What's the real direct EDD SDI phone number and menu options that actually work?

The main EDD SDI customer service number is 1-800-480-3287. They're open Monday through Friday 8AM to 5PM. When you call, press 1 for English (or 2 for Spanish), then 1 again for SDI questions, then 2 for questions about an existing claim. Then there's usually a wait, but you should eventually get to a real person. Try calling Tuesday-Thursday mid-morning (around 10-11AM) - that's when I've had the best luck getting through.

lol good luck i called like 40 times yesterday and got hung up on every single time

I was having the EXACT same problem last month with my disability claim. Called for two weeks straight with no luck - just endless hold times and disconnections. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an EDD SDI agent in about 20 minutes. They basically call for you and connect you when they get through. They have a video of how it works: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd. Totally worth it since I was able to get my pending claim approved that same day once I actually talked to someone.

Just to clarify some info here - there are actually different numbers depending on what you need: 1-800-480-3287 is the main Disability Insurance customer service 1-877-238-4373 is for Paid Family Leave 1-866-401-2539 is for employer-related disability questions For the main SDI number, here's the exact menu sequence: 1. Press 1 for English 2. Press 1 for questions about SDI claims 3. Press 2 for existing claim info 4. Enter your SSN and PIN when prompted 5. Press 3 to speak with a representative The best times to call are Tuesday-Thursday between 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm. Mondays and Fridays are usually the busiest days. Also, make sure your claim doesn't have any issues that need to be addressed - check your SDI Online account for any pending items or messages. Sometimes there are simple issues that are holding up your claim that you can resolve through the online portal.

does anyone know if theres a different numbr for pregnancy disability?? ive been trying to get thru for 2 weeks about my claim and cant reach ANYONE!!!

Another tip - if you have access to your SDI Online account, try sending them a secure message through the portal. I couldn't get through by phone for days, but they actually responded to my message within 48 hours and resolved my certification issue. Worth trying while you're also attempting to call!

btw their stupid system is DESIGNED to keep u from talking to people. its not broken, its working exactly how they want it to 🙄

has anyone tried calling right at 4:58pm? i heard from a friend who used to work at edd that sometimes thats a good time cuz they HAVE to take calls until 5 and they cant start new calls after 5 so sometimes the queue is shorter right before closing

UPDATE: I finally got through!!! Used the exact menu options that @profile1 shared (the key was pressing 3 to specifically ask for a representative). Waited about 35 minutes on hold but finally spoke to someone who was actually super helpful. They found that my employer hadn't submitted the right wage information which is why my claim was pending. The rep put in a request to the processing department to expedite my claim. Thanks everyone for your help!!

So happy to hear you got through @Malik Davis! Your update gives me hope. I've been dealing with a similar situation - my claim has been pending since mid-January and I suspect it might be the same wage information issue. I'm definitely going to try calling tomorrow using the exact menu sequence that worked for you. Quick question - when you spoke to the rep, were they able to tell you specifically what wage information was missing or incorrect? I want to be prepared to ask the right questions when I hopefully get through. Thanks for sharing your success story!

Just wanted to add another tip that helped me get through - if you're calling the main SDI number (1-800-480-3287) and getting the "all agents are busy" message, don't hang up immediately. Sometimes if you stay on the line for 2-3 minutes, it will actually put you in the queue instead of disconnecting you. I discovered this by accident when I got distracted and didn't hang up right away. Also, I've found that having your SSN, claim number, and any relevant dates written down before you call really speeds up the process once you do get connected. The reps appreciate when you're prepared with all your info ready to go!

I've been lurking in this community for a while but finally had to create an account to share my experience. I was in the exact same boat as you @Malik Davis - filed my disability claim in early January and couldn't get through to anyone for weeks. The phone system is absolutely brutal. What finally worked for me was a combination of strategies mentioned here: I called the main number (1-800-480-3287) at exactly 10:15 AM on a Wednesday, used the menu sequence that @Chloe Anderson posted (press 1, then 1, then 2, enter SSN/PIN, then press 3 for rep), and when I got the "all agents busy" message I stayed on the line like @Caesar Grant suggested. After about 4 minutes it actually put me in queue and I waited 28 minutes but got through! Turns out my claim was stuck because my doctor's office had submitted an incomplete form. The rep was super helpful and got it resolved the same day. Don't give up - the system is frustrating but persistence pays off!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share another strategy that worked for me last week. I had been trying to reach EDD SDI for almost a month about my claim that got stuck in "pending" status. What finally worked was calling the main number (1-800-480-3287) at exactly 8:02 AM on Tuesday morning - not right at 8:00 when everyone else calls, but just 2 minutes later. I used the menu sequence everyone mentioned (1, 1, 2, enter info, then 3), and when I got the busy message I stayed on the line for about 3 minutes like others suggested. Got put in queue and waited 42 minutes but finally connected! The rep found that my employer had submitted conflicting wage information between two different quarters, which was causing the system to flag my claim for manual review. She was able to override it and process my payment that same day. One tip the rep gave me: if you're still having trouble getting through, try calling the employer hotline at 1-866-401-2539 and ask them to transfer you to SDI customer service - sometimes that works as a backdoor when the main lines are swamped. Hope this helps someone!

I've been struggling with the same issue for weeks now - filed my disability claim in early February and it's been stuck in pending status. After reading through all these helpful tips, I'm feeling much more optimistic about getting through! I'm planning to try the 8:02 AM timing strategy @Miguel Ramos mentioned tomorrow, along with the exact menu sequence (1, 1, 2, SSN/PIN, then 3 for rep) and staying on the line when I get the busy message. I also checked my SDI Online account and noticed I have a message about "additional information needed" - probably another employer form issue like many of you experienced. It's honestly crazy that we have to develop these elaborate strategies just to reach someone about our legitimate claims, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share what actually works. Will definitely update once I (hopefully) get through!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this nightmare myself. Filed my disability claim in late December and couldn't reach anyone for over a month! What finally worked for me was a combination of strategies I picked up from forums like this one. I called the main SDI number (1-800-480-3287) at 8:03 AM on a Thursday morning, used the menu sequence (1 for English, 1 for SDI, 2 for existing claim, enter SSN/PIN, then 3 for representative), and when I got the "all representatives are busy" message, I didn't hang up. After about 5 minutes of waiting, it actually put me into the queue! Waited 38 minutes on hold but finally got through to a really helpful rep. Turns out my claim was stuck because my doctor had used an old version of the disability form that was missing some required fields. The rep was able to see exactly what was wrong and helped me get the corrected form submitted that same day. My advice: don't give up, be persistent with the calling strategy, and when you do get through, ask specifically what's causing the delay. Most of the time it's something fixable once you know what the actual problem is!

Wow, this entire thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been dealing with a similar situation - filed my disability claim in mid-January and it's been stuck in pending status for over a month. After reading everyone's success stories and strategies, I feel like I finally have a real plan of attack. I'm going to try the 8:02-8:03 AM timing strategy tomorrow (seems like those extra few minutes after opening really matter), use the exact menu sequence that worked for so many of you (1, 1, 2, SSN/PIN, then 3 for rep), and most importantly - stay on the line when I get the "all agents busy" message instead of hanging up immediately. I also checked my SDI Online account and found a message about needing wage verification, so it sounds like I'm dealing with the same employer form issues that many of you experienced. It's honestly ridiculous that we need to develop these elaborate strategies just to reach someone about our legitimate claims, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share what actually works. The specific details everyone provided - exact times, menu sequences, wait times, and what issues the reps found - are incredibly valuable. Will definitely update with my results!

I've been reading through all these success stories and strategies, and I have to say this thread is like a masterclass in navigating EDD's broken phone system! As someone who works in customer service myself, it's honestly appalling that you all have to develop these elaborate workarounds just to reach someone about legitimate disability claims. That said, I'm taking notes on all the specific strategies that worked - the 8:02-8:03 AM timing, staying on the line after the "all agents busy" message, and having all your documentation ready. The employer wage/form issues seem to be the root cause of most pending claims, so it might be worth proactively calling your employer's HR department to confirm they submitted everything correctly before spending hours trying to reach EDD. Has anyone tried that approach - getting ahead of potential employer paperwork issues rather than discovering them after the fact?

I've been dealing with a similar situation for the past 3 weeks - filed my claim in late January and couldn't get through to anyone until I found this thread! Used the strategies everyone shared here and finally got connected yesterday. The key things that worked for me: called at 8:04 AM on Wednesday, used the exact menu sequence (1, 1, 2, SSN/PIN, then 3 for rep), and most importantly stayed on the line when I got the "all agents busy" message for about 4 minutes until it put me in queue. Waited 31 minutes on hold but got through to a super helpful rep who found that my employer had submitted incomplete wage information for Q4 2024. She put in an expedite request and said I should see movement within 3-5 business days. The proactive employer contact tip that @LilMama23 mentioned is brilliant - I wish I had thought to call my HR department first to verify their submission. For anyone still struggling, don't give up! This thread proves that persistence with the right strategy really works. Having all your info ready (SSN, claim number, employer details) definitely speeds things up once you get connected.

I just want to add my voice to thank everyone who contributed to this thread! I've been struggling with a pending disability claim since early February and feeling completely helpless trying to navigate EDD's phone system. Reading through all these detailed success stories and specific strategies has given me so much hope and a clear action plan. The consistency of what worked for people is really striking - the 8:02-8:04 AM timing window, staying on the line after the "all agents busy" message, using the exact menu sequence (1, 1, 2, SSN/PIN, then 3), and having all documentation ready. What I find most valuable is that people shared not just what worked, but also what the actual issues were (employer wage problems, incomplete forms, etc.). This helps set realistic expectations for what to ask when we do get through. I'm planning to try calling tomorrow morning using all these strategies, and I'll also take the proactive approach of calling my employer's HR department first to verify their submissions. Will definitely update with my results - fingers crossed I can add another success story to this amazing thread!