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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I've been following this thread as someone who went through a very similar situation two years ago, and I want to echo what others have said - you absolutely CAN transition directly from PFL to disability for postpartum depression without returning to work first. The pregnancy-related exception is real and it saved me during one of the most difficult times in my life. A few practical tips from my experience: 1) Start the conversation with your doctor NOW about documenting your symptoms, even while you're still on PFL. This gives them time to observe and note the progression. 2) If possible, get a referral to a perinatal mental health specialist - they're experts at filling out these forms properly. 3) Consider applying online through SDI Online rather than mailing forms - it's faster and you get confirmation of receipt. Most importantly, please be gentle with yourself during this process. PPD is a serious medical condition, not a personal failing, and you deserve all the support available to you. The fact that you're planning ahead and asking these questions shows you're being a responsible parent by taking care of your own health first. ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and those practical tips! The suggestion about starting the documentation process now while still on PFL is really smart - I hadn't thought about giving my doctor time to observe the progression of symptoms. And the tip about using SDI Online instead of mailing forms is definitely something I'll keep in mind. I really appreciate you mentioning the perinatal mental health specialist option too. I've been seeing my regular OB/GYN, but having someone who specializes in this area could make a big difference in getting the documentation right. Your words about being gentle with myself really hit home. It's so easy to feel like I'm failing somehow, but you're right that this is a medical condition that deserves proper treatment and support. Thank you for the reminder that taking care of my mental health IS being a good parent. This whole thread has been such a lifeline! ❤️
I'm currently dealing with postpartum anxiety and depression after having my son 3 months ago, and this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I used my 6 weeks of pregnancy disability, then transitioned to PFL for baby bonding, but my mental health has actually gotten worse over the past few weeks. Reading everyone's experiences has given me the confidence to talk to my doctor about potentially filing for disability once my PFL ends. The information about the pregnancy-related exception is so important - I had no idea this was even an option and was terrified about having to choose between getting help and losing income. Thank you especially to those who shared specific tips about documentation and diagnostic codes. I'm going to start keeping a symptom journal like @Zoe Stavros suggested and ask my doctor about getting a referral to a perinatal mental health specialist as @Luca Russo mentioned. It's been so isolating dealing with this, and finding a community of people who understand both the emotional and practical challenges has been incredibly valuable. PPD/PPA is so much harder than I ever imagined, but knowing there are resources and support available makes me feel less alone. 💙
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Hey everyone! I'm brand new to this community but have been following this thread closely as I'm in almost the exact same situation as the original poster. Just had my first baby 5 weeks ago and planning to return to work part-time next month. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - especially hearing from people like @Dmitry Sokolov and @Rami Samuels who are currently making intermittent PFL work successfully. It's so reassuring to know this is definitely possible! I'm planning to work 3 days a week (probably Mon/Wed/Fri) and use PFL for the other 2 days. Based on what I've learned here, my action plan is: 1. Meet with HR this week to get our part-time arrangement officially documented 2. Call EDD before filing online to get guidance on the intermittent sections 3. File my claim about a week before my first PFL day 4. Set up a simple tracking system for certification accuracy One question I haven't seen addressed - for those doing 2 PFL days per week, how long did it realistically take to use up your full 8 weeks of benefits? I'm trying to plan out my timeline and want to make sure I stay within that 12-month window @Giovanni Marino mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences! This thread has been a goldmine of practical advice. I'll definitely report back on how my process goes to hopefully help future parents navigating the same situation! ✨
Welcome to the community @Serene Snow! Your action plan sounds really solid based on everything shared in this thread. To answer your timeline question - if you're doing 2 PFL days per week, you'd be using 2/5 of a week each week, so it would take 20 weeks to use all 8 weeks of benefits (40 days ÷ 2 days per week = 20 weeks). That's about 5 months, so you'll be well within the 12-month window! I'm actually in a very similar boat - planning to start my intermittent PFL in a few weeks and feeling much more confident after reading everyone's experiences here. The community knowledge is incredible! Looking forward to hearing how your process goes. Good luck mama! 💕
New member here! This thread has been so incredibly helpful as I'm planning my own return to work with intermittent PFL. I'm due in 6 weeks and want to get prepared early since I'll likely want to do a similar part-time schedule. One thing I'm wondering about that I haven't seen mentioned - does anyone know if there are any restrictions on WHICH days of the week you can take as PFL days? Like, could I theoretically do Wednesday/Thursday as my PFL days, or does it need to be consecutive days like Monday/Friday or Thursday/Friday? Also, for those who have done this - did you find that having mid-week PFL days vs end-of-week days made any difference for work continuity or your own adjustment? I'm trying to think through what schedule would work best for both bonding time and maintaining good relationships with my team when I return. Thanks in advance for any insights!
Welcome @Leeann Blackstein! Great question about day flexibility - from what I understand, there shouldn't be any restrictions on which specific days you choose for PFL as long as you're consistent with your schedule and your employer approves it. Wednesday/Thursday should work just fine if that fits your needs best! I'm also expecting (due in 8 weeks!) and have been researching this extensively after finding this amazing thread. From a practical standpoint, I've been thinking mid-week days might actually be nice because you get that mental break in the middle of your work week, plus it could help with things like pediatrician appointments that are often easier to schedule mid-week. Though I have to say, the Friday bonding days that others mentioned sound pretty appealing too - having that long weekend feeling with your baby! I think the most important thing is picking a schedule that works for your team's needs and your own energy levels. Maybe think about your workplace's busiest days or any recurring meetings that would be hard to miss? Would love to hear what you end up deciding! It's so nice to connect with other expecting parents who are thinking ahead about this stuff. Good luck with your remaining weeks! 🤞
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lol good luck. EDD is where paperwork goes to die. I swear they have a black hole for important documents 🕳️
🤣🤣🤣 sad but true
Have you tried reaching out to your local assembly member's office? They can sometimes help expedite things with EDD. Worth a shot if you're really stuck.
Just google '[your city] assembly member'. Their office should have a way to contact them for constituent services. They deal with EDD issues all the time.
This is actually great advice! I contacted my assembly member's office when I was having issues with my disability claim last year. They have a whole constituent services team that deals specifically with EDD problems. They were able to get me a callback from EDD within 48 hours when I had been trying for weeks on my own. Definitely worth trying @StarStrider!
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Just checking in - has your husband had any luck submitting the retroactive interruption form? As others have mentioned, it's definitely better to sort this out now rather than waiting until his next leave period is about to begin. One other important thing to note: make sure any dates he puts on the reestablishment form (DE 2501F) for his August leave are EXACT. If he puts August 1-14 but then takes August 3-17 instead, it can cause major issues with processing. The dates on the form need to match the actual leave dates precisely.
Thank you for checking back! He finally managed to get through to EDD yesterday after several attempts. The representative said he can submit the interruption form late and it shouldn't impact his next leave period. She also said we should submit the reestablishment form at least 10 days before his next leave period starts. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly! And thank you for the tip about exact dates - his work schedule can sometimes shift a bit so we'll make sure to only submit the form when the dates are 100% confirmed.
That's great news that he got through to EDD! I'm glad they confirmed he can submit the interruption form late. Just wanted to add one more tip from my experience - when he submits the DE 2501F for his August leave, make sure he has his employer's confirmation of the approved dates in writing first. My husband's work initially approved certain dates but then had to shift them due to a project deadline, and we had already submitted the reestablishment form. It created a whole mess with EDD where they said the dates didn't match what his employer reported. We had to get a letter from HR explaining the schedule change and it delayed his benefits by almost 2 weeks. Also, keep track of exactly how many weeks he's used so far (sounds like 2 weeks) so you don't accidentally go over the 8-week limit. EDD won't automatically stop you from filing for more time than you're entitled to, but they'll definitely come after you for overpayment later!
This is such valuable advice, thank you! I hadn't even thought about the employer confirmation piece - that's definitely something we'll make sure to get in writing before submitting any forms. The overpayment warning is scary too... we'll definitely keep a running tally of weeks used. Quick question - when you say "what his employer reported," does EDD automatically verify leave dates with employers? Or is this something that only happens if there's a discrepancy? I'm trying to understand how closely they monitor the employer side of things.
Great question! From what I understand, EDD doesn't automatically verify with employers for every claim, but they do have systems in place to cross-reference information. When your husband's employer processes payroll and reports wages/time off to state agencies, there can be flags if the dates don't align with what was submitted to EDD. In my case, I think what happened was that EDD's system flagged the discrepancy when they processed the benefit payments and saw that the dates on our form didn't match what the employer had reported in their quarterly filings. It's not like they call your HR department for every claim, but the data eventually gets compared through their automated systems. The safer approach is definitely to make sure everything matches upfront rather than hoping it won't get caught. State agencies are getting better at data matching, especially for benefit fraud prevention. Better to have that employer confirmation letter ready just in case!
Mateo Hernandez
I'm going through a very similar situation right now! I was laid off in January while on SDI for surgery recovery, and just successfully transitioned to UI last month. Here's what worked for me: The most important thing is timing - apply for UI the EXACT week your SDI ends. Don't wait even a few days because it can complicate things. Also, when you fill out the UI application, there's a section where you can explain your circumstances. I wrote something like: "I was scheduled to be laid off on [date] but was unable to work due to medical disability from [start date] to [end date]. I am now medically cleared to return to work as of [clearance date]." Your base period wages from before you got sick are what matter for UI eligibility, not the disability payments. Since you were earning good wages for 3+ years, you should definitely qualify. One last tip: if you run into any issues during the process, don't give up! Sometimes it takes talking to 2-3 different EDD representatives to find one who really understands these transition cases. Good luck!
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Xan Dae
•This is exactly what I needed to hear! I'm so glad to connect with someone who just went through this successfully. I'm definitely going to use your suggested wording for the application - that explains the situation perfectly without being too wordy. My SDI should end around June 15th, so I'll mark my calendar to apply for UI that exact week. It's such a relief to know that others have made this transition work. Thank you for sharing your experience and the encouragement - it really means a lot when you're feeling overwhelmed by all the bureaucracy!
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Anastasia Sokolov
I'm currently dealing with a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was laid off in April while on SDI for pregnancy complications, and my disability benefits end next month. Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much more confidence about applying for UI. One question I haven't seen addressed yet - does anyone know if there are any special considerations for pregnancy-related disability claims when transitioning to UI? My HR department mentioned something about "constructive separation" since my layoff happened while I was out, but I'm not sure if that changes anything about the base period calculations or application process. Also, for those who successfully made this transition - how long did it typically take from application to first UI payment? I'm trying to plan my finances accordingly since there might be a gap between my last SDI payment and first UI payment. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so valuable to hear from people who actually went through this rather than trying to decipher the EDD website alone!
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Mei Chen
•Welcome to the community! I'm new here too but have been following this thread closely as I'm in a similar boat. From what I've gathered from everyone's experiences, pregnancy-related disability shouldn't be treated any differently than other medical disabilities when transitioning to UI - the key is still having that work history in your base period before you went out on leave. Regarding the "constructive separation" - that actually sounds like it might work in your favor! It means your employer is acknowledging that your employment ended due to the layoff, not because you were unable to work. Definitely keep any documentation about that. As for timing, it sounds like most people here got their first UI payment within 2-3 weeks of applying (assuming no complications), but it's smart to plan for potential delays. Maybe keep a small buffer in your budget just in case? I'm planning to apply for UI in about a month when my SDI ends, and this thread has been such a lifesaver for understanding the process. Good luck with your application!
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