California Unemployment

Can't reach California Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.

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Using Claimyr will:

  • Connect you to a human agent at the EDD
  • Skip the long phone menu
  • Call the correct department
  • Redial until on hold
  • Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
  • Give you free callbacks if the EDD drops your call

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!


Really made a difference

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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Ask the community...

  • DO post questions about your issues.
  • DO answer questions and support each other.
  • DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
  • DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)

Hey Sergio! Welcome to the community! I'm a current nursing student who just got my CTB benefits approved a few months ago after being laid off from my job as a pharmacy technician. I wanted to add a couple of things that really helped me during the process: First, when you call EDD, try to call from a landline if you have access to one - I noticed I got through faster and had fewer dropped calls compared to using my cell phone. Not sure if it's just coincidence, but it seemed to make a difference! Second, if your nursing school has a Facebook group or Discord server for your cohort, definitely ask there too. I found out that several of my classmates had gone through the CTB process and they were super helpful with sharing their experiences and even letting me know which EDD reps were most knowledgeable about the program. One more thing - make sure when you're calculating your expected benefit amount that you factor in taxes. The CTB benefits are taxable income, so you might want to have them withhold taxes or set aside some money for tax season. I learned this the hard way! The whole process was definitely worth it though. Being able to focus on studying for NCLEX prep and clinical rotations without worrying about rent money made such a huge difference in my stress levels and academic performance. You've gotten amazing advice here already - this community really knows their stuff! Good luck with everything!

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Hi Sergio! Welcome to the community! I just wanted to add my voice to all the great advice you've already received here. I'm a recent nursing school graduate who successfully used CTB benefits throughout my entire program, and it was honestly a lifesaver. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to make sure you keep your school informed about your CTB status too. My nursing program's financial aid office actually helped me coordinate with EDD when I needed updated enrollment letters for my benefit year renewal. They were super familiar with the process since so many nursing students rely on these benefits. Also, once you get approved, consider setting up direct deposit if you haven't already - it makes getting your payments much more reliable than waiting for checks in the mail, especially if your address changes during school. The 6-week timeframe since your layoff is perfect timing. I was worried I had waited too long when I applied 8 weeks after my layoff, but it wasn't an issue at all. Your CNA experience definitely qualifies you, and healthcare education is exactly the kind of training the CTB program was designed to support. Don't let the initial complexity discourage you - once you get through the setup process, maintaining your benefits is pretty straightforward. The peace of mind it provides is incredible and really allows you to focus on becoming the best nurse you can be. Feel free to come back and update us on how the process goes - we love hearing success stories, and your experience might help future nursing students in similar situations!

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Just to clarify some information here: When you report a bonus, the EDD needs to determine: 1) If the bonus was allocated to the week you reported it (correct) or if it should have been allocated to when it was earned (which could affect prior weeks) 2) Whether the bonus affects your eligibility for that week based on your weekly benefit amount and the partial benefit formula The holiday might add a small delay, but as others have mentioned, the main issue is the manual review triggered by reporting additional income. Speaking with a representative is definitely your best option to expedite this. When you do reach someone, ask them specifically to review the bonus income you reported and request that they release the pending payments if everything is in order. Be polite but persistent.

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Thank you for the detailed explanation. I'll make sure to ask specifically about reviewing the bonus income when I get through to someone. It's definitely a one-time payment that was delayed from my former employer, not ongoing income, so hopefully that makes it straightforward to resolve.

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UPDATE: I managed to get through to EDD this morning! The representative confirmed that reporting the bonus triggered an automatic review. She verified the information and released both weeks of payments! They should be on my card within 24-48 hours. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

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Congrats on getting it resolved! This is really helpful to know for anyone else dealing with the same issue. Did you call right when they opened or was there a specific time that worked better? I'm dealing with a similar situation and want to maximize my chances of getting through.

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@dab2bd9723f7 So glad you got this sorted out! I called at exactly 8:00 AM when they opened and got through on my second try. I think calling right at opening time is definitely the key - the lines fill up fast after that. The rep was actually really helpful once I explained the situation clearly.

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Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I appreciate all the explanations. It makes sense now why the claim starts on April 14th - the 2 weeks of vacation pay essentially pushed the start date. Frustrating, but at least we understand the system now. We'll adjust our budget accordingly and look forward to the regular payments starting after the waiting week.

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I'm new here but going through something similar right now. My company laid me off last week and I also got vacation payout, so this thread is really helpful! One question - does the vacation payout delay apply even if your employer pays it out as a lump sum rather than allocating it to specific weeks? My HR said they're just putting it all on my final paycheck without specifying dates. Will EDD still push back my claim start date?

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Welcome to the community! From what I've learned here, EDD typically looks at how many hours or days of vacation pay you received, not necessarily how it's reported on your paycheck. So if you got, say, 2 weeks worth of vacation hours as a lump sum, they'll likely still delay your claim by those 2 weeks. The key is the actual amount of vacation time you're being paid for. You might want to ask your HR department exactly how many vacation days/hours are included in that payout - that should give you an idea of how long the delay might be. Good luck with your claim!

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This is such a helpful thread! I'm saving this for future reference because I'm sure I'll run into similar issues eventually. @Sophia Nguyen I'm so glad you got it resolved - the stress of not being able to certify when rent is due must have been terrible. It's infuriating that EDD's system can just silently flag accounts for quarterly reviews without any notification whatsoever. The fact that honestly reporting part-time income (which they literally require!) can trigger these holds shows how backwards their system is. Thank you @Ava Kim for sharing the Claimyr solution - that seems like it could be a game-changer for people stuck in phone queue hell. This whole situation really highlights why we need better transparency and communication from EDD!

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This whole experience really shows how much the EDD system needs an overhaul! @Sophia Nguyen I m'so relieved you finally got through and could certify. The anxiety of waiting when you have bills due is no joke. It s'absolutely mind-boggling that their system flags accounts for doing exactly what they tell you to do - report your income honestly! And then they don t'even bother to notify you that there s'a hold. It s'like they want people to just give up on their benefits. Really appreciate everyone sharing their troubleshooting tips here, especially the Claimyr recommendation from @Ava Kim. This thread is definitely getting bookmarked - feels like dealing with EDD is just a matter of when, not if, you ll'hit these kinds of roadblocks.

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This thread is incredibly valuable - thank you @Sophia Nguyen for sharing your experience and the resolution! As someone who's dealt with EDD's frustrating system before, I can totally relate to that panic when the certify button just goes grey with zero explanation. It's maddening that they can put holds on accounts for quarterly reviews (which are apparently automatic when you report part-time work??) but don't bother sending even a basic notification. The fact that you had to stress for days, try multiple browsers, and eventually pay for a third-party calling service just to access your own benefits is absolutely unacceptable. Definitely bookmarking this thread and the Claimyr recommendation - seems like having a backup plan for getting through to EDD is essential these days. Really glad you got it sorted before your rent was due!

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This whole situation is such a perfect example of how broken EDD's communication is! @Sophia Nguyen I m'so glad you finally got through and resolved it. The fact that reporting part-time work honestly - literally what they require you to do - can trigger an invisible quarterly review hold is absolutely insane. No email, no notification, just a greyed out button and days of panic trying to figure out what s'wrong. It s'like they designed the system to discourage people from claiming benefits they ve'earned. Thank you @Ava Kim for the Claimyr tip - that service sounds like a lifesaver when you re stuck'in EDD phone queue hell. This thread should be required reading for anyone navigating unemployment benefits in California!

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To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI

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I'm having a similar issue where I can't my UI Online account. It's been really frustrating trying to get through to by phone. Has anyone tried the ID.me verification process? I heard that might be required now for account access, but I'm not sure if that's related to this specific error message. Would appreciate any guidance from others who've dealt with this!

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Yes, the ID.me verification is definitely required now for most accounts! I had to go through that process when I got locked out earlier this year. You'll need to create an ID.me account and verify your identity with documents like your driver's license and a selfie. Once that's approved (can take a few days), you should be able to link it back to your account. The whole process was a bit tedious but it did resolve my issue. If you haven't received any mail from about identity verification like Jordan mentioned, I'd definitely try the ID.me route first before paying for services.

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