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I'm in a similar situation - just had my baby 3 weeks ago and completely forgot about filing for baby bonding leave until now. Reading through all these comments is giving me some hope! Has anyone here actually gotten approved for retroactive pay when they applied weeks after the fact? I'm worried I waited too long but sounds like it might still be worth a shot. Also @Dallas Villalobos - love that you included crying as step 4 😂 probably gonna need that too!
3 weeks isn't too late at all! I actually applied 5 weeks after my baby was born and still got approved. The key is having a good reason for the delay - in my case, I was dealing with postpartum complications and honestly just forgot with everything going on. When I called, I was upfront about it and they were understanding. Definitely gather all your paperwork first (birth certificate, employment records, etc.) and be ready to explain the situation. You got this! 💪
Hey @Andre Dupont! I was in almost the exact same boat - forgot to file until about a month after my little one was born. I was so stressed thinking I'd missed my chance completely. But I ended up getting approved for retroactive pay! The agent I spoke with said as long as you're within a reasonable timeframe and have documentation ready, they can usually work with you. 3 weeks is definitely not too late. My advice: call first thing in the morning (like right at 8am), have your baby's birth certificate ready, and just be honest about the situation. New parent brain is real and they understand that! Good luck! 🍀
I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago! I totally spaced on filing my baby bonding claim until my baby was almost 2 months old (new parent brain is SO real). I was convinced I'd missed my chance, but it turns out California actually allows you to file retroactively up to 49 days from when your leave should have started. The process wasn't as bad as I expected - I called the PFL line, explained my situation honestly, and the agent walked me through everything. I had to submit additional paperwork explaining the delay, but I got approved for the full 8 weeks retroactively. My biggest tip: call on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning right at 8am, have your baby's birth certificate and your employment info ready, and don't be afraid to ask questions. The agents are actually pretty understanding about late filings, especially for new parents. You've got this! 💙
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I'm going through the same thing right now! From what I've gathered reading through these comments, it sounds like calling early in the morning is key. @Fatima Al-Mansour your step-by-step breakdown is super helpful - I'm definitely going to try the 8:01 AM call strategy. It's frustrating that the online system seems so unreliable, but at least there are workarounds. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
@Yuki Yamamoto Yes, the 8:01 AM thing seems to be the magic trick! I m'in the same boat as you and @Giovanni Rossi - just starting this whole reestablishment process. It s really'helpful to see what s worked'for others. I m planning'to try calling tomorrow morning with all my paperwork ready. Fingers crossed we both get through quickly! 🤞
Just wanted to add my experience for anyone going through this - I successfully reestablished my leave about 3 weeks ago. The 8:01 AM call strategy definitely works! I also recommend having your Social Security number, original claim number, and the dates you need to reestablish ready before you call. One thing I learned is to be super specific about WHY you need to reestablish - they asked me detailed questions about the gap in my leave. Also, don't hang up until they give you a confirmation number or case number for your reestablishment request. Write it down! It saved me from having to start over when I had to call back with additional documents. The whole process took about 10 days once I actually got through to someone. Hang in there everyone! 💪
@Callum Savage This is incredibly helpful! I m'just starting this process and had no idea about needing the confirmation number - that s'such a good tip. Quick question: when they asked about the gap in your leave, what kind of details did they want? I m'worried I might not have all the right documentation ready. Also, did you have to provide any medical updates or just the original paperwork? Thanks for sharing such detailed info!
@Callum Savage Thanks for the detailed breakdown! That confirmation number tip is gold - I definitely would have forgotten to ask for that. I m'planning to call tomorrow morning and this gives me a much better idea of what to expect. Did you find that having everything organized in a specific way helped, or did they just ask for things as needed? I m'trying to decide if I should make copies of everything or just have the originals ready.
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I'm going through the exact same thing right now - 10 weeks and counting with no payments. It's absolutely ridiculous how broken this system is. I've tried everything mentioned here: calling (never get through), checking online portal (just says "pending"), even sent written requests. The stress of not knowing when/if you'll get paid while dealing with family issues is just brutal. Has anyone had luck with filing a complaint with the state ombudsman? I'm at my wit's end here.
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this too! 10 weeks is absolutely unacceptable. I haven't tried the state ombudsman yet, but that's a really good idea - I'm going to look into that option. This whole situation is so stressful when you're already dealing with family stuff and need the financial support. Have you considered reaching out to any local news stations? Sometimes media attention can light a fire under these agencies. Hang in there - we shouldn't have to fight this hard for benefits we're entitled to! 💪
This is absolutely maddening - I'm in week 8 of waiting myself and it's like screaming into the void. The fact that we're all here sharing horror stories of 2-4+ month delays just shows how completely broken this system is. I've been documenting everything like others suggested, but honestly shouldn't have to become a detective just to get benefits we've paid into. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - has anyone tried contacting their local assemblymember's office? I heard they sometimes have staff who can help navigate state agency issues. At this point I'm willing to try anything. The financial stress on top of dealing with family medical issues is just crushing. We deserve so much better than this bureaucratic nightmare! 😤
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Just wanted to update this thread for anyone who finds it later. My final payment hit my account 6 days after my last day of PFL. The online system showed "paid" status after 4 days, then took 2 more days for the actual deposit to appear in my account. So right in line with what most people here suggested. Thanks everyone for your help!
Thx for updating! This is super helpful to know since I'll be finishing my baby bonding in about a month. Glad it worked out for you!
Congrats on finishing your baby bonding time! Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like 6 days is pretty typical for the final payment timing. I'm currently on week 5 of my PFL and this thread is really helpful for planning ahead. Did you have to do anything special when you went back to work, or was the transition pretty smooth? I'm a little nervous about juggling everything when I return next month.
Hey Ethan! I'm also on PFL right now (week 3) and this thread has been super helpful for planning. I'm curious about the transition back to work too - did you have to coordinate anything special with HR or your employer before returning? I keep worrying about whether I need to give them advance notice or if there are any forms to fill out when PFL officially ends.
Diego Fisher
As a new member here, I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm currently 8 months pregnant and had been planning to figure out the baby bonding leave "later" - but reading through everyone's experiences has made me realize I need to start planning NOW. The strict 1-year deadline is honestly shocking - I had no idea you had to actually START the leave before the birthday, not just apply. @Zoe Alexopoulos your story is both terrifying and inspiring! I can't imagine the panic of realizing you almost missed the deadline, but I'm so glad you were able to get everything sorted out in time. Your success gives me confidence that with proper planning it's totally doable. I'm definitely going to start researching the DE2508 form and having conversations with my HR department ASAP. This thread has been more educational than anything I've found on the EDD website - thank you all for sharing your real experiences and advice!
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Royal_GM_Mark
•@Diego Fisher You re'so smart to start planning now at 8 months! As another newcomer to this community, I ve'been amazed at how much I ve'learned from this thread. The 1-year deadline really is strict, and it seems like so many parents don t'realize until it s'almost too late. One thing I d'add to your planning checklist - make sure to also research whether you ll'qualify for FMLA/CFRA job protection, since PFL only covers the pay replacement part. @Fatima Al-Farsi made such an important point about that earlier in the thread. You ll want'to coordinate both the wage benefits through EDD and the job protection through your employer. It s also'worth noting that you can t file'the DE2508 more than 41 days before your planned start date, so you ll want'to time that carefully after baby arrives. But having all the research done and conversations with HR completed beforehand will make the actual process so much smoother. This community has been such a goldmine of practical advice!
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Samantha Hall
As a new member here, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently expecting my first child and honestly had no clue about the strict 1-year deadline for baby bonding PFL. Reading through everyone's experiences - especially @Zoe Alexopoulos's near-miss and successful resolution - has been both eye-opening and reassuring. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) You MUST start the actual leave before your child's 1st birthday (not just apply), 2) File the DE2508 form strategically but no more than 41 days before your start date, 3) Coordinate with HR early about both PFL benefits AND job protection (FMLA/CFRA), and 4) Keep detailed documentation of everything. @Chanaii Hgmg - I'm so sorry about your situation and really hope the appeal process works out. The fact that you received those 5 days shows you did start properly, so definitely pursue that appeal within the 20-day window if you haven't already. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences and making this confusing process so much clearer for new parents like me!
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CosmicCrusader
•@Samantha Hall Welcome to the community! You ve'done such a great job summarizing all the key points from this thread - it s'clear you re'going to be well-prepared when your little one arrives! As someone who just joined this community myself, I ve'been amazed at how much more helpful real parent experiences are compared to trying to navigate the official EDD website alone. Your four key takeaways are spot-on, and I d'just add one more thing I picked up from reading through everything: don t'be afraid to call EDD multiple times if needed. Several people mentioned it took dozens of attempts to get through, but persistence really seems to pay off. The 8am opening time strategy that @Liam McGuire mentioned sounds like a solid approach. It s also'reassuring to see that intermittent leave is possible if your employer allows it - gives you flexibility to really make those 8 weeks work for your family s needs.'Thanks for contributing to this thread, and congratulations on your pregnancy!
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