Will returning to work mess up my daughter's pending PFL after EDD disability paperwork issues?

She needs to be very careful about when she returns to work. Each benefit has specific eligibility requirements. For disability (what she should have been on after giving birth), returning to work officially ends the claim. For PFL baby bonding, she needs to file a separate claim form (DE2508) and can take it intermittently within the first year. The most important thing is to get that disability claim approved first, since PFL typically transitions from disability after childbirth. Has she been able to speak with an EDD representative directly? They can sometimes help expedite paperwork issues.

omg this happened to me too!!! my dr office put the wrong date on my form and it took FOREVER to fix. i ended up going back to work before my pfl started cause we needed the money. u should tell ur daughter to call edd and explain everything before she goes back. i think she might still get the disability backpay even if she starts working but the pfl might be harder to get

WHATEVER YOU DO, DONT LET HER GO BACK TO WORK WITHOUT TALKING TO EDD FIRST!!!!! I made this mistake and lost thousands in benefits I should have received. The disability claim will pay retroactively for the period she was off work after birth, but if she officially "returns to work" before filing her PFL claim, it creates a NIGHTMARE situation. The system is literally DESIGNED to make people give up!!!!

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep? I was in a similar situation and spent days trying to reach someone. Then I found claimyr.com which got me through to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 Once I spoke with an actual person at EDD, they were able to check the status of my disability claim and explain how the transition to PFL would work. They also noted in my file that there was a medical documentation delay that wasn't my fault, which seemed to help.

wait im confused... isn't disability and paid family leave the same thing?? i thought u just get 16 weeks total after having a baby?? my sister got both but i dont think it matters what order u take them in

UPDATE: We finally spoke with someone at EDD using the Claimyr service. Turns out the doctor's office submitted the corrected paperwork but marked it as a new claim instead of a correction to the existing one! The EDD rep was able to link both claims together and said my daughter's disability should process within 7-10 days. They also said she CAN return to work next week without losing her disability backpay for July-August. For the PFL baby bonding, she needs to file a separate claim but can either take it immediately after her disability processes or save it for later use before the baby's first birthday. Such a relief to finally get answers! Thanks everyone for your help.

thats awesome!!!! so glad u got it figured out. i wish i had known about that service when i was dealing with my claim nightmare lol. make sure she keeps all her paperwork and confirmation numbers in case there are any more issues!!

Great news! Just to add some helpful information for anyone else reading this thread: When returning to work after disability but before using PFL, make sure to: 1. Get an official end date for your disability claim (when you were cleared to return to work) 2. File your DE2508 for PFL separately, clearly indicating your intended PFL dates 3. Keep documentation from both your employer and doctor about your leave dates 4. If using PFL intermittently throughout the year, maintain a detailed calendar of those dates The 12-month eligibility period for baby bonding PFL starts from the baby's birth date, not from when disability ends, which gives families flexibility in how they use these benefits.

This is such a common issue unfortunately! I went through something similar when my employer's HR department messed up my FMLA paperwork timing. One thing that really helped me was keeping a detailed timeline of all the dates - when the baby was born, when I should have started each benefit period, when the doctor errors happened, etc. EDD representatives seem to be more helpful when you can give them exact dates and reference numbers. Also, if your daughter does return to work before everything is sorted out, make sure she gets written confirmation from her employer about her exact return date. This documentation becomes important if there are any questions later about benefit eligibility periods. The system is frustrating but it sounds like you're on the right track now! Fingers crossed the disability payments come through quickly once they process the corrected paperwork.