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 had success backdating my claim recently! I followed the online process through askedd.edd.ca.gov that Katie mentioned above. The key is to be very specific about your backdate request and provide clear reasons why you need it backdated (like delayed filing due to COVID-19 impacts). After submitting online, I also called to confirm they received it - took about 2-3 weeks to get approved. Make sure you have documentation ready to support your backdate request. Good luck!

Just to be super clear about the process - when you certify, you'll see this question: "Do you want federal income tax withheld from this payment?" Just select "No" instead of "Yes" and you'll get your full benefit amount. You can change this each time you certify if needed. It's completely up to you!

Just wanted to add my experience - I've been switching back and forth on the tax withholding option depending on my financial situation each month. Some certifications I need the full amount, others I can afford to have the 10% taken out. The system handles it perfectly fine either way and there's never been any confusion or delays. One tip: if you do decide to skip withholding, consider using a tax calculator online to estimate what you might owe next year based on your total expected UI benefits. That way you can set aside the right amount instead of guessing!

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else dealing with this - I had the exact same phone certification disconnection issue last month and discovered it was actually related to my phone carrier's spam blocking feature! Apparently some carriers now automatically block certain government automated systems thinking they're robocalls. I had to call my phone company and ask them to whitelist the EDD certification number (1-866-333-4606) and after that it worked perfectly. Might be worth checking with your carrier if the late-night calling doesn't solve the problem. Also, I've found that having a backup plan helps reduce the stress - I always keep the paper certification form ready to mail just in case the phone and online systems both fail. The postal delays aren't ideal but at least you know you've met your certification requirement.

This thread is incredibly helpful! I just went through this exact same issue yesterday and was pulling my hair out thinking my account was flagged or something was wrong with my claim. The phone system kept disconnecting me right after entering my SSN and PIN - so frustrating when you're stressed about missing the certification deadline! Based on reading everyone's experiences here, I tried calling at 11pm last night and it worked perfectly on the first try. The late night timing really seems to be the key for avoiding the system overload during peak hours. One additional tip I discovered - if you're using an iPhone, make sure you don't have "Silence Unknown Callers" turned on in your settings. I realized the EDD system might be calling back to confirm something during the certification process, and that feature was potentially blocking it. Not sure if that was actually the issue, but I turned it off just to be safe. Also keeping screenshots of my call attempts from now on in case I need to document "Good Cause" for any future system issues. This community is amazing for sharing real solutions to these technical problems!

I went through this exact situation with my sister last month! She was convinced she'd messed up her employment dates and was panicking for days. Here's what we learned: EDD will definitely contact you if there are major discrepancies that affect your eligibility. For minor errors like being off by a week or two on employment dates, they often don't even flag it. What really helped was having her check the "Claim Summary" section in UI Online - while it doesn't show the full application, it does display some key details like benefit year start date and weekly benefit amount, which can give you clues if something went really wrong. Also, if your brother remembers specific mistakes, document them now while they're fresh in his mind so he can reference them if EDD does reach out later. The waiting is the hardest part, but most applications go through without issues even with small errors!

I work in HR and help employees with unemployment applications frequently. One thing that might give your brother some peace of mind - EDD's system is actually pretty good at catching and flagging major errors that would affect eligibility, like completely wrong employer information or drastically incorrect wages. For minor date discrepancies (like being off by a few days or even weeks), the system often auto-corrects based on wage records they already have from employers. If he's really concerned, I'd suggest he prepare a simple document with the correct information he thinks he might have entered wrong - employer names, exact employment dates, and final wages. That way if EDD does reach out for clarification, he'll have everything ready to respond quickly. In my experience, about 80% of people who worry about application errors never actually hear from EDD about corrections, which usually means the information was acceptable or the system cross-referenced with employer records successfully.

Congratulations on getting this resolved! Your experience is a perfect example of why it's so important to share these stories in the community. The fact that you got through in 15 minutes using Claimyr while others have spent weeks trying to call directly really highlights how broken the EDD phone system is. I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where my claim was automatically denied after reopening, even though I was laid off from my most recent job. Your post gives me hope that it can be fixed quickly once you reach the right person. Going to try that service you mentioned since traditional calling hasn't worked for me either. Thanks for taking the time to post the update - it's incredibly helpful for those of us still fighting this battle!

As someone who just went through a very similar situation last month, I can't stress enough how important it is to act quickly on this. The EDD system has a major flaw where it automatically applies previous disqualifications to reopened claims without any human review. Here's what I learned from my experience: The key is getting to a live person who can do a "manual eligibility review" - don't let them just tell you to wait for a letter or appeal. Be very clear that you were LAID OFF (not quit) from your most recent employer and that this is completely different from whatever caused your previous claim to be disqualified. One tip that helped me: When you do get through, ask the rep to add detailed notes to your file explaining the layoff situation. This way if you have to call again, the next person will see the context immediately instead of starting from scratch. Also, keep certifying every two weeks even while this is being resolved! If they fix the disqualification, you'll get retroactive payments for all the weeks you certified during the dispute period. Don't give up - this is definitely fixable once you reach the right person who understands the technical issue with reopened claims.