a smooth transition from Pregnancy Disability (SDI) to Paid Family Leave (PFL) for baby bonding, here's what you need to do: 1. If you've already submitted your DE2501F form online, you're on the right track 2. The "processing" status is normal, but you should call EDD approximately 7-10 days before your disability ends to confirm everything is in order 3. Make sure your Claim Effective Date for PFL is listed as the day after your disability ends (Feb 29th in your case) 4. Your first PFL payment may be delayed by 7-14 days from your first eligibility date - this is unfortunately common 5. You won't need additional medical certification, but your employer may need to verify your leave The system shows these as separate claims, but they should process the transition automatically if all forms were submitted correctly. The key is to verify everything before your disability ends.
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Amina Toure
•Thank you SO much for the detailed info! I didn't realize I should call before my disability ends - I was planning to wait until after. I'll definitely call EDD next week to make sure everything is set up properly for the transition.
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Isabella Ferreira
I feel like EDD purposely makes this confusing to save money. They know most people won't follow up if there's a gap in payments because new parents are too exhausted to deal with bureaucracy! I had to fight for WEEKS to get my baby bonding started after disability and they owed me over $3,200 in backpay by the time it was finally fixed. The whole system is BROKEN.
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FireflyDreams
•Omg yes I felt the same way!! I was too tired to even know what day it was with a newborn, let alone track down missing benefits. My husband had to take over dealing with EDD because I was just crying on the phone with them lol
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Oliver Weber
One more important thing: make sure you're checking BOTH your UI Online account AND your SDI Online account. For some reason, even though they're all part of EDD, the systems don't fully talk to each other. Your PFL claim info might only show up in the SDI Online portal, not the regular UI Online account. This trips up a lot of people.
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Amina Toure
•Wait WHAT? I've only been checking the UI Online portal! I didn't even realize there was a separate SDI portal. That might explain why I'm not seeing much information. I'm going to check that right now. Thank you!
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CosmicVoyager
hi i have a question im getting disability for pregnancy now but my baby isnt born yet. do i need to wait to apply for baby bonding or can i do it now?
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Malik Thompson
•You should wait until after your baby is born to apply for PFL baby bonding. Your pregnancy disability will typically continue for 6-8 weeks after birth (8 weeks for C-section, 6 weeks for vaginal delivery). Once your doctor releases you from disability, then you can apply for PFL. Filing too early could create complications with your claim.
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Paolo Conti
Just wanted to add - if you're worried about the payment gap, you can also reach out to your local Assembly member's office! They have EDD liaisons who can sometimes expedite cases or at least get you a real person to talk to faster than calling the main number. I had to do this when my PFL got stuck in processing for over 3 weeks and they were able to get it moving within 48 hours. It's worth a shot if you're the primary income earner and can't afford delays. Also, make sure you have all your documents ready (birth certificate, medical release form, etc.) because they'll ask for everything again even though you already provided it for disability.
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