Paid Family Leave (PFL) provides benefit payments to people who need to take time off work to:

This article provides guidance around submitting a PFL claim for the purpose of bonding with a new child.

Use the benefit calculator on the official CA EDD website to estimate how much you could receive in benefit payments. The 2023 maximum benefit is $1,620 per week.

While you may take time off prior to the birth of your child, the earliest you can apply for state benefits is after your child has been born. You must file for benefits within 41 days after your bonding leave starts.

Cocoon recommends filing your claims online (see instructions below on how to do so). However, certain situations may require you to file by paper. If you are unable to file online, please refer to our guidance here around filing paper claims with the CA EDD.

You will only need to provision an account with the CA EDD if you have not previously filed a claim online with the CA EDD. Visit CA EDD to create an account and see our guide here for setting things up!

You can submit your bonding claim after you’ve received your last payment for EDD Disability (SDI) benefits. This is an EDD requirement and we only advise submitting ahead of your last SDI payment if there is an active appeal. Submitting your PFL claim prior to your SDI claim being settled can cause the EDD to deny your PFL claim.

The EDD claim deadline is 49 days after your leave begins. If your claim is submitted late, it may be denied or partially denied. Whenever a claim is denied, you will receive a formal notice in the mail, as well as an appeal form.

See here for more information on denied claims and the appeals process.

If you are knowingly submitting your claim late, you can mail a letter with your name, SSN, and claim receipt number to the EDD explaining the late submission. This should be mailed to:

State of California

Employment Development Department

PO Box 989777

West Sacramento, CA 95798-9777

However, if the bonding claim is being submitted late due to delays on your disability claim, you should not experience a denial due to late submission, as the EDD will be aware of the pending state of your disability claim.

Ideally, you can submit your bonding claim through the EDD portal. Start by clicking “Benefits Login” at the top right:

There may be reasons that you’re not able to login to the portal and will then need to file by paper.

Please note that online claims can take 2 weeks to process and paper claims can take 3-8 weeks to process. In the processing time, the EDD will not provide you any updates on your claim. As such, we always recommend trying to create an online account and filing online if you are able to.

1. After you login to the EDD portal, you’ll go to “SDI Online”

2. Start a “New Claim”

3. And apply for “Paid Family Leave Bonding”

For more information on filing your Paid Family Leave claim with the CA EDD, please see the detailed guide within your claims task list in your Cocoon dashboard!

Keep an eye out for any notices in the mail or any calls from the EDD. If you miss their call, it can be hard to reach them when trying to return their call. If you filed your claim online, the EDD should send the determination for approval or denial about 2 weeks after it’s submitted. This will be sent in the mail, along with payment, if the claim is approved.

It’s important to note that the EDD will often request that a Claim for Continued Benefits is completed to re-certify days of your claim before they’ll issue further payments. This is not to extend your claim- it is to confirm you still need the benefits that you’ve already applied for. The Claim for Continued Benefits will be sent to you in the mail or via your EDD inbox and cannot be completed until the Due Date.

In order to submit your bonding (EDD Paid Family Leave or PFL) claim, you will need documentation that proves your relationship to your child. This document will need to have your name, the baby or child’s name, and the date that they came into your care (date of birth, or placement date).

For a biological or surrogate birth, this could be the birth certificate, or more commonly, a verification letter from the hospital. For an adoption or foster placement, this would be the court documents, placement record, or placement agreement. You can see the full list of accepted documents on the EDD website.

You can submit your bonding claim once you start your leave and after your baby has been born. The first day to file a claim with the EDD is the first day of the leave and the leave is considered to have begun once your baby has arrived and you’re no longer working.

The EDD claim deadline is 49 days after your leave begins. If your claim is submitted late, it may be denied or partially denied. Whenever a claim is denied, you will also receive an appeal form.

See here for more information on denied claims and the appeals process.

If you are knowingly submitting your claim late, you can mail a letter with your name, SSN, and claim receipt number to the EDD explaining the late submission. This would be mailed to:

State of California

Employment Development Department

PO Box 989777

West Sacramento, CA 95798-9777

Ideally, you can submit your bonding claim through the EDD portal. Start by clicking “Benefits Login” at the top right:

There may be reasons that you’re not able to login to the portal and will then need to file by paper.

Please note that online claims can take 2 weeks to process and paper claims can take 3-8 weeks to process. In the processing time, the EDD will not provide you any updates on your claim. As such, we always recommend trying to create an online account and filing online if you are able to.

1. After you login to the EDD portal, you’ll go to “SDI Online”

2. Start a “New Claim”

3. And apply for “Paid Family Leave Bonding”

For more information on filing your Paid Family Leave claim with the CA EDD, please see the detailed guide within your claims task list in your Cocoon dashboard!

Keep an eye out for any notices in the mail or any calls from the EDD. If you miss their call, it can be hard to reach them when trying to return their call. If you filed your claim online, the EDD should send the determination for approval or denial about 2 weeks after it’s submitted. This will be sent in the mail, along with payment, if the claim is approved.

It’s important to note that the EDD will often request that a Claim for Continued Benefits is completed to re-certify days of your claim before they’ll issue further payments. This is not to extend your claim- it is to confirm you still need the benefits that you’ve already applied for. The Claim for Continued Benefits will be sent to you in the mail or via your EDD inbox and cannot be completed until the Due Date.