Can't reach California Paid Family Leave? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
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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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Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
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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!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
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 tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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This thread has been so educational! I'm a new parent myself and had no idea about the complexity of California's leave system. Reading through everyone's experiences really shows how important it is to advocate for yourself and double-check everything with both HR and EDD. The fact that you almost missed out on 2 weeks of paid PFL because of miscommunication is exactly why these discussions are so valuable. It's frustrating that such an important system is so poorly explained, but I'm grateful for communities like this where people share their real experiences. Congratulations on your new baby and I'm so glad you got those extra paid weeks figured out!
Absolutely agree! This whole thread has been like a masterclass in California leave benefits that I never got anywhere else. I'm expecting my first baby in a few months and honestly had no clue about the difference between PFL, CFRA, PDL, etc. Seeing Daniela's real experience - from the confusion to the happy discovery of extra paid weeks - is so much more helpful than any official government website I've tried to read. It's crazy that new parents have to become experts in this complicated system right when they're dealing with everything else that comes with having a baby. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge here!
As a California parent who just went through this exact situation last year, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to get everything in writing from both your HR department and EDD! I had a similar experience where my HR initially told me I only had 6 weeks of PFL, but when I called EDD directly, I discovered I was entitled to the full 8 weeks. The key lesson I learned is that even HR departments sometimes aren't fully up to date on all the changes to California's leave laws. I also recommend keeping detailed records of all your leave dates and payments - it really helps when you're trying to figure out what benefits you've used and what's still available. Congratulations on your new baby, and I'm so happy you discovered those extra 2 weeks of paid leave! Those early weeks are so precious.
This is such great advice about getting everything in writing! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now - I'm 7 months pregnant and trying to get clarity from my HR about my leave options. After reading this whole thread, I realize I need to be way more proactive about understanding all the different programs and not just rely on what HR tells me. The fact that even HR departments can be confused or not up-to-date is honestly a bit scary, but at least now I know to verify directly with EDD too. Did you find the EDD representatives helpful when you called, or was it hard to get through? I keep hearing mixed things about wait times and getting accurate information from them.
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I'm in a similar situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! Just filed my PFL claim last week and discovered I entered the wrong physician information. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me so much hope that this is actually fixable. I'm planning to use the multi-pronged approach that seems to work best based on all your success stories: early morning calling (8 AM sharp), submitting the online contact form as backup, and if needed, sending a certified letter. The tip about asking specifically for a "claim specialist" instead of general customer service is golden - thank you @Liam Brown for that insight! One question for those who've successfully gotten corrections processed: did you notice any difference in wait times or success rates between different days of the week? I'm trying to optimize my calling strategy before I start the 8 AM marathon tomorrow morning. Thank you to everyone who shared their detailed experiences - this community is incredible for providing real, actionable advice! Will definitely update once I get through the process. Fingers crossed! 🤞
Hey @CosmicCowboy! Welcome to the correction crew! 😊 I'm also new to this whole PFL world but have been absorbing all the wisdom in this thread. Your physician info mix-up sounds exactly like the kind of straightforward correction that should be totally fixable once you get through to the right person. I love that you're going with the comprehensive approach - from everything I've read here, it really seems like the people who hit EDD from multiple angles (calling + online form + certified letter if needed) are the ones who get results fastest. The claim specialist tip is definitely getting added to my notes too! As for day-of-week strategies, I'm super curious about this as well. Maybe we should start a little experiment and report back on which days seem to work best? Good luck with your 8 AM calling marathon - you've got this! Keep us posted on how it goes! 🍀
I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my PFL claim two weeks ago and just realized I made an error with my employment dates. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were so many different strategies to try! Based on everyone's experiences, I think I'm going to start with the 8 AM calling approach that @Giovanni Mancini @Morita Montoya and others have had success with, while also submitting the online "Contact Us" form that @Carmen Ortiz mentioned as a backup plan. The tip about asking specifically for a "claim specialist" from @Liam Brown seems crucial too. Has anyone had experience correcting employment date errors specifically? I'm wondering if that type of correction is more straightforward than some other issues. Really appreciate everyone sharing their detailed experiences here - it's making this whole stressful situation feel much more manageable knowing that corrections are actually possible with persistence! Will definitely update with my results. Thanks to this amazing community for all the practical advice! 🙏
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I'm a working mom who went through this exact same struggle when my daughter was born 18 months ago. The financial pressure with a newborn is SO real - between formula, diapers, and all the unexpected costs, it feels overwhelming. I was also tempted to do some gig work during my PFL because the 60% wage replacement just wasn't enough. But after talking to other parents who got burned by EDD overpayments, I'm so glad I didn't risk it. One friend ended up owing back over $3,500 because she didn't report her Etsy sales during bonding leave - the stress and financial burden lasted for over a year. Instead, I focused on finding every assistance program possible. WIC was a game-changer - the application took less than 2 weeks and covered so much of our formula and food costs. I also found a local diaper bank through our county's 211 helpline that provided free diapers monthly. Many grocery stores also have baby clubs with coupons - Safeway's Just for U program saved me probably $100+ over those 8 weeks. I know it's hard to ask for help, but these programs exist exactly for situations like yours. Those bonding weeks are irreplaceable and honestly went by in a blur. Once I returned to work, I was able to pick up freelance projects without any worries about my benefits. The peace of mind was worth so much more than any gig income would have been. You've got this mama! 💪
@Isabella Ferreira This is exactly the kind of reassurance I needed to hear! Your friend s'story about owing back $3,500 for unreported Etsy sales is a perfect example of why the risk just isn t'worth it. It s'so easy to think just "a little side income won" t'matter, but EDD clearly doesn t'see it that way. I had no idea about grocery store baby clubs with coupons - I m'definitely going to sign up for Safeway s'Just for U program today. The diaper bank through 211 sounds amazing too - diapers are another huge expense I hadn t'fully budgeted for! You re'absolutely right that these programs exist for exactly this type of situation. I m'starting to feel much more hopeful about getting through these 8 weeks without jeopardizing my PFL benefits. The peace of mind aspect really resonates with me - I want to enjoy this precious bonding time, not stress about potential overpayment issues down the road. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and encouragement! 💕
I'm a dad currently on week 3 of my PFL bonding leave and I was having these exact same thoughts about picking up some DoorDash shifts! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening - especially the stories from the former EDD specialist about automated systems that cross-reference 1099 income with benefit periods. That's honestly terrifying and something I never would have considered. The part that really got my attention was hearing how penalties can double what you owe back. Even if I only made $500 driving for DoorDash, that could turn into owing $1000+ back to EDD - completely not worth it for our family's financial situation. I'm definitely going to look into WIC and local assistance programs instead. My wife and I have been too proud to ask for help, but after reading about baby formula banks and hospital assistance programs, I realize there are so many legitimate resources we haven't explored. The tip about switching to store-brand formula could also save us significant money each week. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and advice - this thread probably saved me from making a very expensive mistake. These 8 weeks really are precious and I'd rather focus on bonding with my little guy than worry about potential benefit issues later! 🙏
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I'm dealing with something similar and it's beyond frustrating! My claim has been stuck in limbo for about 3 weeks now. One thing that helped me get some clarity was calling the EDD disability insurance line (1-800-480-3287) instead of the main PFL number - they share the same system but sometimes have shorter wait times. Also, try logging out completely and clearing your browser cache before logging back in - sounds basic but my claim actually reappeared after doing this! The disappearing claim thing seems to be a known glitch they're dealing with. Keep screenshots of everything and don't lose hope - I know it's stressful when bills are piling up but you'll get through this! 💪
Oh wow, the browser cache tip is genius! I never would have thought of that but it makes total sense - sometimes these web portals get glitchy with cached data. I'm definitely going to try that DI number too, thanks for sharing it! It's crazy that we have to become detectives just to access our own benefits, but I really appreciate you sharing what's worked for you. The fact that the disappearing claim is a "known glitch" is both reassuring (I'm not going crazy) and infuriating (how is this not fixed yet?!). Thanks for the encouragement - it really helps to know others are fighting the same battle! 🙏
I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! My PFL claim vanished about 10 days ago and I've been calling constantly with zero luck. It's such a relief to see I'm not the only one dealing with this - honestly was starting to think I was losing my mind. Reading through all these suggestions is giving me a game plan though. I'm definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy and the DI number instead of the main line. The browser cache clearing tip is something I never would have thought of but makes total sense! Has anyone who got their disappeared claim back found out what actually caused it to vanish in the first place? I'm curious if there's a pattern or if it's just random system glitches. Either way, thanks for posting this OP - misery loves company but more importantly, this thread is full of actionable advice! 🙌
Marina Hendrix
Congratulations on your baby! I just want to add my voice to everyone else confirming that PFL payments are indeed automatic - no certifications needed! I finished my 8 weeks of baby bonding leave about 6 weeks ago and it was such a relief not having to worry about any paperwork once I was approved. The payments came every two weeks like everyone said, and I literally didn't have to do anything except enjoy (well, try to enjoy through the sleep deprivation!) those early weeks with my daughter. One small thing I noticed that might help you feel more secure: my payments always posted to my account on the same day of the week, so after the first couple payments I knew exactly when to expect them. It's honestly refreshing that EDD got this part of the process right, even if their website explanation is absolutely terrible. Save yourself the stress and trust that it really is this simple! Focus on those newborn snuggles instead of worrying about benefits - they'll take care of themselves. 💕
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Cassandra Moon
•Thank you for the congratulations and for sharing your experience! It's so wonderful to hear from someone who just finished their leave recently - that really confirms this is the consistent process. I love that you mentioned the payments posting on the same day each week - that's such a helpful detail for planning (even though planning with a newborn is mostly just hoping for the best!). You're absolutely right about EDD getting this part right even though their website is terrible at explaining it. This whole thread has been such a lifesaver - I was driving myself crazy trying to understand their confusing instructions when the reality is beautifully simple. I'm definitely going to stop worrying about this now and focus on those precious newborn snuggles you mentioned. Thanks for taking the time to reassure yet another confused new parent! 💕
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Anastasia Fedorov
Congratulations on your new baby! I'm currently going through this same process and was equally confused by the EDD documentation. I can confirm what everyone else is saying - PFL payments for baby bonding are completely automatic once approved! No weekly certifications needed at all. I just received my third payment yesterday and haven't had to do anything except wait for the deposits to hit my account every two weeks. It's such a relief compared to unemployment where you're constantly worried about missing certification deadlines. The EDD website really should make this clearer - I spent way too much time stressing about potentially missing some requirement when the reality is beautifully simple. Just make sure your direct deposit info is current and keep your approval paperwork for your records. One thing I've noticed is that my payments come on the same day every two weeks, so you can start to anticipate when to expect them. Focus on enjoying these precious early weeks with your little one instead of worrying about EDD logistics - the system actually works automatically for once! 💕
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LunarEclipse
•Thank you so much for the congratulations and for sharing your current experience! It's incredibly reassuring to hear from someone who's actively going through this right now and just received their third payment. You're absolutely right about the EDD website needing to make this clearer - I can't believe how much unnecessary stress I put myself through trying to decode their confusing instructions! It's such a relief to know that this is truly one process they simplified and automated properly. I love that you mentioned the payments coming on the same day every two weeks - that predictability will be so helpful for budgeting and planning (even though everything else feels unpredictable with a newborn!). Thanks to everyone in this thread, I finally feel confident enough to stop obsessively checking my EDD account and just trust the system. Time to focus on what really matters - these fleeting and precious early days with my little one! 💕
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