Filed for PFL Bonding with EDD - What to expect for relationship evidence?

Congrats on the new addition to your family! 🎉 I went through this process last year. After filing, it took about 2 weeks for EDD to request additional documents. They asked for my child's birth certificate and proof of my relationship (marriage certificate). Make sure you have those ready!

Ugh, the EDD is such a pain to deal with. I filed for PFL bonding 3 months ago and I'm still waiting for them to process my claim. Good luck, OP. You're gonna need it. 🙄

Pro tip: Keep copies of EVERYTHING you send to EDD. I learned this the hard way when they claimed they never received my docs and I had to start the whole process over again. 😫

Does anyone know if the process is different for adoptive parents? We're in the process of adopting and I'm not sure what kind of 'relationship evidence' we'll need to provide.

I've been through this process twice now, so here's my comprehensive guide to PFL Bonding claims: 1. File your claim as soon as possible after the birth/adoption. 2. Gather your documents early: birth certificate, proof of relationship (marriage certificate, domestic partnership registration, etc.) 3. Be prepared for EDD to request additional info. They usually do this within 2-3 weeks of filing. 4. Upload documents online if possible - it's faster than mailing. 5. Keep copies of EVERYTHING you send. 6. If you don't hear back within a month, try to contact them. (Yes, it's a pain, but necessary) 7. Be patient. The process can take 4-6 weeks from filing to receiving benefits. 8. If you run into issues, don't be afraid to contact your local state representative. They can sometimes help expedite things. Remember, you're entitled to these benefits. Don't give up if you hit roadblocks!

is it just me or does anyone else think its ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get time off with our newborns? the system is broken af 😤

Hey OP, congrats on the new family member! Quick heads up - make sure you're also looking into SDI (State Disability Insurance) if you gave birth. You can get up to 4 weeks before your due date and 6-8 weeks after for recovery, THEN your PFL bonding time starts. Don't leave money on the table!

I went through this exact process about 6 months ago! The relationship evidence part was actually pretty straightforward - they just wanted to see that I was legally connected to the baby. Since I'm married, I uploaded our marriage certificate along with the birth certificate showing both our names. One thing that helped me was calling them right after I submitted my initial claim to ask what specific documents they'd need so I could get everything ready in advance. Took a few tries to get through, but it saved me time later when they made their official request. The whole process took about 5 weeks from filing to getting my first payment, which seems to be pretty typical based on what I've seen here. Make sure you certify for benefits every two weeks once you're approved - that part is easy to forget! Best of luck with everything, and congrats on your new addition! 🍼