Last resort option: if you absolutely cannot get through manually and need to resolve something urgent, services like Claimyr basically guarantee you'll talk to someone within an hour instead of maybe never getting through on your own.

I'm in the same boat in Fresno - been trying to reach EDD for over a week now with no success. Reading through all these comments, it sounds like the consensus is there's no local Fresno number anymore and we're all stuck with the main 800-300-5616 line. I'm going to try that Wednesday afternoon timing that several people mentioned, and maybe look into Claimyr if I can't get through by Friday. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not missing some secret local number!

YES! Success! I used Claimyr this morning and got through to a rep in about 20 minutes. She looked at my account and said the fraud flag was triggered by having the exact same hours reported for 4 weeks in a row. She manually reviewed my uploaded pay stubs and removed the hold. My payment is already pending in my account! Thank you all for the help - especially the Claimyr recommendation. Worth every penny to get this resolved before rent was due.

So glad you got it resolved! This is exactly why I love this community - people actually helping each other navigate these bureaucratic nightmares. Your story about the exact same hours triggering the fraud flag is super helpful for others who might be dealing with the same issue. I'm bookmarking the Claimyr recommendation too just in case I ever need it. Thanks for following up with the resolution - it gives hope to others stuck in the same situation!

Good plan! Just wanted to add - when you call your employer, try to get their response in writing (email follow-up) if possible. If they officially terminate your employment, that documentation could be helpful for EDD records. Also, don't forget to report any status changes through your UI Online account right away. The sooner you start your job search intensively, the better - even if you do end up getting called back, having other options lined up gives you more security. Best of luck with everything!

Just wanted to add something that might help - if you've been on furlough for this long, you should also check if your employer has been continuing your health insurance coverage. Sometimes companies will quietly drop furloughed employees from their health plan after a certain period to cut costs. If that's happened, you might be eligible for COBRA or need to look into Covered California for health coverage while you're job searching. Also, some local workforce development centers offer free job search assistance and skills training - might be worth checking out your local One-Stop Career Center. They sometimes have connections with employers who are actively hiring. Hang in there!

They had put my claim on hold because they needed additional identity verification even though I'd already done ID.me. Turns out they never received the verification from ID.me system (tech glitch), so the rep manually noted it in my account and said my payments should process within 48 hours. Such a relief!

That's awesome that you got it resolved! The ID.me verification issues seem to be a common problem lately. I've been dealing with EDD for months and it's crazy how many technical glitches they have on their end that end up putting our claims on hold. Thanks for sharing all the phone tips in this thread - I'm bookmarking this post because I know I'll need to call them again soon. The fact that you had to jump through all these hoops just to tell them about THEIR system error is ridiculous, but at least you're getting paid now!

Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with something similar (though my appeal is still pending) and I'm trying to prepare for what comes next. This system is so broken - why can't the left hand talk to the right hand? It's ridiculous that EDD approves your appeal but doesn't automatically notify BofA to unfreeze your account. Just another example of how they make everything as difficult as possible for people who are already struggling.

I went through this exact same nightmare last fall! My BofA card was frozen for 28 days after winning my appeal. What finally worked for me was calling EDD first thing in the morning (like 8:01 AM) and asking specifically for a supervisor or tier 2 specialist. Don't let them transfer you around - be persistent about needing someone who can access the bank notification system. The key phrase I learned is to ask them to "manually push the account reinstatement notification to BofA" - apparently there's a specific system for this that regular reps can't access. Once they did that, my card was unfrozen within 3 business days. Also keep calling BofA every few days to document your attempts - they're required to keep records of your calls and it helps if you end up filing a complaint later. The whole system is designed to make you give up, but that $1,200 is YOUR money. Don't let them keep it!