am i the only 1 who thinks its ridiculous we only get 8 weeks? other countries get way more time with their babies 😤

Just a heads up, sometimes the system glitches and shows your claim as inactive even when it's not. If that happens, don't panic! Just call and they can usually sort it out pretty quick.

I just went through this exact situation last year! Filed my SDI claim about 2 weeks after my disability start date because I was also using up my accrued PTO first. The process was super smooth - just make sure you have your doctor's portion ready to go since that's usually the bottleneck. Also heads up, when you do your bi-weekly certifications later, they'll ask about ANY income you received during those specific 2-week periods, so keep track of exactly which dates your sick pay covered. The EDD system is actually pretty good at handling these mixed situations where people use employer benefits first. Good luck with everything and congratulations on your little one! 👶

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a very similar situation with my second baby in 2024. Started leave on a Friday, used my PTO for the first 10 days, then filed my SDI claim. The key thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking exactly which dates I received sick pay vs when I expected to start receiving SDI benefits. This made the bi-weekly certifications SO much easier later on. Also, don't stress about the timing - EDD sees these mixed benefit situations all the time, especially with maternity leave. The most important thing is being accurate with your dates, not the speed of filing. You've got plenty of time within that 49-day window!

Have you checked if your UI Online account is fully set up? Sometimes incomplete registration can cause login issues.

I ran into the E324 error a few weeks ago and it was so frustrating! What finally worked for me was calling the EDD tech support line at 1-800-300-5616. I know it's hard to get through, but I called right at 8am when they opened and got connected after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep was able to reset something on their end and I could log in immediately after. Might be worth a shot if the browser fixes don't work!

Protip: If you cant get through on the main line, try calling some of the other departments and ask to be transferred. Sometimes works for me!

Just went through this exact same situation last month! What worked for me was calling the PFL line and explaining that I accidentally submitted a duplicate application. The rep was actually pretty understanding about it - apparently it happens more often than you'd think. She was able to cancel the first one on the spot and confirmed my second application was processing normally. Definitely mention that you needed to change the date, that's a valid reason for the duplicate. Good luck! 🤞

Final update: My PFL claim was approved! It took 9 days from submission to approval, and the payment hit my account 2 days later. So I had about an 11-day gap between my last disability payment and first PFL payment. Tight financially but manageable. For anyone else going through this transition, definitely file ASAP before your disability ends! And yes, my weekly benefit amount is exactly the same as it was on disability, so that's a good verification point. Thanks again everyone for your help!

Congrats on getting through the transition successfully! Your timeline is really helpful for others going through this. 11 days isn't too bad considering some of the horror stories you hear about EDD processing times. I'm currently pregnant with my first and will need to do this same transition in a few months, so I'm bookmarking this entire thread for reference. It's such a relief to see that when you file properly and early, the system actually works reasonably well. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping us updated!