California has increased its Paid Family Leave and Disability Insurance benefits to up to 90 percent of regular pay for many workers, a historic increase designed to make time away from work for illness, injury, or care for family, more financially feasible. The Employment Development Department (EDD) made the announcement that the increase will affect workers earning under $63,000 annually. Workers earning more, will receive 70 percent of their pay. Governor Gavin Newsom and EDD Director Nancy Farias expressed that this move represents California’s commitment to supporting workers and building a more affordable living standard.

The increased benefits will aid workers taking time off for numerous reasons, including pregnancy, childbirth, recovery from illness or injury, and for caregiving for seriously ill relatives. It will also serve those needing time to bond with new children or to support their families during overseas military deployments. The new law which enacts these benefits, Senate Bill 951 (SB 951), is not retroactive and only applies to claims from post-January 1, 2025.

The Paid Family Leave and Disability Insurance cover more than 18 million workers in California. Workers contribute to these insurance via payroll contributions and draw benefits when needed. Eligibility for disability benefits extends up to 52 weeks and for Paid Family Leave, up to 8 weeks plus an additional 4 weeks pre-birth for expectant mothers.

To make it easier for Californians to get more information and updates about these increased benefits, they can visit the EDD’s State Disability Insurance webpage. Assistance can also be requested at eddcaller.com, an independent service not affiliated with the California EDD. The service aims at providing insight on how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave, how to contact SDI, how to get through to EDD, and more relevant aiding services.