How to Apply for California Bonding Time

If you have state disability insurance, you also have family leave insurance.

After your maternity leave is over, you may still need some time off work to take care of your newborn child. The Employment Development Department (EDD) in California provides for bonding time, which is also called family leave benefits. You may be eligible for up to six weeks of family benefits. If you have previously taken family benefits within the same 12-month period, the EDD will deduct this time from your six-week total. The EDD calculates your benefit pay based on your wages within the last 12 months.

Things You'll Need

• Claim form
• Copy of birth certificate

Instructions

1. Order a Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits claim form. Call the California Employment Development Department at 1-877-238-4373 or submit a request through the EDD website (.edd.ca.gov). If you fill out an online request form for a claim, provide your full name, address and phone number. Expect to receive your form within five to seven days.

2. Fill out your form when you receive it. Enter your full name, Social Security number, contact information and employment information. Write down the date that you wish to begin receiving bonding-time benefits and the date you wish to return to work. Sign and date the form in the space provided at the bottom of page one.

3. Read the authorization information on the second page. This disclaimer authorizes your health-care provider to share medical information with the EDD. If you agree with the authorization, print and sign your name at the bottom of page two.

4. Fill out the requested information on page three. This page asks for information about your newborn child, such as his Social Security number and date of birth. It also lists documents acceptable as proof of your relationship with the child, such as his birth certificate. Make a check in the box next to the document you wish to use and make a copy of the document. Sign your name at the bottom of page three in the "C6" box.

5. Bring the claim form to your doctor and ask him to fill out and sign the Doctor's Certification on page four. He does not need to complete part D, with the exception of the signature at the bottom.

6. Mail the form and the proof of your relationship with your child to PFL Office, P.O. Box 997017, Sacramento, CA 95799-7017. Mail it no sooner than nine days after you have begun providing care for the child. Mail it no later than 49 days from that same date.

Tips & Warnings

• If you already receive disability benefits related to your pregnancy, the EDD will automatically send you a PFL benefits claim form when your disability benefits run out.

References

• California Employment Development Department: How to File a Claim
• California Employment Development Department: Request a Claim Form for Paid Family Leave Benefits
• California Employment Development Department: Claim for Paid Family Leave
• California Employment Development Department: Contact SDI
• California Employment Development Department: FAQs for Paid Family Leave

Resources

• California Employment Development Department: Eligibility