Struggling to reach EDD SDI phone agents - any 2025 tricks that actually work?

Have you tried calling exactly at 8:01 instead of 8:00? Everyone hits redial at 8:00 sharp, but I found that waiting just 60 seconds can sometimes help. Also, try this: when the automated system starts, press 1, then 2, then wait 45 seconds before pressing 4. For some reason this specific sequence worked for me last month when my pregnancy disability claim was stuck. Worth a shot!

its all random honestly. i called like 37 times last week no joke. just gotta keep trying. the system is broken af

I've been dealing with EDD SDI claims for years (both personally and helping family members), and the phone situation has definitely gotten worse in 2025. Here are some suggestions that might help: 1. The "pending medical certification review" status typically means one of three things: a) your doctor's certification was received but flagged for additional review (common with certain medical conditions), b) there was a discrepancy between your claim date and the doctor's certification, or c) the medical office submitted incomplete information. 2. Instead of calling the main number, try the SDI Medical Review unit directly at 1-855-342-XXXX. This bypasses the general queue. 3. Send a secure message through your SDI Online account specifically asking what documentation is missing or causing the delay. Be very specific in your message. 4. If you have online access, check if there are any "Forms" or "Messages" showing in your account that might indicate what's needed. Remember, the 7-day waiting period doesn't start until after your claim is approved, so it's worth being persistent now to avoid further delays in your benefit payments.

After 3 days of constantly trying to reach EDD for my SDI claim, I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes after I'd spent days trying on my own. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd The agent I spoke with told me my claim was delayed because my employer submitted conflicting last day worked information. Once I got that cleared up, my claim was processed within 48 hours. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone!

So I had the exact same "pending medical certification review" status in February and it was driving me CRAZY!! Turns out the problem wasn't missing documents but that my doctor had checked a box saying my condition might be work-related (it wasn't). This triggered an automatic extended review. The most ANNOYING part was that nobody bothered to tell me this!!! I only found out after finally reaching someone. One thing nobody mentioned yet - try calling the employer line and pretending to be your HR department calling about an employee's claim (yours). Sometimes they answer those calls faster and they can still see your claim info.

Just thought of something else that might help - the EDD has a new callback feature that they rolled out in January. When you call the main number, listen carefully to all the prompts (don't skip any by pressing buttons early). After you go through the claim status options, there should be an option to request a callback rather than waiting on hold. It doesn't always offer this option - seems to depend on current call volume - but when it does, it's very helpful. Also, verify that your doctor's office actually submitted the forms electronically. Sometimes they say they did but actually didn't complete all the steps. I had a case where my doctor's assistant thought she submitted everything, but it never actually went through because she missed the final confirmation step.

did u try the online chat feature? sometimes works better than phone

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU GIVE UP!!! I went through EXACTLY this in March. Called 500+ times over TWO WEEKS!!! And guess what?? When I finally got through they told me there was NOTHING wrong with my claim - it was just "in the queue" waiting to be processed!!! No one had even LOOKED at it yet after THREE WEEKS!!! The system is BROKEN and they DON'T CARE about us!! My advice? BOMBARD your local state representative's office with calls. That's what finally worked for me. They have special liaisons with EDD who can actually get things done.

UPDATE: I finally got through this morning! Used the 8:01 trick (thanks for that suggestion!) and only had to wait about 20 minutes on hold. The agent was actually super helpful and explained that there was a discrepancy between the last day I worked on my claim form and what my employer reported. She fixed it on the spot and said my claim should be processed within 3-5 business days. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for all your suggestions and support. This community is amazing!

Congrats on getting through! That's such a relief after all that stress. The last day worked discrepancy is so common - I went through the same thing with my claim last year. It's frustrating that such a small detail can hold up your benefits for weeks. For anyone else dealing with this issue, it's worth calling your HR department to confirm exactly what date they submitted to EDD before you file. Sometimes there's confusion about whether to use your last physical day at work, your last scheduled day, or your last day on payroll. Getting that aligned upfront can save you weeks of delays!

So glad you finally got through and got it resolved! The 8:01 timing trick is brilliant - I never would have thought of waiting that extra minute. Your experience with the last day worked discrepancy is really helpful for others to know about. I'm actually dealing with a similar "pending medical certification review" status right now (going on 3 weeks), so this gives me hope that it might just be a data mismatch issue rather than something wrong with my medical forms. I'm definitely going to double-check with my employer about the dates they reported. Thanks for sharing the update - it's so encouraging to see someone actually get through and get real help!

This thread is so helpful! I'm new to dealing with EDD SDI and currently stuck in the same "pending medical certification review" status for about 10 days now. Reading through everyone's experiences makes me feel less alone in this frustrating process. The 8:01 timing trick and checking for last day worked discrepancies are great tips I hadn't seen anywhere else online. One question for those who've been through this - should I be worried that my claim has been pending for 10 days, or is that still within normal timeframes? My doctor submitted everything through SDI Online and I can see it was received, but no movement since then. I'm trying to decide if I should keep waiting or start being more aggressive with phone calls. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and tips - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with such a broken system!

As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but finally creating an account to share - I just went through this exact same nightmare last month! My claim was stuck in "pending medical certification review" for 17 days and I was losing my mind. Reading Mohamed's success story gives me hope to share what finally worked for me. Beyond the 8:01 trick (which is genius), I found that calling on Tuesdays around 2:30 PM actually had shorter wait times than the early morning rush. It seems counterintuitive, but I think fewer people try calling in the afternoon. The other thing that helped was being super specific when I finally got through to an agent. Instead of just asking "what's wrong with my claim," I said "I need to verify that my last day worked matches what my employer submitted, and confirm that my medical certification doesn't have any flags." Being direct seemed to help the agent focus on the actual issues rather than giving generic responses. For anyone still struggling - don't give up! The system is absolutely broken, but persistence really does pay off eventually. And this community has been such a lifesaver for tips and moral support during the process.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been struggling with EDD SDI for my disability claim too, and reading everyone's experiences makes me feel less crazy about how impossible this system is to navigate. I'm currently on day 12 of "pending medical certification review" status and getting really anxious about it. My situation is a bit different though - I have a mental health condition (severe anxiety and depression) that's made it really hard for me to keep up with all the phone calling attempts. The stress of trying to reach someone while already dealing with my disability has been overwhelming. Has anyone here dealt with mental health-related SDI claims? I'm wondering if those get flagged for additional review more often, or if the process is basically the same as physical conditions. My psychiatrist submitted everything through the online portal and said it was complete, but I'm worried there might be something specific about mental health documentation that's causing the delay. I'm definitely going to try the 8:01 trick and the Tuesday afternoon timing suggestion. Thank you all for sharing what's worked - this community support means so much when you're dealing with such a broken system while already struggling with health issues.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - my SDI claim has been stuck on "pending medical certification review" for 8 days now. Reading through everyone's experiences and tips gives me so much hope and practical strategies to try. The 8:01 calling trick is brilliant and makes perfect sense - everyone probably hits redial at exactly 8:00 AM. I'm also really intrigued by Lucas's suggestion about trying Tuesday afternoons around 2:30 PM. And the tip about being very specific with your questions when you finally get through seems crucial. For those dealing with the last day worked discrepancy issue that Mohamed encountered - that's such a common problem that I never would have thought to check for. I'm definitely going to verify with my HR department what date they submitted before I call EDD. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I've found that taking screenshots of your SDI Online account showing the status and any confirmation numbers can be really helpful when you do get through to an agent. It shows you're organized and helps them locate your claim faster. Thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences, especially Mohamed for the updates! This community support makes such a difference when dealing with this frustrating system.

This entire thread has been such a goldmine of information! I'm currently on day 6 of "pending medical certification review" for my back injury claim, and reading through everyone's experiences has been both reassuring and educational. The 8:01 calling trick is such a clever insight - it makes complete sense that waiting just one minute would help you avoid the massive rush of people all hitting redial at exactly 8:00 AM. I'm definitely trying this tomorrow morning, along with Lucas's suggestion about Tuesday afternoon calls around 2:30 PM as a backup strategy. The last day worked discrepancy issue that Mohamed ran into is something I never would have considered checking. I'm going to contact my HR department today to verify what date they reported versus what I put on my claim form - such a simple thing that can apparently cause weeks of delays. What really stands out to me from this thread is how much difference persistence and specific questions make. Instead of just asking "what's wrong with my claim," being direct about checking for date discrepancies or medical certification flags seems to get much better results from the agents. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences and tips. This community support makes dealing with such a frustrating system so much more manageable. I'll definitely update here once I get through!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - day 14 of "pending medical certification review" for my knee surgery claim. This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I tried the 8:01 trick this morning after reading Mohamed's success story and actually got through on my second attempt. The wait was about 35 minutes, but that's nothing compared to the weeks I've been trying. The agent told me my claim was also held up due to a last day worked discrepancy (just like Mohamed experienced). Apparently my employer reported I worked a half day on Friday, but I had put down Thursday as my last full day. She was able to fix it immediately and said to expect processing within 5-7 business days. For anyone still struggling with this - the specific timing and question approach really works. When I got through, I immediately said "I need to check if there's a discrepancy between my last day worked and what my employer submitted, and verify my medical certification doesn't have any review flags." The agent knew exactly what to look for and resolved it in under 10 minutes. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing these strategies! Will definitely update when my claim finally processes.

Wow, this thread is incredibly comprehensive and helpful! As someone who just started dealing with EDD SDI for the first time (my claim has been in "pending medical certification review" for 5 days now), reading through all these experiences and strategies has been both educational and reassuring. The 8:01 timing trick is such a clever discovery - it makes perfect sense that waiting just 60 seconds would help avoid the massive rush of everyone calling exactly at 8:00 AM. I'm definitely going to try this tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work, Lucas's Tuesday 2:30 PM strategy sounds like a great backup plan. The last day worked discrepancy issue that both Mohamed and Kyle experienced is something I never would have thought to check for. I'm going to call my HR department today to verify what date they submitted versus what I put on my claim form. It's incredible that such a small detail can cause weeks of delays. What really stands out to me is how much difference being specific with your questions makes. Instead of just asking "what's the status of my claim," asking directly about date discrepancies and medical certification flags seems to get much better results from the agents. Thank you to everyone for sharing these strategies and creating such a supportive community. It makes dealing with this frustrating system so much more manageable when you have real solutions from people who've actually gotten through it!