Ana, congratulations on your little one and I'm so glad you were able to find your remaining PFL balance! As someone who also navigated the EDD system as a new parent, I completely understand the frustration with their phone system - it's absolutely terrible. Since you discovered you still have 3 weeks available, I wanted to share a tip that really helped me: consider keeping a simple calendar or planner specifically for tracking your PFL usage and deadlines. I marked down when I took each week, when I submitted forms, and set reminders for important dates like the one-year deadline. It helped me stay organized when my brain was total mush from sleep deprivation! Also, since you mentioned struggling with childcare and your husband's work stress, you might want to look into local parent groups or mom groups in your area - they're often great resources for childcare recommendations, emergency babysitting swaps, and just general support during those overwhelming early months. The fact that you can use those remaining weeks flexibly throughout the year is such a blessing - you'll figure out the perfect timing for your family's needs. You're doing great mama, even when it doesn't feel like it!

Ana, I'm so relieved you were able to find your remaining balance without having to deal with EDD's nightmare phone system! As a mom who went through this exact same confusion with my son last year, I totally get the panic of thinking you might have missed out on benefits you're entitled to. Those 3 remaining weeks are such a gift - especially with everything you mentioned about childcare struggles and your husband's work stress. One thing that really saved me was creating a simple note in my phone with all the key dates and deadlines related to my PFL benefits. I included things like when my year expires, how many weeks I had left, and even screenshots of the claim balance page. That way I could reference everything quickly without having to dig through the EDD website again when my brain was fried from lack of sleep. Also, since you mentioned potentially using the weeks throughout the year, don't forget that you need to give your employer proper notice each time - but the flexibility of being able to split them up is honestly one of the best parts of the California PFL system. You're doing amazing navigating all this bureaucracy while caring for a new baby - that's no small feat! Congratulations on your little one and I hope those remaining weeks give you some much-needed relief when you need it most.

I'm jumping into this incredible thread as someone who's been battling the same EDD phone nightmare for my PFL claim! I've been trying for 9 days straight with zero luck, but reading through everyone's detailed strategies is giving me so much hope. This community has essentially become a masterclass in reverse-engineering a completely broken government system - from @Emily Sanjay's scientific approach with tally marks and the 1-3-4 button sequence, to @Millie Long's 30-second wait discovery, to @StardustSeeker's weather timing strategy. It's both amazing and absolutely ridiculous that we need to coordinate like military strategists just to access benefits we're entitled to! I'm definitely going to combine the multi-phone 8:00 AM sharp approach with all these crowd-sourced hacks tomorrow morning. The solidarity and shared knowledge in this thread is incredible - it's proof that when official systems fail us completely, we can still help each other find solutions. Planning my own coordinated phone assault and will report back with results. Thank you everyone for not suffering in silence and actually sharing what works. This community is what's keeping me motivated when the system feels impossible! 💪🙏

This thread has been an absolute game-changer for me! I'm dealing with the exact same EDD nightmare trying to reach someone about my PFL claim. I've been stuck in the "maximum callers" loop for almost two weeks and was honestly starting to think it was impossible until I found this community. The level of strategic coordination we've all had to develop just to access basic government services is both inspiring and completely insane. Reading through everyone's battle-tested methods - @Emily Sanjay's scientific approach with the 67-call tally system and that brilliant 1-3-4 button sequence hack, @Millie Long's 30-second wait discovery instead of immediate hang-up, @StardustSeeker's weather timing strategy, and the consistent success with the multi-phone 8:00 AM sharp approach - it's like having a complete intelligence briefing for cracking this broken system. I'm definitely combining all these crowd-sourced tactics for my assault tomorrow morning. It's ridiculous that we need to become phone system ninjas with military precision just to discuss our own benefits, but the solidarity and shared knowledge in this thread is incredible proof that we can overcome even the most bureaucratic obstacles when we help each other. Going to report back with results - hopefully I can add to the success stories instead of the battle plans! Thanks to everyone for not giving up and creating this amazing support network. This community is what's keeping me sane through this nightmare! 💪🙏

I'm currently going through this same frustrating issue right now! Just finished my pregnancy disability last week and trying to file for PFL, but keep getting that "cannot verify banking information" error even though my direct deposit worked perfectly for SDI. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both helpful and infuriating - it's crazy that this is such a widespread known problem that EDD just hasn't bothered to fix. I'm going to try calling that 1-800-480-3287 number that @Carter Holmes mentioned at 8 AM sharp tomorrow. If that doesn't work out, I might have to bite the bullet and use the Claimyr service since sitting on hold for hours with a 2-week-old doesn't sound feasible. Thank you all for sharing your solutions - it's such a relief to know I'm not alone in dealing with this technical nightmare during an already stressful time!

This is such a frustrating but unfortunately common issue! I'm dealing with the exact same banking verification error right now after transitioning from pregnancy disability to PFL. It's so stressful when you're already sleep-deprived with a newborn and need those payments to come through. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it's both reassuring to know this isn't just me and infuriating to see how widespread this known glitch is. I'm definitely going to try calling EDD at 8 AM using that number @Carter Holmes shared, and if that doesn't work, the Claimyr service sounds like it might be worth the cost to avoid hours on hold with a crying baby. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions - this community is such a lifesaver during these stressful transitions!

This entire discussion has been such a wake-up call! I'm currently dealing with my own PFL claim (week 4 of waiting) and honestly thought I was doing something wrong or that my case was uniquely problematic. Reading about all these hidden issues - name formatting mismatches, employer verification problems, mystery system flags - makes me realize the system is just fundamentally broken. It's absolutely unacceptable that people have to become detectives to figure out why their own benefits are being withheld, especially when we're dealing with newborns and financial stress. I'm definitely going to follow everyone's advice here: double-checking with HR, reviewing my application for any tiny formatting differences, and keeping that Claimyr service as a backup plan. The fact that we have to pay a third party just to access benefits we've already paid into is infuriating, but if it works, it's worth it. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - this thread should be pinned for every new parent navigating this nightmare system!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm dealing with my first PFL claim right now (just submitted 2 weeks ago) and had no idea about all these potential hidden issues. Reading about Dmitry's hyphen problem and everyone else's employer verification delays is both helpful and terrifying - the fact that such tiny details can hold up benefits for months without any notification is absolutely insane. I'm definitely going to be proactive and contact my HR department tomorrow to make sure they submitted everything correctly on their end. Also going to go through my application with a fine-tooth comb to check for any formatting mismatches. It's ridiculous that we have to become detectives just to access benefits we've already paid into, but thank you all for sharing these real-world tips. Bookmarking that Claimyr service as backup - hopefully won't need it but good to know it exists. This kind of practical advice is exactly what new parents need but can't get from the official EDD website!

I just went through this exact same situation last week! Got that same confusing EDD email while on my bonding leave and was so stressed about how to respond properly. After reading through all these helpful responses, I can confirm the advice here really works. I sent EDD a clear email that said: "My employer provides integrated parental leave pay that supplements my PFL benefits. EDD pays approximately 60-70% of my regular wages, and my company pays the remaining amount to bring me to my full salary during leave." I included all the specifics everyone mentioned: - Exact dates of integrated payments - My hourly rate and normal schedule - Clear statement that these are parental leave benefits, NOT vacation/sick/PTO EDD processed my response in just 3 business days and approved everything without reducing my benefits! The key really is emphasizing that your company pay is working WITH PFL, not replacing it. Don't overthink it - just be specific and use the language that's worked for everyone else here. You definitely don't need to send all those 2023 pay stubs. A straightforward email response should resolve it quickly!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Just received that same confusing email from EDD yesterday while I'm on bonding leave and was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out how to respond. This thread has been absolutely incredible - reading everyone's experiences has completely changed my stress level from panic to confidence. It's amazing how consistent all the advice is: be super specific about what "integrated" means, emphasize that company pay is "working WITH PFL benefits" not replacing them, and include all the detailed information (dates, hourly rate, schedule, etc.). I'm definitely going to follow the proven template that so many people have shared: clearly explain that EDD pays 60-70% of my wages and my company covers the difference to reach my full salary, plus make it crystal clear these are parental leave benefits not vacation/sick days. The success stories here are so encouraging - seems like everyone who explained it properly got approved within 3-7 days without any benefit reductions. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a helpful resource for navigating EDD's confusing requests! This community is truly a lifesaver.