Filing multiple Paid Family Leave claims retroactively after approval - can I submit all missed weeks at once?

Congrats on finally getting approved! For Paid Family Leave, you can actually file claims for all your missed weeks at once. Unlike regular unemployment, PFL lets you submit multiple weekly claims after approval. Just login to your PFL account, and there should be an option to file claims for previous weeks. Make sure you have any supporting documentation ready (like medical certification if it's for your own condition or family care). The system will walk you through each week separately, but you can do them all in one session.

ya i just did this last month! u can totally claim all the weeks at once its super easy. the system lets u go thru each week one by one but u dont have to log out between em or anything

I tried doing this with regular unemployment and got my claim denied for entering something wrong. Are you SURE Paid Family Leave is different? I don't want OP to get stuck like I did...

If you're having ANY issues getting through to someone at Paid Family Leave after trying to file your claims, I highly recommend using Claimyr. I was stuck in a similar situation where I had questions about my retroactive claims that weren't answered on the website. Spent days trying to reach an agent with no luck. Used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an ESD agent in about 30 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Saved me so much frustration!

ESD's Paid Family Leave is SUCH A MESS!!! I filed for multiple weeks at once like everyone is telling you to do and then got RANDOMLY AUDITED and had to provide extra documentation for EVERY SINGLE DAY I missed work!!! It was a NIGHTMARE!!! Just be prepared for them to make your life difficult even after approval!!!!

When I did my Paid Family Leave claims last year after my dad's stroke, I actually called the ESD office before filing the back weeks just to make sure I was doing it right. The agent was actually super helpful and walked me through the whole process. Might be worth trying to get someone on the phone if you're nervous about making a mistake.

My cousin had a baby in December and did Paid Family Leave. She said if you're filing for past weeks, make sure you have your hours worked properly documented for each specific week before you start the process. Apparently that's where people run into issues. Good luck!!

Update: I was able to file all three weeks at once! The system walked me through each week individually, but I did them all in one session. Thanks everyone for your help. The only confusing part was that I had to enter my hours worked for each week (which was zero since I was on leave), but once I figured that out it was straightforward. Claims are pending now, fingers crossed!

Awesome that you got it figured out! For anyone else reading this thread, just want to emphasize what others mentioned about being accurate with your weekly answers. Each week you claim needs to reflect your actual situation during that specific time period. Also, keep copies of any documentation you submit - I learned that lesson the hard way when they requested additional info later. Hope your claims process quickly!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else in a similar situation - I recently went through this exact process after my maternity leave approval came through late. Like others mentioned, you can absolutely file all your retroactive weeks at once through the PFL portal. One tip that really helped me: before you start filing, gather all your documentation and write down the specific dates for each week you're claiming. The system will ask you to confirm the start and end dates for each claim period, and having that info ready made the whole process much smoother. Also, don't panic if the first week takes a bit longer to process than the others - that seems to be normal. Good luck with your claims!

Great to see this worked out for you! For anyone else dealing with retroactive PFL claims, I'd also recommend checking your email regularly after filing - ESD sometimes sends requests for additional documentation or clarification that have pretty tight deadlines. I almost missed one because it went to my spam folder. Also, if you're claiming weeks that cross over different months, double-check that your employer information is consistent across all the weeks you're filing. The system can flag discrepancies even if it's the same job with slightly different formatting. Hope your payments come through quickly!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this exact situation! Got my PFL approval after a long wait and was super confused about filing the back weeks. Like everyone said, you can definitely file all missed weeks at once - the system is actually pretty user-friendly once you get into it. One thing I wish someone had told me upfront: make sure you have your medical documentation easily accessible while you're filing. Even though you already submitted it for approval, some of the weekly claim forms ask you to reference specific dates or details from your medical certification. Having it right there saved me from having to stop mid-process to dig through my files. Also, if you're doing this for bonding with a new child, they might ask for birth certificate info for each week, so keep that handy too. The whole process took me about 45 minutes for 4 weeks of back claims, so not too bad once you get started!

This thread is so helpful! I'm in a similar situation where I just got my PFL approval after weeks of waiting and have 2 weeks to file retroactively. It's reassuring to see so many people confirm that you can file all the back weeks at once. One question though - when you're filing for multiple weeks, do you need to submit separate documentation for each week, or does the original documentation you submitted for approval cover all the retroactive weeks? I want to make sure I have everything ready before I start the process. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here!