Can't reach California Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
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!
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 :)
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Update: Had my interview today and it went fine! It only lasted about 15 minutes. They asked about my layoff, verified some dates, and confirmed I'm still looking for work. The interviewer was actually really nice. My benefits are continuing without any issues. Thanks everyone for the advice and calming my nerves!
Great news! Glad it worked out smoothly for you.
So glad to hear your interview went well! Thanks for coming back to update us - it's really helpful for others who might be going through the same thing. Your experience confirms what most people here were saying - these interviews are usually just routine verification, not something to stress about. Hope your job search goes smoothly too!
This is such a relief to read! I was just scheduled for one of these interviews next week and have been worried sick about it. Your update really helps calm my nerves. Did they ask anything unexpected or was it pretty straightforward like everyone said it would be?
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Adding to all the great advice here - I just went through this exact situation last month! If you're still having trouble with uploads, try using the mobile app instead of the desktop site. Sounds weird but the mobile version of SDI Online actually worked better for me when the regular website kept crashing. Also, if you do end up mailing documents, include a cover letter with your SDI claim number, SSN, and a brief explanation of what you're sending. The processing center gets thousands of documents daily and this helps them route yours correctly. One more thing - screenshot everything when you do get the system working, including confirmation numbers, because their system doesn't always save your progress if it glitches out. Hang in there, it's frustrating but you'll get through it!
The mobile app tip is brilliant! I never even knew there was a mobile version of SDI Online. I've been banging my head against the desktop site for weeks. And the screenshot advice is so smart - I lost all my progress twice when the system crashed right at the end of uploading. Really appreciate you sharing what actually worked for you. It gives me hope that there are still workarounds even when the system seems completely broken!
I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Been trying to get my SDI claim processed for 3 weeks and it's been absolutely maddening. Reading through all these responses gives me so much hope though - I had no idea about half of these options. I'm definitely going to try the Assembly Member route and see if I can get one of those new SDI Connect appointments in Chula Vista. For anyone else following this thread, I found that calling the SDI number (1-800-480-3287) and immediately pressing 1-2-1 when the automated system starts helps you skip some of the menu options and get into the queue faster. Still takes forever to get through, but it's slightly better than going through all the prompts. Also learned the hard way that you need to have ALL your documents ready before you even start the upload process because if you step away for more than 15 minutes, the whole session times out and you lose everything. @Ally Tailer please definitely update us on how the in-person appointment goes! This could be a game-changer for so many people struggling with the online system.
Thanks for sharing that phone tip about pressing 1-2-1! I've been going through all the menu prompts like a fool - no wonder it takes forever. The 15-minute timeout is so annoying too, especially when you're trying to scan documents or get them in the right format. I'll definitely post an update after my Chula Vista appointment on Tuesday. Fingers crossed this new SDI Connect thing actually works and isn't just another bureaucratic dead end. It's crazy how we all have to become experts in navigating a broken system just to get the help we're entitled to when we're already dealing with health issues!
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I went through this exact same process about a month ago! Got the identity letter and was panicking about how long it would take. I ended up doing the online which took maybe 20 minutes total - just needed my driver's license and a utility bill. The was approved within 48 hours and my payments resumed about a week after that. They did backpay me for all the days I missed during the period, so don't worry about losing those payments. One tip: if you decide to do the online verification, make sure to do it from a computer rather than your phone if possible - the document scanning works better. Also keep checking your portal because sometimes the status updates before they send you any notification emails. The whole thing was way less scary than I thought it would be once I actually started the process!
@Isabella Oliveira Thanks so much for sharing your experience! This is really reassuring to hear that the whole process went smoothly for you and you got your backpay. I m'curious - when you say your payments resumed about a week after the was approved, did you have to do anything else on your end like certify for benefits again, or did they just automatically start processing? I m'wondering if I need to keep an eye out for any additional steps once my goes through. Also, did you end up sending the mail too, or did you just stick with the online route?
I'm currently going through this identity process too! Just got my letter last week and I've been reading through everyone's experiences here - this is so helpful. It sounds like the consensus is that doing both the mail AND the online process is the best approach to speed things up. I'm planning to start with the this weekend since it seems like that's giving people faster results. Really relieved to hear from multiple people that they do backpay for the missed days - that was my biggest worry since I can't afford to lose any payments right now. Has anyone had issues with the not working properly, or does it usually go smoothly? I want to make sure I'm prepared before I start the process. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it makes this whole situation feel way less overwhelming!
@Aisha Khan I just went through the process yesterday and it was actually pretty smooth! The whole thing took about 15 minutes. Just make sure you have good lighting when taking photos of your and keep your driver s'license or ID handy. One small hiccup I had was that it initially couldn t'verify my address, but I just uploaded a recent bank statement instead of a utility bill and that worked. The system is pretty user-friendly and walks you through each step. I m'still waiting to see when my payments resume, but getting the confirmation gave me some peace of mind. Definitely recommend doing it sooner rather than later - seems like most people here had success with the online route!
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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
I've been struggling with the same issue - it's so frustrating when you can't get through to anyone! I've tried calling multiple times but always get the busy signal or automated system that hangs up. Has anyone had success with any specific times of day that work better for getting through? I'm worried about my status and really need to speak with someone soon.
@Jade Lopez I completely understand your frustration! I ve'been in the same boat trying to reach customer service. From what I ve'learned from others in this community, calling right when they open 8 (AM seems) to give you the best chance. Also, some people have had success using services like Claimyr that others mentioned above - they handle the calling and waiting for you. The key is persistence and trying multiple approaches. Don t'give up! Your is important and you deserve to get the help you need.
Rebecca Johnston
I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation right now! I was on SDI for 6 weeks earlier this year after a work injury, then returned to my job for about 3 months before getting laid off due to budget cuts. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I was also confused about whether to include those disability payments as wages. It sounds like the consensus is clear: only include actual employment wages, not benefit payments. The distinction between "earned income" vs "replacement income" that someone mentioned really clicked for me. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who found the EDD application confusing on this point.
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GalacticGuru
•Welcome to the community Rebecca! You're definitely not alone in finding this confusing - the EDD forms could really be clearer about what they mean by "wages." I'm glad reading through everyone's experiences helped clarify things for you. It sounds like you have the right approach now. Good luck with your application, and don't hesitate to ask if you run into any other questions during the process!
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AstroAlpha
I just went through this same situation last month! I was on PFL for 6 weeks after having my baby, then returned to work for about 2 months before getting laid off in a company restructuring. I was so confused about the wages section too - the EDD application really isn't clear about what they consider "wages." After reading through all the responses here and calling EDD (finally got through after using one of those callback services), I can confirm what everyone is saying: DO NOT include PFL or SDI payments as wages. Only report your actual employment earnings - basically what you'd see on your W-2 from your employer. The EDD rep told me they already have all your wage history from employers, so including benefit payments could actually flag your application and cause delays. I only included my actual paychecks from when I was working and my claim went through smoothly. There are other sections in the application where you can mention if you received PFL/SDI benefits, which is important for them to know, but it shouldn't go in the wages section. Hope this helps and good luck with your application!
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