Transitioning from maternity leave to baby bonding PFL - how to apply when timing overlaps?

You can actually apply for baby bonding like 1-2 weeks b4 your disability ends. That's what I did. you don't have to wait til the exact day or after. HR people often don't know the actual EDD rules

Your HR person is incorrect. The proper procedure is to apply for PFL baby bonding benefits BEFORE your pregnancy disability ends to ensure continuous payment. You can submit the DE2508 form (PFL claim form) up to 2 weeks before your pregnancy disability claim ends. This helps avoid any gap in benefits. Here's what you should do: 1. Request the DE2508 form from EDD if you haven't received it (or download online) 2. Complete and submit it approx. 10-14 days before your disability end date 3. Make sure you indicate your first day of baby bonding will be the day after your disability ends 4. Keep documentation of when you submitted everything This is the standard process for transitioning from pregnancy disability to baby bonding PFL.

I just went through this whole process last month and it was so confusing!!! The transition from pregnancy disability to baby bonding is supposed to be seamless, but my HR department also told me to wait until my SDI ended before applying for PFL. I listened to them and ended up with a 3-week gap with no benefits because of processing time. DO NOT WAIT until your disability ends! Apply for PFL at least 2 weeks before your disability ends. I had to call EDD literally 47 times before getting through to fix my claim. The whole system is a mess. If I could do it over again, I would have ignored HR and followed the actual EDD guidelines. Don't make my mistake!

I worked at EDD for 5 years in claims processing, and I can confirm that you should apply for baby bonding PFL **before** your pregnancy disability claim ends. This is specifically designed to create a seamless transition between benefits. The official process is: 1. Submit DE2508 form 1-2 weeks before disability ends 2. Indicate first day of PFL claim as the day after disability ends 3. Include your baby's birth certificate or hospital documentation Many HR departments incorrectly treat this like FMLA which has different rules. The EDD system is designed to allow overlapping application dates to prevent payment gaps during the transition from pregnancy disability to bonding time. FYI - you're entitled to up to 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave for baby bonding in California as of 2025.

Trying to get through to EDD is a nightmare right now. I just went through this same process and spent DAYS trying to reach an agent to fix my claim that got messed up during the transition. If you need to actually talk to someone at EDD, use Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's the only reason I got my transition issue fixed. They have this system that gets you through to an agent in like 15 mins instead of calling for days. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Seriously worth it for the stress it saved me during an already stressful time with a newborn!

I had this same problem last yr!!! My HR told me one thing, the EDD website said another thing, and when I finally got someone on the phone they told me something completely different lol. The whole system is so frustrating.

I've been through this twice now (2 kids) and here's what I learned: apply for PFL baby bonding 2 weeks before your disability ends, but MAKE SURE your doctor has submitted the final disability form with your official end date. If your doctor hasn't confirmed your disability end date in the system, your PFL claim will get stuck in processing. That happened to me first time around and it was a nightmare to fix.

the whole system is a joke, i had my disability randomly end 2 weeks early because of some doctor form mixup and then had to emergency apply for PFL and ended up with no money for like a month. have backup savings if you can!!!

After reading through all the comments, let me summarize the consensus on transitioning from pregnancy disability to baby bonding PFL: 1. Apply 10-14 days before your disability ends 2. Make sure your doctor has certified your final disability date 3. Check that your baby's documentation is submitted 4. Keep copies of everything you submit 5. If your claim gets stuck, be prepared to contact EDD This is the process that should create a seamless transition between benefits without any gaps in payment.