I've been tracking my call attempts too and can confirm the patterns everyone's mentioning. After 89 attempts over 10 days, I finally got through yesterday at 3:15pm on a Thursday. What worked for me was using the comma trick (dial the main number, then when the menu starts, press 1,2,1 really quickly to skip the long intro). Also noticed that when you get the busy signal, waiting exactly 2-3 minutes before calling back seems more effective than calling immediately. The system seems to temporarily "remember" your number if you call too rapidly. Tuesday-Thursday 2:30-4pm is definitely the sweet spot, and yes, avoid Mondays like the plague. Still took 45+ attempts even during the "good" times, but at least I knew I wasn't wasting my time during impossible hours.

After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm convinced the official hours are basically meaningless. I've been calling for 3 days straight during "business hours" and got nothing but busy signals. The lunch break blackout that nobody mentions officially is particularly infuriating - like why wouldn't they stagger breaks so the phones stay staffed? At this point I'm seriously considering just paying for one of those callback services everyone keeps mentioning. My time is worth more than spending entire days hitting redial. Has anyone here actually gotten through on their first try during the posted hours, or is that just a myth?

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar employer address issue right now - my claim has been pending for 2 weeks because EDD has my previous employer's old office address from before they relocated. I've been calling daily with no luck getting through, but seeing Dylan's success story gives me hope. I'm definitely going to try calling right at 8am tomorrow and mention specifically that it's for "employer address correction for a flagged claim" like Miguel suggested. It's so frustrating that this can't be fixed online, but at least now I know what to expect for timing once I do get through. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in HR and deals with EDD employer verifications regularly. When EDD sends verification requests to the wrong address, it creates a backlog on both ends - we employers never receive the forms to respond, and claimants get stuck in limbo. If you know your employer's current correct address, you might also try reaching out to your former employer's HR department directly to let them know EDD might be trying to contact them at an old address. Sometimes they can proactively call EDD to provide the correct information, which can speed up the process. Obviously this only works if you're on decent terms with your former employer, but it's worth considering as an additional avenue while you're trying to get through to EDD yourself.

I'm going through almost the exact same thing right now! Filed on March 22nd after being let go for "performance reasons" and my eligibility interview isn't until April 8th. Like you, I can't certify for ANY weeks and it's driving me crazy. One thing that's helped me stay sane during this waiting period is setting up a daily routine of job searching and keeping detailed records of applications. Not only does it help with the anxiety of not having income coming in, but I know they'll ask about job search efforts during the interview. Also wanted to mention - if you're in a really tight spot financially, check if your utility companies have hardship programs. PG&E and other utilities often have emergency assistance for people waiting on unemployment benefits. It's not much but every little bit helps when you're stretching every dollar. The whole system really does seem designed to make people give up, but reading through all these responses gives me hope that it actually works out for people with legitimate claims like ours. Hang in there - we've got this! 🤞

I'm really sorry you're going through this - the waiting and uncertainty is absolutely brutal when you need income to survive. I went through something similar last year and wanted to share a few things that might help: First, regarding your question about the waiting period - yes, your one-week waiting period doesn't start until after you're approved and can actually certify. So you won't lose those weeks you're waiting, but the clock hasn't started ticking yet either. For your interview prep, I'd recommend having a simple, factual statement ready about your termination. Something like "I was let go on [date] because my manager said my performance wasn't meeting expectations. There was no misconduct involved." Keep it short and matter-of-fact. Also, if you haven't already, consider reaching out to local community organizations or churches - many have emergency assistance funds specifically for people in situations like this. Even $100-200 can make a huge difference when you're waiting for benefits to kick in. The system is frustrating and seems designed to wear people down, but hang in there. From everything you've described, this sounds like a straightforward case that should be approved once you get through the interview process. You're doing all the right things by preparing thoroughly and staying on top of it.

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Made my first certification two weeks ago and accidentally entered my monthly earnings instead of weekly (I know, rookie mistake). Got the same "excess income" disqualification and when I called EDD, the rep basically laughed and said "you should have been more careful." It's so frustrating because the interface isn't exactly intuitive for first-time users! I'm definitely going to file that DE 1000M appeal form based on all the great advice here. Has anyone had success getting back-dated to the original certification date, or do you lose those weeks permanently even if the appeal is successful? Really hoping this community's advice works because I can't afford to lose those benefit weeks over a data entry mistake.

This exact thing happened to me 8 months ago! I was so panicked when I got that disqualification notice, but I want to give you hope - I successfully got it overturned through the appeal process. Here's what worked for me: I filed the DE 1000M within a week of getting the notice (don't wait the full 30 days), included a simple one-page letter explaining it was my first certification and I confused bi-weekly vs weekly reporting, attached copies of all my paystubs for those weeks, and even got a letter from my HR department confirming my actual weekly wages. The whole appeal took about 6 weeks to process, but they completely reversed the disqualification and released all my back payments. The key is being very clear that this was an unintentional first-time mistake with solid documentation to back up your actual earnings. Don't give up - the system does have a way to fix honest errors like this!

Just joined this community after being let go from my job last week and stumbled across this thread - wow, what a roller coaster! @Chloe Green congratulations on your approval, this gives me so much hope as someone just starting this process. I was terminated from my customer service job for what they called "protocol violations" but it was really just confusion during a system changeover where I processed some returns incorrectly. Reading through everyone's experiences here about the employer response timelines and progressive discipline issues is so eye-opening. My employer also rushed their process - I got a verbal warning on Monday and was terminated by Friday with barely any documentation. The fact that this community exists and people share real outcomes (not just horror stories) is incredible. Thank you for updating us with your success and showing that the system can work when employers don't follow proper procedures. Definitely bookmarking this thread for reference during my own journey! 🤞

Just joined this community today after getting terminated from my warehouse job for "safety violations" - but really it was just two minor incidents with equipment during my second week when I was still learning the ropes. Reading through @Chloe Green's entire journey from stress to approval is giving me so much hope right now! My employer did the exact same thing - rushed from "coaching" to suspension to termination in less than 10 days with barely any documentation or chance to improve. I filed my claim yesterday and already feeling anxious about the upcoming interview. Seeing how the lack of proper progressive discipline worked in Chloe's favor makes me feel more confident about my case. The advice here about continuing to certify no matter what and not obsessing over UI Online is noted! This community seems like such an amazing resource compared to trying to navigate the confusing government websites alone. Thank you everyone for sharing real experiences and outcomes - it means everything to newcomers like me who are just starting this stressful journey! 🙏