I understand your frustration completely. Having worked with many EDD claimants, I recommend trying these steps: 1. Call the alternate number: 833-978-2511 (sometimes less busy) 2. Try calling Wednesday or Thursday afternoons between 1-4pm 3. When prompted for SSN, try entering only the last 4 digits 4. Use the Ask EDD feature on the website and select "Where is my payment?" 5. Contact your state assembly member's office - they have dedicated EDD liaisons Your pending status could be due to identity verification issues, quarterly income review, or work search requirement flags. Don't give up - keep documenting all your call attempts in case you need to demonstrate due diligence later.

I've been in a similar situation and know how stressful it is when you're waiting on payments with bills due. One thing that helped me was using the "comma method" - when you get to the automated menu, instead of pressing the number options, try pressing the comma key (,) multiple times. Sometimes this tricks the system into transferring you to a live agent faster. Also, if you have a landline available, try using that instead of your cell phone - I've heard the system sometimes prioritizes landline calls. Keep track of exactly what times you're calling and any error messages you get, as this documentation might be helpful if you need to escalate your case later. Don't give up - you will eventually get through!

Update: I got an official layoff email today that clearly states I was let go due to "insufficient client demand and no suitable positions currently available." Going to file my claim online today. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'll update once I hear back from EDD on my claim status.

As someone who just went through this process with a temp agency layoff last month, I wanted to add a few practical tips that helped me: 1. File your claim ASAP - benefits are backdated to when you file, not when you were laid off 2. Keep a detailed job search log from day one. EDD requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week, and they can audit this 3. If the temp agency calls with a new assignment while you're on benefits, you generally have to accept it if it's "suitable work" (similar pay/hours/location to your previous job) 4. Set up direct deposit when you file - paper checks take forever Also, don't be surprised if your weekly benefit amount seems low. It's calculated based on your highest earning quarter in the base period, so temp work can sometimes result in lower benefits than expected. But something is definitely better than nothing while you're job hunting! The online filing process is pretty straightforward, just make sure you have all your employer info and wage details ready before you start.

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 the exact same issue with ID.me showing duplicate accounts! What worked for me was contacting ID.me support directly (not EDD) to merge or delete the duplicate account. You can reach them through their help center at help.id.me. They were able to clean up my account within 24-48 hours, and then I could proceed with the EDD verification. It's definitely frustrating, but don't give up on the online option just yet - the phone/mail route takes much longer. Good luck!

My cousin works for EDD and says the biggest mistakes people make are: 1) Not filing as soon as they're laid off 2) Not doing the work search requirements properly 3) Making certification mistakes So even though you're working until June, you should file your claim the SAME DAY as your last day of work. Don't wait. And make sure you understand the work search requirements - you need to be looking for work and documenting it each week.

Just wanted to add one more important point that might help you plan better - if you do decide to stay those extra few days until June 13th, it won't hurt your EDD eligibility at all since it's still a layoff situation. But consider that those 4 extra days of pay might actually push some earnings into Q2 2023, which could potentially help your benefit calculation if you end up filing a future claim down the road. The main thing is getting that layoff documentation in writing from HR, regardless of your exact end date. And remember, you can't file your claim until your last day of work, so if you stay until the 13th, that's when you'd file. Good luck with everything! Sounds like you'll qualify without any issues based on what others have explained about the base period requirements.

lmao watch them fix this right after my benefits run out 🙃

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Been locked out for 3 days and it's driving me crazy. I tried calling but kept getting the busy signal. Has anyone had any luck with the online chat feature, or is that broken too? Really hoping they get this sorted out soon because I need to certify this week 😰