Senate Bill 951 (SB 951), went into effect January 1, 2025, providing a major boost in PFL and Disability Insurance benefits for workers. Photo courtesy of Employment Development Department 

 

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The Employment Development Department’s (EDD) has announced that with the new year Californians will now receive boosted Paid Family Leave (PFL) and Disability Insurance benefits. This is a landmark increase that will help to provide more financial support for Californians to take time off for an illness or injury, or to care for loved ones.

What’s Happening:

Senate Bill 951 (SB 951), went into effect January 1, 2025, providing a major boost in PFL and Disability Insurance benefits for workers. Californians now can receive up to 70-90% of their weekly wages to assist families when they need it most.

Why This Matters:
Paid Family Leave and Disability Insurance are insurance plans that cover more than 18 million California workers. Workers pay into these insurance plans through payroll contributions and then draw benefits to take time off work for a non-work injury, to care for a seriously ill family member, bond with a new child, or participate in a qualifying military event. Eligible workers receiving disability can get up to 52 weeks of benefits and workers taking Paid Family Leave are eligible for up to 8 weeks of benefits.

“Expanded Paid Family Leave benefits are about making it easier for Californians to care for themselves, bond with a new child, and care for their families without worrying about how they’ll pay the bills,” “This is another example of California leading the way in supporting workers, creating a more affordable California, and building more opportunity for all,” said Governor Gavin Newsom

“This benefit boost makes it more affordable to take time off work and care for an ill family member, bond with a child, or recover from illness or injury. These investments strengthen California’s workforce and improve the lives of millions of Californians,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias.

“SB 951 will ensure every California worker can afford to care for their family and themselves during life’s most important moments,”. “I applaud Governor Newsom for signing my bill into law, which will allow middle and low paid workers to receive up to 90 percent of their wages when out on leave. This change will benefit millions of workers who have contributed to the program during their careers. This bill, which I was proud to introduce, is part of the historic work California is doing to expand equitable access to paid leave,” said Senator Maria Elena Durazo, author of SB 951.

Key benefits:

Workers earning less than $63,000 annually will receive up to 90% of their regular weekly wages.

Higher-income workers will receive up to 70% of their regular weekly wages.

This increase applies to new claims on or after January 1, 2025. Claims filed in 2024 will continue at the 2024 rates of 60-70% of weekly wages.

Important Stats:

Disability Insurance (2024) Average Weekly Benefit Amount: $838

Disability Insurance (2024) Average Monthly Initial Claims Filed: 62,407

Paid Family Leave (2024) Average Weekly Benefit Amount: $935

Paid Family Leave (2024) Average Monthly Initial Claims Filed: 26,756

Customers can apply for disability and PFL benefits by mail or even faster using myEDD.