Will EDD PUA overpayment affect my pregnancy disability benefits?

I actually went through something similar last year! I had a PUA overpayment from 2021 and then filed for pregnancy disability in 2025. The good news is that SDI (State Disability Insurance) and PFL (Paid Family Leave) are separate programs from Unemployment Insurance/PUA with completely separate funding sources. My pregnancy benefits were NOT affected by my UI overpayment. They're considered separate systems within EDD.

The other persn is WRONG!!! My sister had her PFL benifits garnished for unemployment overpayment last year!! They took like 25% of each payment. Still got most of it but they definitely can take some!!

There's some confusion here that I can help clear up. While EDD can potentially garnish benefits for overpayments, they handle different programs differently: 1. Pregnancy Disability (SDI) and UI/PUA are separate programs with separate funding sources. Generally, SDI is protected from UI overpayment collections. 2. PFL (baby bonding) technically comes from the SDI fund too, but some have reported garnishment in certain situations. 3. The specific type of overpayment (fraud vs. non-fraud) matters for how aggressive collection might be. My recommendation: When you apply for your pregnancy disability claim, include a brief note explaining your situation and requesting clarification on whether your benefits could be affected by the PUA overpayment. Get it addressed proactively so you can plan accordingly.

good luck calling EDD lol i spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone about my maternity leave questions and either got disconnected or was on hold for literally hours before giving up. their phone system is a complete joke. i ended up just submitting my claim and hoping for the best which was super stressful

I went through something similar with an EDD issue when I was pregnant. After days of not being able to get through on the phone, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual EDD representative in about 20 minutes. They basically call EDD for you using their system that navigates all the phone menus and waits on hold, then calls you when they get through to a rep. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 It was super helpful when I needed to get a definitive answer about my maternity benefits. In your case, I'd recommend speaking directly with someone since your situation is somewhat unique and you want to be 100% clear before your baby arrives.

when i had my baby last yr, i had to file for disability first (the pregnancy part) and then after delivery i filed for paid family leave (the bonding part). just make sure u dont mix those up cuz theyre different forms - de2501 for disability and de2508 for the paid family leave. i didnt have any overpayment issues so cant help with that part but wanted to make sure u know about the two different claims u need to file!

To follow up on your question about calling vs. including a note - I'd recommend both if possible. A note ensures your concern is documented, but speaking with a representative will give you immediate clarity. Regarding the conflicting information about garnishment: The law generally protects disability benefits, but there are exceptions. The specific details of your case matter - whether the overpayment was due to fraud or simple error, the status of any repayment plan, and whether you've received formal overpayment notices. Another important point: regular disability (SDI) is more protected from garnishment than PFL in some cases. So your pregnancy disability portion might be fully protected, while your baby bonding portion could potentially be subject to partial garnishment.

Just to clarify my earlier comment - while my SDI wasn't affected, I do recall that when I transitioned to PFL for baby bonding, I got a notice that a small percentage would be withheld for my overpayment. It was around 10% I think, not the full amount. So the other comments about partial garnishment for PFL might be correct. But the good news is that even with that reduction, I still received most of my benefits during that critical time. Definitely get clarity from EDD directly about your specific situation. And if they do say some will be withheld, ask about hardship reductions - sometimes they can lower the garnishment percentage if you demonstrate financial need.

when i had my baby i got so stressed about all the edd paperwork that i almost gave myself pre-term labor lol! just take it one step at a time. edd stuff is confusing for everyone. also make sure your doctor fills out their part of the forms completely or it'll delay everything (learned that the hard way). good luck with your baby journey! ❤️