< Back to California Paid Family Leave

When to submit PFL application? Before or after leave starts?

Hey everyone, I'm planning to apply for paid family leave soon and I'm not sure about the timing. When should I submit my application? Is it better to do it before I start my leave or after? Any advice would be really appreciated!

Tom Maxon

I found a way to solve paid family leave application timing, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6swobnbA7Q

0 coins

-

Andre Laurent

Submit it ASAP after your first day of leave! Don't wait around, the sooner you get it in, the faster you'll get your benefits. Trust me, I learned this the hard way šŸ˜…

0 coins

-

AstroAce

This is the way. I waited a week and regretted it. Every day counts when ur waiting for that $$$

0 coins

-

5M

Zoe Kyriakidou

But what if you know your leave date in advance? Can't you submit it before?

0 coins

-

5M

Andre Laurent

Nah, they want the actual start date on the form. If you submit early, they might reject it or make you reapply. Not worth the hassle imo

0 coins

-

5M

Jamal Brown

Here's a detailed breakdown of the process: ā€¢ You can't submit before your leave starts ā€¢ First day of leave = first day you can apply ā€¢ Gather all your docs beforehand (medical certification, etc.) ā€¢ Apply online if possible - it's faster ā€¢ Double-check everything before submitting ā€¢ Keep copies of EVERYTHING ā€¢ Follow up if you don't hear back within 2 weeks Remember, benefits aren't retroactive to your leave start date, only to your application date. So don't procrastinate! Hope this helps, and good luck with your leave!

0 coins

-

Mei Zhang

This is gold šŸ’Æ Wish I had this info when I applied last year!

0 coins

-

5M

Carmen Diaz

Thank you so much for this detailed response! It's exactly what I needed. Quick question - do weekends count as part of the 2-week follow-up period?

0 coins

-

5M

Jamal Brown

Glad it helped! And good question - typically, they mean business days, so weekends don't count. But if you hit day 10 with no response, I'd give 'em a call just to be safe.

0 coins

-

5M

Liam McConnell

ugh the whole system is so broken. why cant we just submit when we know were going on leave? its not like the date changes for most people. smh šŸ¤¦ā€ā™‚ļø

0 coins

-

Amara Oluwaseyi

Has anyone had luck calling them directly? I've been trying for days and can't get through. It's so frustrating!

0 coins

-

CosmicCaptain

Dude, I feel you. I spent HOURS on hold last month. It's a total nightmare.

0 coins

-

5M

Giovanni Rossi

I found a way to get someone on the phone. I used this site's (claimyr.com) calling tool that dials the phone menu, stays on hold, waits for a live agent to pick up, then sends the call to my phone. It does cost $20, but it works. Here's a video about it: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM

0 coins

-

5M

Amara Oluwaseyi

Whoa, that sounds too good to be true. Does it really work?

0 coins

-

5M

Giovanni Rossi

Yeah, it does! I was skeptical at first too, but I was desperate. It saved me hours of hold time. Worth every penny imo.

0 coins

-

5M

Fatima Al-Maktoum

Idk man, paying to talk to a government agency feels wrong. Shouldn't this be free?

0 coins

-

5M

Giovanni Rossi

I get where you're coming from, but think about how much your time is worth. For me, not sitting on hold for 3+ hours was totally worth the $20.

0 coins

-

5M

Dylan Mitchell

Anyone know if the process is different for bonding leave vs medical leave? Asking for a friend šŸ‘€

0 coins

-

Sofia Gutierrez

Pretty sure its the same process, just different forms. But don't quote me on that lol

0 coins

-

5M

Dmitry Petrov

Pro tip: set a reminder on your phone for the day your leave starts so you don't forget to submit the app. I almost missed out on a week of benefits cuz I was so busy with the new baby šŸ¤±

0 coins

-

Carmen Diaz

That's such a good idea! Definitely gonna do this, thanks!

0 coins

-

5M