When to file for CA Pregnancy Disability before maternity leave? Last day is today, due date 01/13/25

Congrats on your baby and starting maternity leave! You can file for Pregnancy Disability (SDI) right away - literally tomorrow. The one-week waiting period isn't about when you can file, it's about when benefits start. So you file immediately after your last day of work, but the first 7 days of your disability period are unpaid. Your benefits will start on day 8 of your leave. So if tomorrow is your first day of leave, you can submit your DE2501 claim tomorrow, but your actual benefit payments will start covering from day 8 onward. Don't delay filing - the sooner you submit, the sooner they can process it.

you def don't get paid for the first week that's just how it works. i had my baby last yr and filed online the day after my last work day. just make sure ur doctor filled out their part already!! mine didn't and it delayed everything by like 2 weeks

Just to clarify what everyone is saying: the 7-day waiting period is a non-payable waiting period. You file your claim immediately after your last day of work, but you won't receive benefits for the first 7 days of your disability period. This is standard for all disability claims in California. Once your claim is established, you'll transition to Paid Family Leave (PFL) after your postpartum recovery period (typically 6-8 weeks depending on delivery type). There is NO waiting period for PFL - you'll get paid for all 8 weeks of baby bonding. Make sure your doctor has certified your disability and estimated disability period on the medical portion of your DE2501 form. This is crucial for timely processing.

just want to add cuz no one said it - if your company has paid leave benefits you might still get paid for that first week even though EDD doesnt pay you. check with HR! some companies have policies to cover the waiting period. i didn't know and could've gotten paid but didn't submit the paperwork in time :

I was in your EXACT situation last year and let me tell you - file tomorrow but be prepared to wait FOREVER to actually get paid. I filed the day after my last work day (online) and it took almost 4 weeks to get my first payment! The EDD website kept saying my claim was "pending" with no explanation. I called like 50 times trying to get through to someone to explain what was happening. I finally used a service called Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep (claimyr.com) and they actually connected me to a real person in about 15 minutes. The rep told me my claim had some flag on it that needed manual review but no one had gotten to it yet. They cleared it while I was on the phone and my payment processed the next day. Totally worth checking out their video demo: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Just sharing because I wish someone had told me this before I stressed for weeks about money!

To clarify since someone asked - they just connect you with the actual EDD. You're still talking directly to EDD representatives, not sharing anything with a third party. They just have a system that navigates the phone tree and waits on hold for you. Saved me hours of frustration!

THE EDD SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN AND DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!! I filed my disability claim ON TIME and they "lost" my paperwork TWICE. Then they said I didn't submit the doctor certification when I literally watched my doctor fax it from her office. Then they said I needed to re-submit everything because it had been too long since my original filing date!!!! I ENDED UP HAVING TO GET MY STATE REPRESENTATIVE INVOLVED to get my legitimate benefits. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A SCAM.

To answer your follow-up question about transitioning to PFL: You'll need to file a separate claim for Paid Family Leave (baby bonding) after your disability claim ends. It's not automatic. The process works like this: 1. Your doctor will certify you for pregnancy disability for 4 weeks before birth (if you're not working) and typically 6 weeks after vaginal delivery or 8 weeks after c-section 2. When that disability period is ending, you'll file a new claim for PFL using form DE2508 3. Your PFL claim will provide 8 weeks of baby bonding benefits at the same weekly rate as your disability Pro tip: File your PFL claim about 1-2 weeks before your disability ends to avoid a gap in payments. The systems don't talk to each other as well as they should, so being proactive helps.

just make sure u have enough in savings cuz my first payment took 3.5 weeks to come through and i was NOT prepared for that!! the one-week waiting period + processing time means you might not see money for a month!!

Just wanted to add some encouragement since there's been a lot of scary stories here! I had my first baby 6 months ago and while yes, the system can be slow, most people do get through it fine. I filed my SDI claim the day after my last work day (online at edd.ca.gov) and got my first payment in about 2.5 weeks. A few tips that helped me: - Double check that your doctor fills out the medical certification completely - any missing info will delay processing - Keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit - Set up your EDD online account before you need it if you haven't already - If you don't hear anything after 2 weeks, call or use one of those callback services people mentioned The waiting period does suck financially but remember it's only 7 days out of your total leave time. You've got this mama! Wishing you a smooth delivery and easy recovery ❤️

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! 🎉 I just went through this process myself about 8 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. You can definitely file tomorrow - don't wait! The 7-day waiting period is just about when benefits start paying, not when you can submit your claim. Here's what I wish I'd known: make sure you have your doctor's office fax the medical certification directly to EDD rather than giving it to you to submit. When I submitted mine online, it got "lost" in their system and delayed everything by 2 weeks. The fax seemed to go through their system more smoothly. Also, if you're planning to take the full 12 weeks (4 weeks before + 6-8 weeks recovery + 8 weeks bonding), start budgeting now for that gap between your disability claim ending and PFL starting. Even if you file the PFL claim early like others suggested, there's often still a small gap in payments. One last thing - download the EDD mobile app if you haven't already. It makes it easier to check your claim status and submit your continued claim forms every 2 weeks. Good luck with everything! 💕

Congratulations on your baby coming so soon! 🎉 I'm a first-time mom too and just navigated this whole process a few months ago. You can absolutely file tomorrow - the waiting period is just about when you start getting paid, not when you can submit your claim. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to make sure you understand how your weekly benefit amount is calculated before you file. It's based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period, and you can actually check your estimated benefit amount on the EDD website before filing. This helped me budget better since I knew exactly what to expect. Also, if you're planning to breastfeed, you might be eligible for additional disability time beyond the standard 6-8 weeks if you have complications. My doctor mentioned this but I didn't know it was an option through EDD. The system definitely has its issues like others mentioned, but don't let that stress you out too much. Most claims do process fine, even if it takes longer than we'd like. Focus on your upcoming delivery and getting everything submitted properly - you've got this! 💕

Congratulations on your little one coming so soon! 🎉 As someone who just went through this exact situation 4 months ago, I can confirm what everyone is saying - file tomorrow! The 7-day waiting period is just when benefits START, not when you can submit your claim. One thing I want to emphasize that I don't think was mentioned clearly enough: make absolutely sure your doctor's office knows they need to submit the medical certification (the physician/practitioner portion of the DE2501) ASAP. My OB's office said they'd "get to it" and it sat on someone's desk for 5 days, which delayed my entire claim processing. I ended up having to go back and ask them to prioritize it. Also, pro tip: when you file online tomorrow, take screenshots of every page as you go through the process. I had an issue where my claim "disappeared" from their system for a few days and having those screenshots helped when I called to sort it out. The financial gap is real - between the 7-day waiting period and processing time, I didn't see my first payment for almost 3 weeks. But hang in there, it does come through! Wishing you a smooth delivery and easy recovery! 💕

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! 🎉 You're getting lots of great advice here. I went through this process last year and wanted to add one more tip that really helped me: when you file your claim tomorrow, make sure to write down your confirmation number and keep it somewhere safe. I also recommend calling EDD's automated line (1-800-480-3287) about a week after filing just to confirm your claim was received and is processing. You don't need to talk to a person - the automated system can tell you if there are any issues with your claim that might cause delays. The waiting period definitely stings financially, but remember it's just 7 days out of your total leave time. Start your claim tomorrow and don't stress too much about all the horror stories - most people do get through it fine, even if it takes a bit longer than expected. You've got this mama! 💕

Congratulations on your baby due so soon! 🎉 I'm currently 32 weeks and trying to figure out all this paperwork too, so reading through everyone's responses has been super helpful for me as well! One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my HR department - if you work for a larger company, they might have someone who specifically helps with disability/family leave coordination. My company has a third-party administrator that handles all the paperwork between me, my doctor, and EDD. It might be worth asking HR tomorrow if they have any resources like that to help make the process smoother. Also, I've been keeping a folder with all my pregnancy-related documents (ultrasounds, doctor visits, etc.) just in case EDD needs additional verification later. My sister had to provide extra documentation when her claim got flagged for review, so having everything organized ahead of time saved her a lot of stress. Good luck with your delivery and getting everything filed! It sounds like you're on top of everything despite how confusing the system can be. Wishing you and your little one all the best! 💕

Congrats on your little one coming so soon! 🎉 I'm also a newcomer to all this EDD stuff and honestly feeling overwhelmed by all the different forms and timelines. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both helpful and terrifying! 😅 Quick question for those who've been through this - when you say "file tomorrow," are you talking about doing it online through the EDD website or is there a specific form I should be looking for? I keep seeing DE2501 mentioned but want to make sure I'm filling out the right thing when my time comes (I'm due in a few months). Also, for those who had delays or issues, was it mostly because of missing doctor paperwork or were there other common problems I should watch out for? Trying to learn from everyone's experiences so I can avoid the same pitfalls! Thanks for sharing all your stories - it's so helpful to hear from real people who've actually navigated this system! 💕

Congratulations on your little one arriving so soon! 🎉 As someone who just went through this process myself 6 months ago, I can confirm what everyone is saying - you can absolutely file tomorrow! The 7-day waiting period is just about when payments start, not when you can submit your claim. One thing I wish someone had told me: make sure you have your EDD account set up BEFORE you need it. I tried to create my account the day I wanted to file and there was some verification issue that delayed me by 2 days. If you don't have an account yet, try to set it up today if possible! Also, don't panic if your claim shows "pending" for the first week or two - that's pretty normal. Mine showed pending for 10 days and then suddenly switched to approved with no explanation. The system just moves slowly sometimes. The financial gap is real though - I didn't get my first payment for almost 3 weeks between the waiting period and processing time. But it does come through! Keep copies of everything and don't hesitate to call if it's been more than 2-3 weeks without any movement on your claim. You've got this mama! Wishing you a smooth delivery and easy recovery! 💕

Congratulations on your baby coming tomorrow! 🎉 As someone who just navigated this exact situation 3 months ago, I can definitely confirm what everyone is saying - you can file your claim tomorrow (your first day off work), but the 7-day waiting period just means you won't get paid for those first 7 days. One thing I wanted to add that I don't think was mentioned: if you're filing online (which I highly recommend), make sure to submit your claim early in the day if possible. I filed mine at like 11 PM and it seemed to get stuck in some overnight processing queue that delayed things by an extra day or two. When I called EDD later, they mentioned that claims submitted during business hours tend to move through their system faster. Also, definitely have your doctor's office fax the medical certification directly to EDD rather than submitting it yourself online. I made that mistake and had to resubmit when it got "lost" in their system. The waiting period does sting financially, but remember it's only 7 days out of your entire leave. I budgeted for about 3 weeks without pay just to be safe (waiting period + processing time) and ended up getting my first payment in 2.5 weeks. Having that buffer really helped reduce my stress! You're so close to meeting your little one - try not to let the EDD paperwork stress overshadow this exciting time! 💕

Congratulations on starting maternity leave tomorrow and meeting your little one soon! 🎉 I'm a newcomer to this community but have been lurking and learning so much from everyone's experiences with EDD. Just wanted to add my support to what everyone else is saying - you can definitely file tomorrow! The 7-day waiting period is just about when benefits start paying, not when you can submit. I'm not due until later this year but reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful for understanding the process. It sounds like the key things are: 1) file right away online, 2) make sure your doctor faxes the medical certification directly to EDD, 3) take screenshots of everything, 4) set up your EDD account beforehand if you haven't already, and 5) budget for about 3 weeks without pay to be safe. I know it's stressful dealing with all this paperwork when you should be focusing on your baby, but it sounds like you're asking all the right questions and getting great advice from people who've been through it successfully. Wishing you a smooth delivery and that your claim processes quickly! 💕

Congratulations on your baby coming so soon! 🎉 As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through all the amazing advice everyone has shared and wanted to add my own experience from going through this process just 2 months ago. You can absolutely file tomorrow - don't wait! The 7-day waiting period is about when payments begin, not when you can submit your claim. I filed the day after my last work day and while I didn't get paid for that first week, my benefits started on day 8 as expected. One thing I'd emphasize that really saved me stress: create a simple checklist and timeline for yourself. Mine looked like: Day 1 (tomorrow) - file claim online early in the day, Day 3-4 - call automated line to confirm claim received, Week 2 - follow up if still showing pending, etc. Having that roadmap helped me stay calm when the process felt overwhelming. Also, if your company offers any kind of supplemental disability insurance or paid leave that might cover that first week, definitely check with HR today before you leave! I discovered my employer had a small benefit that covered the waiting period but I almost missed the deadline to apply. The system definitely has its quirks and delays, but most people do get through it successfully. You're asking all the right questions and getting excellent advice here. Wishing you a smooth delivery and that your claim processes quickly! 💕

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! 🎉 As a newcomer to this community, I've been following this thread closely since I'm also expecting and trying to figure out all these EDD requirements. Your question really resonated with me because I was confused about the same timing issue! From everything I've read here, it sounds like you can definitely file tomorrow (your first official day off work) - the 7-day waiting period is just about when you start receiving payments, not when you can submit your claim. I've been taking notes on all the great advice shared here, and the key points seem to be: file online as soon as possible, make sure your doctor faxes the medical certification directly to EDD rather than submitting it yourself, take screenshots of everything during the filing process, and budget for about 3 weeks without payment to account for both the waiting period and processing time. It's definitely nerve-wracking dealing with all this paperwork when you should be focusing on your baby, but seeing how many people have successfully navigated this process (even with some bumps along the way) is really encouraging. The community here has been incredibly helpful in breaking down what can feel like an overwhelming system! Wishing you a smooth delivery and hoping your claim processes quickly! Thanks for asking the questions many of us newcomers are wondering about too! 💕