Can't reach California Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live EDD agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the EDD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the EDD drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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One more important thing I forgot to mention - make sure your husband carefully answers the question about whether he refused any work during certification. Since he's accepting the part-time job offer, he should answer 'no' to this question. If he answers 'yes' (thinking they're asking if he's refused any FULL-TIME work), it will trigger a eligibility interview and delay his payments.
omg THIS!!!! i messed this up and ended up with a 3 week delay while they did an interview with me. so stressful.
In my experience, part-time work while on unemployment was actually beneficial overall. Not only did I still get some UI benefits, but it also extended how long my claim lasted since I wasn't using my full benefit amount each week. Plus, it kept my resume active and eventually led to a full-time position at the same company. Just make sure your husband is precise with his reporting and keeps good records of hours worked and earnings each week. Taking a photo of each timesheet or schedule can be helpful if questions come up later.
That's a great point about extending the claim period - I hadn't thought about that benefit! And thank you for the tip about keeping documentation. We'll definitely start a folder to track all his hours, earnings and job search activities. Hopefully this part-time position could lead to something more substantial for him too!
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Quick update on what will happen when you do reach a representative. They'll likely: 1. Review your previous claim 2. Take information about your most recent W-2 employment 3. Ask if you've had any other work (this is when you should mention your 1099 gigs) 4. Calculate your new benefit amount based on your W-2 earnings only 5. Process your new claim over the phone After that, you should receive a series of notices in the mail confirming your new claim and benefit amount within 7-10 days. You'll also need to certify for benefits once the new claim is established. Regarding your W-2 documentation - having your paystubs ready is always helpful, especially if there might be a discrepancy between what you report and what they have on file. Better to have them and not need them than the other way around.
Thank you for breaking down the process so clearly! I've gathered all my paystubs and created a spreadsheet with my employment dates and earnings to make the call go as smoothly as possible. Fingers crossed I can get through tomorrow morning.
You know what really BUGS me?? The fact that in 2025 we still have to CALL and sit on hold for hours just to file a simple UI claim!!! Every other government system has been modernized but EDD is stuck in the dark ages. It's RIDICULOUS that their online system can't handle basic things like manually entering W-2 income. ARRRGGGH!!!! 😠😠😠
fr fr its like they WANT it to be hard to claim benefits, almost like its on purpose 🤔
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btw did u try calling the identity verification department directly instead of the main edd number? sometimes they can help faster with these specific issues. their number is different from the regular edd line
No, I didn't know there was a separate identity verification department! Do you happen to have that number? I'd be willing to try that route too.
Update from original poster? For anyone else facing this issue in the future, here's the correct process: 1. Identity verification is handled through ID.me and then processed by EDD 2. Once identity is verified, EDD must send a separate "release authorization" to Money Network 3. This release must be processed by a Tier 2 specialist at EDD 4. Money Network then takes 3-5 business days to process the release 5. You should receive an email notification when your card is unfrozen The most common mistake people make is assuming that once ID verification is complete, the card will automatically be unfrozen. These are actually two separate processes that must both be completed.
UPDATE: I tried that Claimyr service and actually got through to EDD this morning! After explaining the situation clearly and asking for a tier 2 specialist using the exact terminology suggested here, I finally got someone who submitted the release authorization to Money Network. They gave me a confirmation number and said it should be processed within 3-5 business days. I'm cautiously optimistic! Will update again when/if my card gets unfrozen. Thank you all SO MUCH for the help!
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One more important thing!!! When you first get your EDD card, there's a maximum amount you can transfer each day (I think it was $1000 when I had mine). So if you have more than that in benefits, you might need to do multiple transfers over several days. Just another way they make it difficult for us!
This is partially correct - the standard daily limit is $1000 for ATM withdrawals, but for ACH transfers to your bank account, the limit is much higher (typically $5000 per transaction). However, for new accounts in the first 30 days, they sometimes impose lower limits as a security measure. You can call the number on the back of your card to verify your specific limits.
UPDATE: I got it working! For anyone who finds this thread later, the correct website is definitely https://www.eddcard.com/ as people mentioned. I've set up my account and initiated the verification deposits to my checking account. Now I just have to wait for those small deposits to show up so I can confirm the amounts. The rep I spoke with (after being on hold for only 35 minutes, surprisingly) said my first transfer should be processed by next Wednesday if everything goes smoothly with verification. Thanks everyone for your help!
Great to hear! Just make sure you log back in as soon as you see those test deposits hit your account. The sooner you verify them, the sooner your actual transfer will process.
Diego Vargas
has anyone else noticed the EDD website is actualy easier to use now than calling? i got halfway through my claim online before needing to talk to someone... maybe try that first? just click the "UI Online" button on their website
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Chloe Harris
•I'm definitely planning to start the process online, but from what everyone's saying I'll inevitably need to speak with someone because of my freelance income situation. But good to hear the website is working better these days!
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Luca Ferrari
Update on wait times based on recent data: The EDD has implemented some staffing improvements in Q1 2025. Current statistics show: - Average wait time if you get through: 37 minutes - Average attempts needed to connect: 8-12 calls - Best time to call: 8:00-8:30am or 1:15-2:00pm - Worst time to call: 10:00-11:30am and 3:30-4:30pm If your freelance income was minimal (less than 10% of your total income), it may not significantly impact your claim processing. However, if it was substantial, prepare for additional verification steps. Also important: When certifying for benefits after your claim is approved, be sure to accurately report any ongoing freelance work. Even small amounts must be reported during the certification process.
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Chloe Harris
•This is incredibly helpful information, thank you! My freelance income was about 20% of my total income last year, so it sounds like I should definitely prepare for those additional verification steps. I'll make my first attempt tomorrow at 8:01am sharp.
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