When do EDD PFL payments arrive after approval? Bi-weekly or different schedule?

Congratulations on the approval! EDD doesn't pay bi-weekly for PFL - they actually pay every two weeks but it's based on when you certify, not a standard calendar schedule. After the first payment, your husband should be able to certify for benefits every 14 days. The first payment might take 7-10 days after that approval letter to show up. Be sure he certified for the first two weeks! Sometimes people miss that first certification step even after approval.

got mine 5 days after the letter came. direct deposit is way faster than paper checks btw

When my wife did PFL for our baby in 2024, the first payment took about 8 days after the award letter. After that it was every two weeks like clockwork AS LONG AS she did her certifications on time. For baby bonding PFL, you DO have to certify every two weeks - it's different from disability. You should have received instructions on how to certify in your EDD online account. If you haven't set that up yet, do it immediately! That's where all the certification forms will be.

Check the EDD debit card if you didn't sign up for direct deposit! My husband waited TWO WEEKS calling EDD constantly about his "missing payment" before we realized they sent him an EDD debit card in a plain envelope that he thought was junk mail and almost threw away! The card comes separate from the approval letter and looks like spam. So frustrating!

I work as an HR benefits coordinator and deal with this frequently. Here's the full PFL payment timeline: 1) Approval letter arrives with your weekly benefit amount (WBA) 2) First payment typically processes 3-7 business days after approval letter 3) For baby bonding PFL, you MUST certify for benefits every two weeks 4) Certification is available in your UI Online account 5) Payments are issued after each valid certification Unlike SDI/pregnancy disability, PFL for baby bonding requires ongoing certification. If you don't see certification forms in the online portal within 3 days of approval, call EDD immediately as something may be wrong with your claim type or coding. Also, double-check that your husband's first day of PFL isn't coded as a "waiting period" - there shouldn't be a waiting period for PFL in 2025 if he's transitioning from SDI or starting fresh, but sometimes it gets coded incorrectly.

my husband just went thru this! got the letter on friday and money was there by wednesday. but our neighbor did pfl last month and his took 12 days so i think it varies alot

Try using Claimyr if you need to reach someone at EDD to check on payment status. I spent hours hitting redial when my PFL payment was delayed, then found this service online that got me connected to an EDD rep in minutes! Saved me so much headache. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 showing how it works. The EDD rep was able to tell me exactly when my payment would post and fixed an issue with my certification that was causing the delay. Their website is claimyr.com

One more important thing - make sure your husband continues certifying for PFL every two weeks until his benefit period ends. We almost lost a week of benefits because my wife forgot to do her final certification. The system doesn't always send reminders! Set calendar alerts on your phone for certification dates.

Just wanted to add my experience - got my PFL approval letter last Tuesday and the first payment hit my account yesterday (so 6 days). I was panicking because I read horror stories online about month-long delays, but it was actually pretty smooth! One thing that helped was calling the EDD customer service line the day after I got my approval letter just to confirm everything looked correct in their system. The rep was able to verify my direct deposit info and confirm there were no holds on my account. Sometimes a quick call can catch issues early before they delay your payment. Good luck with your little one!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My wife got approved for PFL last week and we're also trying to figure out the payment timeline. From what I've gathered from everyone's responses here, it sounds like the first payment usually comes within 3-10 days after the approval letter, but the key thing is making sure you're set up for certification every two weeks. I had no idea about the certification requirement for PFL - I thought it was automatic like some other benefits. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here, especially the tip about checking for that EDD debit card in plain envelopes. We're definitely going to keep an eye out for that!

Just went through this exact situation last month! My husband got his PFL approval letter on a Thursday and the first payment showed up in our account the following Tuesday (5 business days). The key thing that helped us was logging into his EDD online account immediately after getting the approval letter to make sure all his info was correct and to look for the certification forms. We found them under the "Certify for Benefits" section about 2 days after approval. One tip - screenshot or write down the certification dates because they don't always send email reminders! Also, if you signed up for direct deposit, double-check that the bank account info is exactly right in the system. My friend had a one-digit typo in her routing number that delayed her payment by over a week. The EDD customer service rep told us that most first payments for PFL process within 3-7 business days if everything is set up correctly. Fingers crossed yours comes quickly! Enjoy this special time with your little one 💙

I just went through this with my partner's PFL claim that was approved two weeks ago! The first payment took exactly 6 days from the approval letter to hit our bank account. What really helped was calling EDD the day after we got the letter to confirm everything was processed correctly - the rep was able to see that the payment was already "in queue" which gave us peace of mind. One thing I wish someone had told us earlier: make sure to check your EDD online account daily for the first week after approval. The certification forms appeared 3 days after our approval, and we almost missed the window because we weren't checking regularly. Also, if you haven't already, verify your direct deposit info is 100% correct in the system - even a small typo can cause major delays. The good news is once the first payment comes through, the subsequent ones have been like clockwork every two weeks as long as we certify on time. Congrats on the approval and enjoy your bonding time with the baby! 🍼

I just wanted to chime in as someone who works in payroll and has helped employees navigate PFL claims. Based on what I've seen, your husband's payment timeline should be pretty straightforward since he already has the approval letter. Most of my employees see their first PFL payment within 5-8 business days of that letter arriving. The certification requirement catches a lot of people off guard - it's definitely not intuitive! Unlike SDI where payments can be more automatic, PFL for baby bonding requires you to actively certify every two weeks to confirm you're still taking leave and bonding with the baby. The forms usually show up in the EDD online portal 2-4 days after approval. One red flag to watch for: if you don't see certification forms by day 5 after the approval letter, definitely call EDD. Sometimes claims get miscoded and it can delay everything. Also, make sure the claim shows "PFL - Baby Bonding" and not just "PFL" in the system - there are different types and the coding affects payment timing. Hope this helps and congratulations on your new addition! The first few weeks figuring out all these systems while caring for a newborn is overwhelming, but you've got this! 👶

Just wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds like we went through almost identical situations! My husband got his PFL approval letter three weeks ago and I was in the same boat - completely confused about timing and worried about missing something important. His first payment came exactly 7 days after the approval letter arrived, which was right in that 5-8 day window everyone's mentioning. The certification forms showed up in his EDD online account on day 3 after approval, just like Chloe mentioned they should. One thing that really helped us was setting up text alerts through our bank so we'd know immediately when the EDD payment hit our account. Saved me from obsessively checking our balance every few hours! Also, my husband called EDD on day 2 after getting the letter (following Caleb's advice) and the rep confirmed everything looked good in their system - it was such a relief. The bi-weekly certification process has been smooth so far. We set phone reminders for every other Sunday to make sure we don't miss the deadlines. With sleep deprivation and baby brain, those reminders have been a lifesaver! Sounds like you're already getting great advice here, but just wanted to add another data point that things really do seem to be running more smoothly than those scary stories you read online. Good luck and enjoy your bonding time! 💕

I'm new to this community but going through a very similar situation right now! My partner just got approved for PFL last Friday and we're anxiously waiting for that first payment to come through. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the certification requirement either! It's so confusing that they don't make this clearer in the approval paperwork. Based on everyone's timelines here, it sounds like we should see the payment sometime this week (fingers crossed). I'm definitely going to have my partner call EDD tomorrow to confirm everything looks good in their system like several people suggested. The tip about checking that it's coded as "PFL - Baby Bonding" specifically is something I never would have thought to verify. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and practical advice. It's such a relief to find a community where people actually help each other navigate these confusing government systems instead of just complaining about them! I'll update once our payment comes through to add another data point for future parents going through this process.

I'm so glad I found this thread! My husband just got his PFL approval letter yesterday for baby bonding leave starting next month, and I was completely panicking about the payment timeline. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like most people are seeing their first payments within that 3-8 day window after the approval letter, which is way better than the horror stories I was reading on other forums. The certification requirement totally blindsided me too! I had no idea that was even a thing for PFL. We're definitely going to have him call EDD tomorrow to confirm everything looks correct in their system and check that it's coded as "PFL - Baby Bonding" specifically. I'm also setting up those bank text alerts and phone reminders for certification dates right away. Thank you all for sharing such detailed, practical advice - it's making this whole confusing process feel so much more manageable! 🙏

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My wife just got her PFL approval letter on Monday for baby bonding leave and we had no idea what to expect for payment timing. Reading through all these responses has been so incredibly helpful - I was starting to panic because the EDD paperwork is so vague about everything. The certification requirement completely caught me off guard too! I thought once you were approved, payments would just automatically come every two weeks. I'm definitely having her call EDD tomorrow to verify everything is set up correctly and check that it's coded properly as "PFL - Baby Bonding." The tip about setting up bank text alerts is brilliant - I'm doing that today so we don't have to obsessively check our account balance. Based on everyone's timelines here, it sounds like we should see the first payment by early next week if everything goes smoothly. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - this community is amazing for helping new parents navigate these confusing government systems! I'll update once our payment comes through to add another data point for future families. 🙏

I'm so grateful I found this thread! My husband just received his PFL approval letter this morning for baby bonding leave starting in January, and I was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out what happens next. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - it sounds like the first payment typically comes within 3-8 days after the approval letter, which is way faster than I expected based on some scary stories I'd read elsewhere. The certification requirement was a complete surprise to me too! The approval letter barely mentions it, but it's clearly crucial for actually getting paid. I'm having him log into his EDD account today to look for those certification forms and verify all his direct deposit information is correct. We're also setting up bank text alerts right away so we don't have to constantly check our balance. Thank you all for sharing such detailed, practical advice - it's making this whole confusing process feel so much more manageable for a first-time parent! I'll definitely update with our timeline once the payment comes through. 🍼

Just went through this exact process with my partner's PFL approval last month! The first payment arrived 6 days after we received the approval letter, which was right in line with what most people are reporting here. One thing I wish I had known earlier - make sure to check your EDD online account within 24-48 hours of getting that approval letter to verify your direct deposit information is 100% accurate. Even a small typo in routing or account numbers can cause significant delays. Also, the certification forms appeared in the online portal exactly 3 days after our approval, so don't panic if they're not there immediately. We set up automatic calendar reminders for every other Sunday to handle the bi-weekly certifications, which has been a lifesaver with newborn sleep schedules! The whole process was much smoother than expected once we understood the certification requirement. Congrats on the approval and best wishes with your little one! 👶

I'm currently going through this exact situation! My husband got his PFL approval letter on Tuesday and we've been anxiously waiting for that first payment to hit our account. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like most people are seeing payments within 3-8 days, which is so much better than the horror stories I found on other websites. The certification requirement totally blindsided us too! I wish EDD made that clearer in their approval materials. We found the certification forms in his online account yesterday (3 days after approval, just like several people mentioned), and we've already set up those bank text alerts and bi-weekly phone reminders. It's amazing how much less stressful this process feels when you have real, recent experiences from other parents instead of trying to decode vague government paperwork. Thank you all for sharing such detailed timelines and practical tips - this community is a lifesaver for new parents trying to navigate these systems! 🙏

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My wife just got her PFL approval letter yesterday and we were completely confused about the payment timeline too. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like most people see their first payment within 3-8 days after the approval letter, which is way better than I expected. The certification requirement was a total shock to us as well! The EDD paperwork really doesn't make that clear at all. We're going to have her call EDD today to verify everything is set up correctly and check for those certification forms in her online account. I'm also setting up bank text alerts right away based on everyone's suggestions here. It's so reassuring to connect with other families going through this exact process instead of trying to piece together information from confusing government websites. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and timelines - this community is amazing! I'll definitely update once our payment comes through to help future parents navigate this process. 🙏