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If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Was a full-time software engineer making $72K and did some freelance web development on weekends that brought in maybe $8K total. EDD immediately denied me saying I'm "self-employed" which is absolutely ridiculous given the income split. What's really helped me so far is gathering EVERYTHING that proves my employee status - not just W-2s and paystubs, but also my employee handbook, company org chart showing my position, even Slack screenshots showing I was part of the engineering team. I also wrote a detailed letter explaining that the freelance work was clearly supplemental income that I only did 5-10 hours per week max. The thing that's driving me crazy is how their system seems designed to automatically flag ANYONE with mixed income as self-employed without actually looking at the numbers. Like, how is $8K out of $80K total income considered "primary self-employment"?? I filed my DE 1000M appeal last week and I'm keeping copies of literally everything. Stay strong and definitely appeal this - your case is even stronger than mine with that income breakdown!
This is so reassuring to hear from someone in a similar situation! Your income split is almost identical to mine - it's crazy that EDD can look at $8K vs $72K and somehow conclude you're "primarily self-employed." I love your idea about including the company org chart and Slack screenshots - I never would have thought of that but it really does prove you were a legitimate employee integrated into the company structure. I'm definitely going to gather similar evidence from my marketing agency job. It's infuriating that we have to jump through all these hoops to prove something that should be obvious from the income numbers alone. Thanks for the encouragement - hearing success stories like yours gives me hope that this appeal process will actually work!
I'm going through something very similar and wanted to share what I learned from my experience. I was a full-time accountant making $62K and also did some bookkeeping for small businesses on weekends (about $11K in 1099 income). Got the same denial letter saying I was "self-employed." Here's what really helped me when I appealed: I gathered not just my W-2 and paystubs, but also my employment offer letter, benefits enrollment documents, and even my direct deposit records showing regular bi-weekly payments from my employer. The key was proving the PATTERN of employment, not just the income amounts. Also, when you write your appeal letter, be very specific about your work schedule. I explained that I worked 40 hours per week at my regular job Monday-Friday, and only did bookkeeping 3-4 hours on Saturday mornings. This timeline really helped show that the 1099 work was clearly secondary. One tip: if your marketing agency provided you with any equipment (laptop, phone, etc.) or if you had a company email address, include documentation of that too. It all helps establish that you were a legitimate W-2 employee with an employer-employee relationship, not an independent contractor. Your income split is even more favorable than mine was, so I'm confident your appeal will be successful. Just make sure to file it within that 30-day window and keep certifying while you wait!
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Just wanted to add another tip for anyone finding this thread later - if you're in a real time crunch and can't get through to EDD, you can also try visiting your local EDD office in person if there's one near you. I had to do this for my mom last year when she needed documentation for her Medicare application. The wait was long (like 3+ hours) but they were able to print out her award letter on the spot. Not ideal, but it's an option if phone/online isn't working and you're running out of time. Check the EDD website for office locations and hours - some require appointments now.
That's really good to know about the in-person option! I didn't even think about that. Do you remember if they were able to email it to her from the office, or was it just a printed copy? Just wondering for future reference in case the printed version isn't accepted by whatever agency needs it.
They gave us both options! The rep printed it out for us to take immediately, but also offered to email a PDF copy. We took both just to be safe. The printed version had an official stamp which some agencies prefer, but the PDF was identical otherwise. Definitely recommend asking for both if you go the in-person route.
For anyone else dealing with this - another workaround that worked for me was asking my local assemblymember's office for help. They have caseworkers who can contact EDD on your behalf and often get faster responses. I was stuck for weeks trying to get my award letter for a rental assistance program, called my assemblymember's district office, and they had EDD email me the document within 2 business days. It's a free service and they deal with EDD issues all the time. Just Google "[your city] assemblymember" and call their district office - explain you need urgent help getting EDD documentation. Worth trying if other methods aren't working!
Wow, I had no idea that assemblymember offices could help with EDD issues! That's such a valuable tip. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread - there are so many different approaches here that I never would have thought of. It's really frustrating that EDD makes it so difficult to get basic documentation that other agencies require. Thanks for sharing this option!
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This thread is incredible - so much better than anything I could find on the official EDD website! I've been trying to change my name after divorce for about 6 weeks now with zero progress. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I've been doing everything wrong. I was just calling the main number randomly during lunch breaks and getting nowhere. Tomorrow I'm going to try the strategic approach: calling 1-877-238-4373 at exactly 8:01 AM, asking specifically for a "name change specialist," and having my court order, new driver's license, and DE 1101 form ready to go. If that doesn't work, I'm definitely going to look into visiting a local EDD office like @StarStrider suggested - 45 minutes in person vs months of phone tag sounds like a no-brainer! Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences and actual strategies. It's so refreshing to get advice from people who've actually been through this process instead of just generic government website instructions. Fingers crossed I'll have a success story to add to this thread soon! 🤞
@Olivia Van-Cleve You ve'got this! Your plan sounds solid - I love how you re'taking all the best advice from this thread and putting together a real strategy. The divorce name change process can be especially tricky because some offices want to see the divorce decree AND the court order for the name change if (they re'separate documents ,)so make sure you have both just in case. Also, if the 8:01 AM call doesn t'work out, don t'get discouraged - sometimes it takes a few tries even with the best strategy. The fact that you re'going in prepared with everything organized puts you way ahead of where most people start. Keep us posted on how it goes - I have a feeling you re'going to crack this thing! 💪
Adding to all the great advice here - I just successfully changed my name on SDI after getting divorced 3 months ago! The key things that worked for me: 1) Called the 1-877-238-4373 number that @Ezra Collins mentioned at exactly 8 AM (not 8:01 - I found they start taking calls right at 8), 2) Had my divorce decree, court order for name change, new driver's license, and completed DE 1101 form all scanned and ready to email, 3) When I got through, I immediately said "I need to speak with someone who handles name changes for SDI benefits" - they transferred me to the right department on the first try! The whole process took 10 days once I got the right person. Don't give up @Dmitry Kuznetsov - with the strategies shared in this thread, you'll get it sorted! The persistence really does pay off with EDD.
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I'm going through the exact same thing! Started having issues Tuesday and still can't get in. What's really frustrating is I had to miss work yesterday to try calling EDD all day but could never get through. I'm supposed to certify this weekend and I'm terrified I'm going to miss the deadline. I've been unemployed for 3 months now and these payments are literally keeping me afloat. Going to try the Claimyr service and early morning login suggestions from this thread - thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! It's somewhat comforting to know it's not just me dealing with this nightmare. Keeping my fingers crossed the Twitter update @Sienna Gomez mentioned means they'll actually fix it soon 🤞
I'm in the exact same situation! Been trying since Monday and getting nowhere. The stress is unreal when you're depending on these payments to survive. I actually just downloaded the Claimyr app after reading all these recommendations - figured it's worth a shot since the regular phone lines are basically useless. Also planning to try logging in at 6am tomorrow like others suggested. It's crazy that we all have to jump through these hoops just to access our own accounts! Really hoping that system update @Sienna Gomez mentioned actually fixes things. Hang in there everyone - we ll'get through this! 💪
I'm having the exact same problem! Been locked out since Monday and it's absolutely maddening. I've tried everything - different devices, browsers, clearing cache, even had my tech-savvy cousin try from her computer thinking maybe it was something on my end. Nothing works! What makes it worse is I'm supposed to certify this Sunday and I'm terrified I'm going to miss the deadline. The automated phone system is completely useless - I must have called 100+ times this week and it just hangs up every single time. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service everyone's mentioning and the early morning login trick. At this point I'm willing to try anything! It's so reassuring to see I'm not alone in this mess, but also scary that so many people are affected. Really hoping EDD gets their act together soon because this is people's livelihoods we're talking about! 😠
Andre Dupont
Just wanted to add another perspective for anyone still struggling with this. I went through the exact same confusion last year and made it way more complicated than it needed to be. The key thing that finally clicked for me was realizing that ID.me is basically like a digital ID card that you show to EDD to prove you're really you - it has nothing to do with your old account login or payment history. Think of it like showing your driver's license at the DMV. Once I stopped trying to connect it to my old unemployment stuff and just treated it as a fresh identity verification, the whole process took maybe 20 minutes. The selfie part was a bit finicky (make sure you have good lighting!), but otherwise pretty smooth. Also, pro tip: have your phone ready for the mobile verification step - it goes much faster than trying to do everything on a computer.
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Mary Bates
•That's such a helpful analogy - thinking of ID.me like showing a digital driver's license makes it so much clearer! I wish EDD explained it that way instead of just sending confusing emails. Your tip about the lighting for the selfie is spot on too. I had to retake mine three times because my kitchen lighting was too dim. For anyone reading this, I'd also add: make sure your documents are clearly readable before uploading them. The system rejected my first driver's license photo because there was a slight glare on it. But once you get past those little hurdles, the whole thing really is pretty quick!
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Chloe Martin
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - filed my claim two days ago and just got the ID.me verification email this morning. I was panicking because I also collected unemployment in 2020 and couldn't remember any of those old details. Reading through everyone's experiences here made me realize I was overthinking it completely. Just finished my ID.me verification about 30 minutes ago (took maybe 15 minutes once I understood it was totally separate from my old account). The hardest part was getting good lighting for the selfie - had to move to three different rooms before it would accept the photo! Now I know to focus on that as a separate step if I need UI Online access later. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the step-by-step breakdown. It really helps to see real people who went through the exact same confusion and came out the other side successfully!
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CosmicVoyager
•So glad this thread helped you too! It's amazing how many of us went through the exact same confusion - I think EDD could really improve their communication about these being separate systems. The lighting struggle for the selfie is so real! I ended up having to use my bathroom mirror with the overhead light on because everywhere else in my apartment was either too dark or had weird shadows. It's such a relief when you finally get that verification completed though. Sounds like you're all set now - hopefully your claim processes smoothly from here!
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