


Ask the community...
If you're still trying to call manually, at least use speaker phone and do other things while redialing. Don't just sit there getting frustrated. Make breakfast, do laundry, whatever keeps you sane during the process.
Bottom line: reaching a live person at the CA EDD phone number is possible but requires either incredible patience/luck with manual calling or using a service that automates the process. Don't let anyone tell you it's easy - it's genuinely one of the hardest government phone systems to navigate.
For those still manually calling - avoid Fridays after 3pm. Even if you get through, you won't get issues resolved before the weekend.
UPDATE: Finally used Claimyr after reading these comments. Got connected to a Spanish agent in 32 minutes and resolved my mom's claim hold. Should have done this weeks ago instead of the manual calling nightmare.
Seriously, save yourself the misery. The peace of mind alone is worth it. Check out claimyr.com if you're tired of this phone nightmare.
Just got off a call using that customer service number. Took 85 attempts to get through, 2 hour hold, but finally got my issue resolved. Persistence pays off.
About 3 days of calling on and off. Not realistic for most people but it can work if you have the time.
That's exactly why services like Claimyr exist. Nobody should have to make 85 attempts just to talk to someone.
The customer service number is your only free option but there's nothing free about spending 20+ hours trying to get through. Time is money.
Daniel Rogers
My phone bill was insane from all the calling attempts. Had to upgrade my plan twice because I was going over my minutes every month.
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Amelia Martinez
•I didn't even think about the phone bill impact! How many minutes were you using?
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Daniel Rogers
•Thousands. Between the redialing and the long holds, I was burning through my entire monthly allowance in a week.
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Aaliyah Reed
Best time summary: Wednesday/Thursday 2-3pm. Avoid: Monday mornings, lunch 12-1:30pm, after 4pm any day, Friday afternoons. Good luck everyone!
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Ella Russell
•Adding this to my notes. Finally some clear guidance on timing.
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Mohammed Khan
•Or just skip the timing games and use an auto-dialer. Life's too short to spend it calling EDD manually.
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