Can't reach EDD SDI representatives by phone in 2025 - old methods stopped working

Same boat! Been trying 2 get thru for a week. Nothing works anymore and the bills r piling up. let me know if u figure it out... stressed to the max 😖

The EDD disability office changed their phone system in January 2025. The current best approach is to call at 8:01am (not 8:00 exactly - their system gets overloaded right at opening). When you get the menu, press 2-4-1-3 instead of the old pattern. This sometimes gets you to a secondary queue where wait times are shorter. Also make sure you have your claim ID, last 4 of SSN, and date of birth ready because they won't discuss your claim without verifying your identity first. The medical certification might be flagged for review if your doctor used any of the new diagnostic codes implemented last year.

After trying for weeks to reach EDD about my disability extension that was stuck in limbo, I finally had success using Claimyr. It's a service that connects you directly to an EDD agent without waiting on hold for hours. I was skeptical at first, but it worked when nothing else did. You can see how it works in their video demo (https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd). Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. The agent I spoke with was able to see that my extension was held up because of missing information that no one had notified me about!

THEY DESIGNED IT THIS WAY ON PURPOSE!!! Don't you get it? The harder it is to talk to someone, the fewer claims they have to pay. I've been fighting with EDD for 4 MONTHS trying to get my disability claim fixed after they "lost" my doctor's certification THREE TIMES! Every time I finally get through to a human, they tell me something different. One says to resubmit, another says wait, another says there's no record of my calls. It's a BROKEN SYSTEM and they have ZERO accountability!!! Document EVERYTHING and get your state representative involved - it's the only thing that worked for me.

I've found that calling on Tuesday or Wednesday around 10:30am has slightly better results than other times. Mondays are always swamped with weekend backlogs, and Fridays they seem to have fewer staff available. Also, try using the "Technical Support" option instead of "Claim Information" - sometimes the tech support queue is shorter, and once you get a person, they can often transfer you to the right department without losing your place in line. Oh, and check if your claim has any "pending certification" notes on your SDI Online account. My extension was held up because I didn't realize I needed to recertify at the transition point from my original claim to the extension period. Easy fix once I knew what was wrong!

try calling exactly at 12:01 pm thats when the lunch shift changes and sometimes more ppl pick up the phones

One more thing to try - check if your online account shows any "Action Required" notices. They started putting these in a separate section of the portal in 2025 instead of sending letters. Sometimes they need additional documentation but the notification system doesn't always send alerts properly. Go to SDI Online > Claim Summary > Action Items (small link at the bottom of the page). I've seen several cases where extension requests were held up because of missing information but the claimant was never properly notified.

UPDATE: Finally got through! Used the 12:01pm tip from @profile6 combined with the menu sequence from @profile2, and miraculously got connected to a representative after only 15 minutes on hold. They confirmed what @profile2 suggested - there was an Action Item in my account requesting additional documentation about my ongoing treatment plan. I've submitted that now and they said my extension should be processed within 3-5 business days. Thank you all for your help!

So glad to see this thread - I've been lurking here for weeks trying to figure out how to get through to EDD about my own disability claim issues. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear the system is really broken when people have to crowdsource phone tricks and hidden menu options just to talk to someone about their benefits! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my claim has been "under review" for over a month with no communication. Going to try the 12:01pm calling time and check for those Action Items that @Andre mentioned. It's ridiculous that we have to become detective-level experts just to access services we've paid into, but I'm grateful for this community sharing what actually works. Will report back if I have any success!

Just wanted to jump in and say how helpful this thread has been! I'm new to dealing with EDD disability claims and honestly had no idea the system was this difficult to navigate. My claim just got approved last week, but I'm already worried about what happens when I need to file for an extension in a few months. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should start preparing now by setting up those text alerts @Andre mentioned and bookmarking all these phone tricks. It's crazy that we need a whole strategy guide just to contact our own state agency! Thank you to everyone sharing their hard-won knowledge - this community is literally saving people's financial lives when the official system fails them.

As someone who just went through this nightmare last month, I can confirm that the system changes in 2025 have made everything harder. What finally worked for me was calling the EDD Disability office at exactly 8:02am (not 8:00 or 8:01 - seems like there's a sweet spot) and using the sequence 2-4-1-3 that @Andre mentioned. But here's the key part - when you get to the final menu, don't select your option immediately. Wait about 10-15 seconds, then make your selection. I think their system is overloaded at the exact moment people are frantically pressing buttons, so that slight delay helped me get through. Also had to call from a landline - my cell phone calls kept getting dropped for some reason. The rep I finally reached told me they're seeing a 400% increase in call volume since the system changes, which explains why the old methods stopped working. Hang in there everyone - persistence really does pay off, even though it shouldn't have to be this hard!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I've been struggling with the exact same issue - my SDI extension has been stuck in "processing" for almost 4 weeks now and I was getting nowhere with the old phone methods. Reading through all these strategies gives me hope that I can finally get through to someone. I'm going to try the 8:02am timing with the 2-4-1-3 sequence tomorrow, and I'll definitely check for those hidden Action Items that seem to be catching so many people off guard. It's honestly shameful that people dealing with disabilities and health issues have to become phone system hackers just to access benefits we've paid into, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions when the official channels fail us. The landline tip is fascinating too - I've been getting those weird disconnects on my cell that others mentioned. Will report back with results and add to the collective knowledge here. Thank you all for sharing your hard-won expertise!

Just wanted to add my experience from this week - I was stuck in the same situation with my SDI extension showing "processing" for over a month. After reading through all the amazing advice in this thread, I tried the 8:02am call time with the 2-4-1-3 menu sequence and actually got through! But here's what I learned that might help others: when the rep answered, they immediately told me my extension was on hold because of a "medical code discrepancy" that wasn't showing up anywhere in my online account. Turns out my doctor's office had submitted the certification using old diagnostic codes instead of the new ICD-11 format that EDD requires as of 2025. The rep was able to send a notification directly to my doctor's office requesting an updated submission with the correct codes. She said this is happening to a lot of people because many medical offices haven't fully transitioned to the new coding system yet. So if you're stuck in processing limbo, specifically ask the rep to check for "medical coding issues" - it might not show up as an Action Item but could still be blocking your claim. Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing what actually works!

Just joined this community because I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare! My SDI claim has been stuck in "under review" status for 6 weeks now and I was losing my mind trying to get through to someone. This thread is like finding gold - I had no idea about the Action Items section or the ICD-11 coding issues. I've been calling at random times using the old 1-2-1 sequence that definitely doesn't work anymore. Going to try the 8:02am timing with 2-4-1-3 tomorrow and check my account for those hidden Action Items. It's absolutely insane that we need a PhD in phone system hacking just to access disability benefits, but I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their hard-fought knowledge here. The medical coding issue that @Carmen mentioned is especially eye-opening - I'm definitely going to call my doctor's office to make sure they used the right codes. Will report back with results and hopefully add another success story to help others in the same boat!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar issue - my SDI extension has been stuck in "processing" for 5 weeks and I was about ready to give up. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions gives me so much hope. I had no idea about the Action Items section or the ICD-11 coding problems that seem to be affecting so many claims. I've been using the old phone methods that clearly don't work anymore and getting nowhere. Planning to try the 8:02am call time with the 2-4-1-3 sequence tomorrow, and I'm definitely going to check my online account for any hidden Action Items first. Also calling my doctor's office to verify they used the correct diagnostic codes when submitting my certification. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need to become phone system detectives just to access benefits we've paid into, but this community sharing real solutions is truly a lifeline when the official system fails us. Thank you to everyone who has shared their hard-won knowledge here - will definitely report back with results!

Just wanted to jump in and say thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and solutions here! I'm currently dealing with my first SDI extension request and honestly had no idea how complicated this process could be. Reading through this thread has been both eye-opening and incredibly helpful. I submitted my extension paperwork 3 weeks ago and it's just been sitting in "processing" status with zero communication from EDD. Based on all the advice here, I'm going to check for those Action Items first thing tomorrow morning - I had no idea that section even existed! Then I'll try the 8:02am call strategy with the 2-4-1-3 menu sequence if needed. I'm also going to contact my doctor's office to make sure they used the new ICD-11 diagnostic codes when submitting my certification. It's honestly shocking that we need to crowdsource phone system hacks and coding requirements just to access basic services, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions when the official channels fail us. This thread should be pinned as essential reading for anyone dealing with EDD disability claims in 2025!

This thread is absolutely incredible - I've been silently following along for the past few days while desperately trying to get through to EDD about my own disability claim that's been stuck for 7 weeks. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences and solutions has been like finding a roadmap through what felt like an impossible maze. I had no clue about the Action Items section, the ICD-11 coding changes, or any of these phone timing strategies. Been using the old 1-2-1 sequence and getting nowhere fast. Tomorrow I'm armed with the 8:02am timing, 2-4-1-3 menu sequence, and a plan to check those hidden Action Items first. Also calling my doctor's office to verify they used the correct diagnostic codes. It's beyond frustrating that we have to become EDD system experts just to access benefits we've paid into, but this community sharing real solutions is truly saving people's livelihoods when the official system fails. Thank you to everyone who has contributed their hard-won knowledge here - will definitely report back with results and hopefully add another success story to help others navigate this broken system!

Just wanted to add my experience from this week! After reading through all the incredible advice in this thread, I finally got through to EDD using the 8:02am timing with the 2-4-1-3 menu sequence. But here's what I discovered that might help others - my claim was actually stuck because of a "provider verification issue" that wasn't showing up anywhere in my online account or as an Action Item. The rep told me that since 2025, they're doing additional verification checks on medical providers to prevent fraud, and sometimes legitimate doctors get flagged if their office information doesn't exactly match EDD's database. She was able to clear the flag immediately once she verified my doctor's credentials, and my extension was approved within 24 hours. So if you're stuck in processing limbo and the Action Items check doesn't reveal anything, specifically ask the rep to check for "provider verification holds" - it might be another hidden issue blocking your claim. This community has been such a lifesaver for navigating this broken system!