ESD Paid Family Leave nightmare - 7 weeks with no income after childbirth

I went through something similar last year with my PFML claim. The problem is they process pregnancy/medical leave and bonding leave as two completely separate claims, even though they're connected. Did you see that your bonding claim shows 'pending' in your ESD account? Or are you still waiting for them to even create that claim? Mine took 6 weeks for the bonding portion to process, and that was WITH me calling constantly.

THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO ME!!! Had my baby 8/12, only got paid for 4 weeks medical leave. Been waiting on bonding leave $$ since then. They make it IMPOSSIBLE to talk to anyone. I've started taking screenshots of how many times I call and get disconnected because this is ridiculous. No income for 6 weeks and counting with a newborn at home.

I've been through this process twice now and unfortunately what you're experiencing is pretty typical with ESD's handling of PFML claims. The system treats medical leave (pregnancy/recovery) and bonding leave as completely separate claims, even though for most people they flow together. A few things that might help: 1. Make sure you've completed the "Certification of Serious Health Condition" form for your recovery period specifically. This is different from the birth certificate and focuses on your recovery needs. 2. Double-check that your employer has responded to their portion of the claim verification. Sometimes they miss emails from ESD. 3. If you call very early - like right when they open at 8am - the wait times are slightly better. 4. They WILL backpay you for all weeks once approved, but that doesn't help with immediate bills. Hang in there - the system is broken but you will eventually get your money.

ESD is totally swamped right now with these claims. My friend works there and says they are processing thousands of PFML claims with not enough staff. Call volume is crazy high. Its not right but thats whats happening

I was in your exact situation about 2 months ago. Here's what finally worked for me with getting through to ESD: I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me from having to redial constantly or wait on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I actually got to speak with someone, they were able to expedite my bonding claim due to financial hardship. I explained I was facing eviction and couldn't afford baby essentials. The key is actually getting a human on the phone who can flag your claim. My payment was processed within 3 days after that call.

Yes, they actually expedited it! The key was using the specific phrase "financial hardship review" when I got the agent on the phone. They have a process for people who are facing eviction or inability to afford necessities. The agent should be able to flag your claim for expedited review, but you MUST speak to someone on the phone. I got my backpay as one lump sum about 3 business days after that call.

Remember that if you're still within the first 12 weeks after birth, you're protected by FMLA from losing your job, even if WA's paid leave program is being slow. Make sure your employer knows you're on protected leave. Also - have you contacted your state representative? They sometimes can help get these claims unstuck. Our system should NOT be putting new parents in this position!

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning (called 17 times starting at 7:58am) and mentioned the financial hardship review that someone suggested here. The agent immediately knew what I was talking about and said she would flag my claim! She said I should see payment within 72 hours. Fingers crossed this actually works. Thanks for the advice everyone!!

One other thing to know - once your bonding claim is approved, you'll need to file weekly claims just like with unemployment. Many people miss this step and wonder why their payments stopped. The system doesn't make this clear at all, but you need to log in each week to certify you're still on leave. The website to file weekly claims is different from where you submitted your initial application.

Yes, you log into your PFML account through SecureAccess Washington, then look for the section that says "File a weekly claim." You'll need to do this every week during your approved leave period. You'll answer questions confirming you were on leave that week and not working. If you miss a week, you can file for past weeks, but it's easier to just stay on top of it once your claim is approved.