FINAL UPDATE: After days of trying everything suggested here, I FINALLY got through using the 833 number at 8:03am this morning! You were all right - I had an identity verification issue that needed manual clearing. The agent was actually super helpful once I got through and released all my payments at once. They should be in my account by Friday! For anyone else struggling: 1. Call the technical support number (833-978-2511) 2. Call at EXACTLY 8:01-8:05am 3. When prompted, say you're calling about a payment issue 4. Be persistent - took me 3 mornings of trying Thank you all for the advice and support. This system is truly broken, but at least I can pay my rent now!

So glad you got through and got it resolved! This thread is going to be super helpful for other people dealing with the same nightmare. I've been putting off calling EDD about my own pending issue for weeks because I dreaded the phone system, but seeing all these specific strategies gives me hope. Going to try the 8:01am trick with the 833 number tomorrow morning. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually worked!

Anybody else think its weird that we can order a pizza, book a flight, and do our taxes online but we cant get basic help from the government without jumping through 1000 hoops? 🤔

I feel you on this struggle! After dealing with the same nightmare for weeks, here's what finally worked for me: I started calling the technical support line (1-800-300-5616) instead of the main number. They can sometimes transfer you directly to claims or at least give you better info on system status. Also, try calling on Wednesdays or Thursdays - seems like Mondays and Fridays are absolute chaos. Keep a log of when you call and what happens, it might help if you need to escalate later. Don't give up, you'll get through eventually! 💪

Not sure if this helps, but I had a similar issue with my SDI claim. I ended up having to fax (yes, fax in 2023 🙄) a signed letter explaining my situation along with copies of my ID. Took forever, but they eventually sorted it out.

I went through this exact same nightmare a few months ago! Here's what finally worked for me: I had to submit a paper form (DE 8714) that you can download from the EDD website. You fill it out with your SSN, old email, new email, and include a copy of your ID. Then mail it to their Sacramento office. It took about 2-3 weeks to process, but they eventually updated my email and sent me a confirmation letter. Way slower than online, but it's the official way to change your email when you can't access the old one. Hope this helps!

nice!! told u it would work out. the card takes like a week fyi

A whole week?? Ugh this process is so slow 😭

UPDATE: It worked!!! I used Claimyr this morning and got connected to an EDD rep after only waiting about 10 minutes! The agent confirmed what some of you suggested - reporting those part-time hours triggered an eligibility review but there was a system error that didn't notify me or schedule the interview. She cleared the flag on my account and I'm now able to certify online again! She also processed my pending certifications from the paper forms I'd sent in. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

That's amazing news Miguel! Thanks for coming back to update us - it really helps to know what actually worked. I'm dealing with a similar issue where my online certification suddenly stopped working after I reported some freelance income. Going to try Claimyr today based on your success. It's so frustrating that EDD's system has these glitches but doesn't properly notify us what's happening. At least now I know there's hope of getting it fixed quickly with the right approach!