Transitioning from SDI to EDD PFL for baby bonding - do I need to close my disability claim online?
Hi everyone! I just finished my 6 weeks of pregnancy disability/maternity leave through SDI and submitted my application for PFL baby bonding yesterday. I'm confused about what to do with my disability claim in the EDD online portal. Should I just leave it alone since it's completed, or do I need to formally close it out somehow? I don't want to mess anything up with my new PFL claim by having the old one still technically "open" in the system. The EDD website isn't clear about this transition process and I'm worried about delays. Has anyone been through this recently? Thanks in advance!
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Jace Caspullo
You don't need to do anything with your disability claim - it automatically closes once your doctor-certified recovery period ends. The system will show it as "exhausted" or "inactive" after a while. Focus on your PFL application and make sure you uploaded any required documentation for the baby bonding period. The two claims are linked in their system but processed separately. Your PFL claim should get approved within 2 weeks if everything was submitted correctly.
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Adriana Cohn
•Thank you so much for clarifying! That's a relief. The EDD online portal is still showing my disability claim as active which was confusing me. I did upload my baby's birth certificate with the PFL application. Fingers crossed for the 2-week timeline!
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Melody Miles
congrats on your baby!! i just went through this in January. dont touch anything with the old claim. the system updates itself eventually. my pfl took almost 3 weeks to process tho so dont panic if it takes longer then expected!!
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Adriana Cohn
•Thank you and congrats to you too! 3 weeks isn't too bad - I was worried it might take longer. Did you receive any kind of notification when your disability claim was officially closed in their system?
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Melody Miles
•nope! the disability claim just kinda sat there for a while then one day i logged in and it said inactive. they never sent any email or anything about it!
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
I remember being confused about this too! I actually called them because I was worried about the same thing. The rep told me that closing out the disability claim happens on their end and we don't need to do anything. Though getting through to EDD on the phone was an absolute nightmare - took me three days of calling.
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Eva St. Cyr
•If anyone needs to get through to EDD quickly, I highly recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was struggling to reach an agent for days about my SDI to PFL transition, then tried their service and got connected to an EDD rep in under 25 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. Seriously saved me so much stress during an already stressful time with a newborn!
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Kristian Bishop
WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T TOUCH YOUR DISABILITY CLAIM!!!! I made the mistake of trying to "close" mine because I thought it would help speed up my PFL processing and it created a HUGE MESS!! The system flagged both claims for review and my PFL payments were delayed by FIVE WEEKS!! Just leave everything alone and let the system handle it - the EDD computers are from like 1985 and get very confused easily!!!!!
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Kaitlyn Otto
•omg five weeks?? that's terrifying. i'm about to submit my pfl claim next month after my disability ends. did you eventually get all your money or did they deny any weeks?
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Kristian Bishop
•I got it all eventually but had to call like 20 times and explain the situation over and over. They finally fixed it but I had to use credit cards to cover bills during the wait. The whole system is a mess!!
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Axel Far
The transition from SDI pregnancy disability to PFL baby bonding can be confusing, but here's how it works: Your disability claim automatically closes once your doctor-certified recovery period ends (typically 6-8 weeks depending on delivery type). You don't need to take any action to close it. For your PFL claim, make sure you've provided: 1. The baby's birth certificate or hospital documentation 2. Form DE2508 fully completed 3. Proper date sequencing (your PFL should start the day after your disability ends) The two claims are linked in EDD's system through your Social Security Number, but they're processed separately. Your online portal may show the disability claim as active for a few weeks before updating to inactive/exhausted status. This delay in the display doesn't affect your PFL processing. If you don't see movement on your PFL claim within 10 business days, that's when I'd recommend following up.
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Adriana Cohn
•Thank you for such a comprehensive explanation! That really helps. I did include the birth certificate and completed the DE2508. One question though - I had my last day of disability on Friday and started PFL on the following Monday (took the weekend as regular days off). Will that gap cause any issues?
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Axel Far
•That's perfectly fine! The weekend gap won't cause any issues. EDD understands that transitions don't always happen on consecutive calendar days, especially with weekends involved. As long as you didn't claim those weekend days on either claim, you're all set. The important thing is that you didn't overlap the claims, which would have triggered a review for duplicate benefits.
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Jasmine Hernandez
when i had my baby last year i had the same question! i actually ended up going to my disability claim in the portal and clicking something like "return to work" because i thought thats what i was supposed to do. then i panicked when i realized maybe i shouldnt have done that lol! but everything worked out fine and my PFL was approved about 10 days later. so even if you accidentally do something to the old claim it might not be the end of the world like some people are saying.
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Adriana Cohn
•That's reassuring to hear! It's so stressful trying to figure out the right steps, especially with a newborn. I think I'll just leave everything alone based on what most people are saying, but glad to know it's not catastrophic if something gets clicked accidentally.
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Jace Caspullo
One additional tip - save PDF copies of your disability claim details (payment history, claim dates, etc.) before they potentially disappear from your online access. This information can be helpful if there are any discrepancies with your PFL claim later. EDD occasionally needs to reference your disability claim details when processing the PFL portion, and having your own records makes it easier to address any questions that arise.
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Melody Miles
•this is such a good tip!! i wish i had done this. when my disability claim went inactive i couldn't see any of the payment history anymore and when there was a question about my pfl dates i had to dig through my bank statements to prove when the disability payments stopped.
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Kaitlyn Otto
did anyone have issue with getting the full 8 weeks of baby bonding? i heard they sometimes only approve 6 weeks and you have to fight for the other 2?
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Axel Far
•California PFL provides 8 full weeks of baby bonding benefits. If you're only seeing 6 weeks approved, it's usually due to one of these issues: 1. Incorrect date calculation (particularly common if you had State Disability Insurance before PFL) 2. Confusion with the older program rules (it used to be 6 weeks before 2020) 3. An actual system error If you're approved for less than 8 weeks, call EDD immediately to have it corrected. This is a common error that they can usually fix without a formal appeal.
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Adriana Cohn
Update: My PFL claim was just approved this morning! That was faster than I expected based on everyone's comments. Looks like I'll receive my first payment next week. Thanks to everyone for the helpful advice - I left my disability claim alone and everything processed smoothly on its own.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•That's great news! Enjoy your baby bonding time!
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Kaitlyn Otto
•wow that was fast! congrats and thanks for updating us!
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