When to apply for EDD baby bonding PFL after using vacation days post-maternity leave?

You should apply for PFL baby bonding *before* your vacation time ends - I recommend applying about 5-7 days before your last vacation day. The EDD actually allows you to apply up to 9 days before your baby bonding period starts. This gives them time to process your claim so payments start promptly after your vacation ends. Make sure you clearly indicate on your DE2508 form that your baby bonding start date is the day after your vacation ends.

I went thru the same thing in January! I used 2 weeks vacation after my disability ended then did baby bonding. I applied for baby bonding like 3 days before my vacation ended and it worked out fine. Just make sure u put the correct start date (first day after vacation) on ur application!!

The official EDD guidance states you should apply for PFL baby bonding no more than 9 days before your benefit period begins, but not after your benefit period starts. In your case, your benefit period would start the day after your vacation ends. Here's what I recommend to avoid issues: 1. Apply 5-7 days before vacation ends 2. On the DE2508 form, clearly mark your baby bonding start date as the day after vacation ends 3. Keep documentation from your employer showing when your vacation time ends 4. In the "Additional Comments" section, note you're transitioning from employer-paid vacation to baby bonding This creates a clear record of your intended timeline and helps prevent delays or misunderstandings about your benefit eligibility.

Just sharing my experience - I tried calling EDD to ask this exact question last month and spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to someone. Eventually I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual EDD agent in about 25 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5. The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying - apply about a week before vacation ends, and make sure the start date for baby bonding is the day after vacation ends. Saved me so much stress!

whatever u do DONT apply on the same day as ur last vacation day! edd systems get confused and theres a glitch that can cause ur claim to get stuck in pending for weeks!!!

I'm going to offer slightly different advice based on my recent experience as an HR benefits coordinator. While others are correct that you can apply up to 9 days before your baby bonding period begins, I've seen fewer complications when people apply exactly 5 business days before their intended start date. The reason: EDD's internal processing often flags applications submitted too early as potential duplicate claims, especially when transitioning from pregnancy disability to baby bonding (which isn't your exact situation, but the system sometimes gets confused similarly with vacation transitions). Also, make absolutely certain your employer has documented your vacation time correctly in their system. I've seen cases where an employer's payroll system showed vacation time ending on a Friday, but the employee wasn't actually scheduled to return until Monday, creating a weekend gap that caused benefit delays. If you do experience any delays once you've applied, request a "claim note" be added to your file explaining the vacation-to-bonding transition. This helps if your claim gets routed to different examiners during processing.

I forgot to mention!! Make sure u get the right form! Baby bonding is form DE2508 not the disability one (DE2501) that u probably used for maternity leave. I got super confused and filled out the wrong one first lol

Update: I applied yesterday and made sure to put March 20th as my baby bonding start date (day after vacation ends). The online system accepted my application! Now fingers crossed it processes without issues. Thanks everyone for your help!!