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 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!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
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.
An incredibly helpful service
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.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
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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Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this process recently! I'm a freelance photographer and enrolled in Elective Coverage when I was about 10 weeks pregnant. One thing I wish I had known earlier is that your benefit amount is calculated based on your REPORTED income, not what you actually earned. So if you're conservative with your income estimate (like I was), your benefits will be lower even if your actual business income ends up being higher. Also, keep really good records of all your business expenses and income from the moment you enroll. When you file your actual disability claim, having organized financial records makes the process SO much smoother. I used a simple spreadsheet to track everything monthly and it saved me hours of scrambling later. Good luck with everything - the timeline is tight but definitely doable if you move quickly! And congratulations on your little one on the way! 💕
This is such great advice about the income reporting! I never thought about how being conservative with estimates could hurt me later. Do you remember roughly how much your benefits ended up being compared to what you expected? I'm trying to figure out what to report as my projected income - my jewelry business has been pretty inconsistent month to month so it's hard to predict what I'll actually make this year. Thanks for the congratulations too! 😊
Just to add to all the great advice here - I'm a self-employed web developer who went through this exact process in 2024. One crucial thing I learned: when you're calculating your projected income for the DE1378N form, be realistic but don't lowball yourself too much. I was overly conservative and reported way less than what I actually ended up making, which limited my benefit amount to about $200/week when it could have been closer to $400. Also, pro tip: once you get your Elective Coverage approval, you can make your quarterly payments online through EDD's e-Services portal. Much faster than mailing checks! And definitely keep copies of EVERYTHING - your enrollment form, approval letter, payment confirmations, etc. You'll need them when you file your actual claims later. The fact that you're being proactive about this now gives you a real shot at making it work. Most people don't even realize self-employed folks can get these benefits! Wishing you the best with your application and congrats again on the baby! 🍼
This is all such incredibly helpful info! I'm feeling way more confident about navigating this process now. The tip about using e-Services for payments is great - I hate dealing with paper checks and mail delays. And you're so right about keeping copies of everything... I'm already terrible at organizing my business paperwork, so I definitely need to step up my game! One quick question - when you say "realistic but don't lowball," do you have any rule of thumb for estimating? Like should I look at my best months and project from there, or average everything out? My jewelry sales are super seasonal (holidays are huge for me) so it's tricky to predict what the full year will look like. Thanks again everyone for being so generous with advice - this community is amazing! 💎✨
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I'm a case worker who helps families navigate EDD benefits, and I want to add some important details to what's already been shared. You're absolutely right that you can extend your baby bonding PFL from 4 to 8 weeks without filing a new claim. The most reliable method is calling EDD directly - online submissions sometimes get lost in the system. When you call, mention that this is a "medically necessary extension" due to your daughter's jaundice requiring ongoing care. This framing often helps prioritize your request. Also, if you haven't already, ask your pediatrician to document that you specifically need to be home for her care - while baby bonding doesn't require medical documentation like disability claims do, having it can prevent any potential questions. The 8:01 AM call time others mentioned is spot-on - that's when the phone lines reset and you'll have the best chance of getting through quickly. Your situation is very common, and EDD handles these extensions routinely. You should have no gap in benefits if you call this week!
@Diego Fernández Thank you for the professional insight! The medically "necessary extension framing" is really helpful - I hadn t'thought about using that specific language when I call. I ll'definitely ask my pediatrician for documentation at tomorrow s'appointment, even though it sounds like it s'not strictly required. It s'reassuring to hear from someone who works with EDD benefits regularly that this situation is common and handled routinely. I was getting anxious about potential complications, but everyone s'advice here has made me feel much more confident about the process. I m'planning to call at 8:01 AM sharp tomorrow with all my information ready. Thanks for taking the time to share your professional perspective - it really helps to know what language and approach works best with EDD!
I'm going through the exact same situation right now! My 6-week-old daughter has been dealing with persistent jaundice and we're on week 2 of home phototherapy. I originally filed for 6 weeks of PFL but realized I'm going to need the full 8 weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring - I had no idea that extending baby bonding claims was relatively straightforward compared to other EDD processes. The advice about calling at 8:01 AM and having your claim information ready is invaluable. I'm planning to call tomorrow morning with my claim number, current end date, and benefit amount ready. It's such a relief to know there shouldn't be any gap in payments if I submit the extension request in time. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it makes such a difference knowing other parents have successfully navigated this same situation!
@Jamal Brown I m'so glad this thread has been helpful for you too! It s'incredible how many of us are dealing with jaundice situations at the same time - it really shows how common this is. The phototherapy at home is exhausting, isn t'it? Between checking bilirubin levels and making sure the baby stays positioned correctly under the lights, it feels like a full-time job on top of everything else. I m'planning to call EDD tomorrow morning too 8:01 (AM sharp! .)It s'so reassuring to see that multiple people have had smooth experiences extending their baby bonding claims. Best of luck with your call tomorrow, and I hope your daughter s'levels start improving soon. Keep us posted on how your extension goes!
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I'm a military spouse who went through this exact process when we PCS'd from Beale AFB to Fort Campbell in 2024! I was working as a physical therapist for only 3 weeks when my husband got orders, so I completely understand your stress about qualifying with such a short work history. Here's what saved my claim: I meticulously went through every single earning from 2023-2024, including clinical internship stipends, weekend CNA work I did during PT school, some tutoring gigs, and even a few shifts I picked up at a rehab clinic during breaks. Using the alternate base period, all these scattered earnings combined exceeded the monetary requirements by a comfortable margin. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you have documentation of your nursing license and any certifications ready. During my phone interview, the EDD rep asked about my professional qualifications to verify I was genuinely seeking work in my field. Having that ready made me sound more credible. Also, consider reaching out to military spouse nursing groups on Facebook for Arizona - many of them share job opportunities and can give you insights about which hospitals and clinics in the Phoenix/Tucson areas are most military-spouse friendly. Some even offer referral bonuses! The whole process took about 6 weeks for me, but it was such a relief when that first payment came through. You're going to navigate this successfully, and Arizona's healthcare market is really strong. This temporary uncertainty is just part of the PCS journey, but you'll come out stronger on the other side! 🌟
This is incredibly thorough and helpful advice, thank you! I hadn't thought about having my nursing license and certifications ready for the phone interview, but that makes total sense - they'd want to verify I'm genuinely qualified for the work I'm seeking. That's such a smart detail that could really help establish credibility during the call. Your suggestion about joining military spouse nursing groups on Facebook is brilliant too - I love that they share job opportunities and referral bonuses. That kind of networking could make such a difference in finding the right position in Arizona. It's so reassuring to hear from yet another healthcare professional who was in an almost identical situation (3 weeks vs my 6 weeks) and successfully navigated this process. Your point about this being "just part of the PCS journey" really puts things in perspective - this is temporary stress that military families deal with, and there are systems in place to help us through it. Thank you for the encouragement about Arizona's healthcare market too. This whole community has given me so much confidence and practical guidance! 💕
I'm a military spouse who went through this exact process when we PCS'd from Camp Lejeune to Fort Bliss in 2023! I was working as a respiratory therapist for only 4 weeks when my husband got orders, so I totally understand the anxiety about short work history. Here's what really made the difference for me: I created a comprehensive spreadsheet of ALL my 2022-2023 earnings, including respiratory therapy clinical rotations, part-time work as a pharmacy tech during school, some weekend shifts at urgent care clinics, and even small amounts from medical equipment training gigs. When I requested the alternate base period, these scattered earnings easily met the monetary requirements. One crucial tip I haven't seen mentioned - save screenshots of every page during your online filing process! EDD's website can be glitchy and sometimes loses information partway through. I learned this the hard way when I had to restart my application twice. Having screenshots helped me recreate everything exactly the same way the third time. Also, when you do get that phone interview, don't be afraid to mention that nursing is a critical healthcare profession and you're actively seeking work. The rep seemed impressed that I was in an essential field and took my job search seriously. The whole process took about 5 weeks for me. El Paso actually has excellent healthcare opportunities, especially at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, so I'm sure Arizona will have great prospects for you too. Military spouses in healthcare fields are in high demand! You've got this! 💪
This is such valuable advice, especially the tip about taking screenshots during the filing process! I never would have thought of that but it makes perfect sense given how notoriously glitchy government websites can be. The idea of having to restart an application multiple times sounds like a nightmare, so I'll definitely screenshot every step as I go. Your point about mentioning that nursing is a critical healthcare profession during the phone interview is really smart too - it shows I'm serious about finding work and not just looking for benefits. It's encouraging to hear about the opportunities at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, as that gives me confidence about finding similar opportunities near Arizona military installations. The fact that you successfully navigated this with only 4 weeks of work history is incredibly reassuring. Thank you for sharing such practical, detailed advice from your experience! This community has been absolutely amazing in helping me understand this process. 🙏
Paolo Marino
Great news! Glad to hear it worked out. Enjoy your baby bonding time!
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Margot Quinn
Congratulations on your approval and your new baby! This is such helpful information for other parents going through the same process. 16 business days is definitely on the longer side but pretty typical for December applications with the holidays. It's frustrating that the online system doesn't update in real time - seems like that's a common issue with EDD. Thanks for sharing the Claimyr tip too, I've been seeing more people mention that service and it sounds like it really works for getting through to a human. Enjoy your bonding time with your little one!
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