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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Join the conversation
I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now and reading everyone's experiences has been both helpful and terrifying! Got my call in notice 2 days ago and have been calling since early morning with nothing but that dreaded "too busy" message. The stress is unreal knowing I only have 8 days left to respond and literally cannot reach anyone. After seeing all the success stories with Claimyr here, I think I'm going to have to try it tomorrow morning. The $20-25 cost definitely stings when you're already struggling financially, but losing my entire benefit stream would be catastrophic. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences - this thread has been a lifesaver in showing me there are actually viable solutions beyond spending days hitting redial on their broken phone system. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to pay a third party just to reach a government agency, but when your livelihood is on the line, what choice do we have? For anyone else dealing with call in notices, don't waste precious time on manual calling when you're up against these inflexible deadlines!
I'm brand new to this community but unfortunately dealing with the exact same terrifying situation! Just got my call in notice this morning and after reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm already convinced that manual calling is going to be impossible with only a 10-day deadline. The stories about spending entire days calling with zero success are absolutely horrifying when you know your benefits are on the line. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr first thing tomorrow based on all the positive experiences shared here - even though the $20-25 cost is painful when you're already unemployed, it's clearly way better than risking losing everything to their broken phone system. Thank you so much for posting this and thank you to everyone who shared their strategies. This thread is literally saving people from financial disaster by showing us there are actually working solutions beyond EDD's nightmare phone system!
I'm going through this exact nightmare too! Got my call in notice 3 days ago and have been calling obsessively with zero success. The "too busy" message is absolutely maddening when you know the clock is ticking on that 10-day deadline. After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm convinced that manual calling is basically hopeless at this point - the system seems completely overwhelmed. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr tomorrow morning based on all the success stories shared here. The $20-25 cost really hurts when you're already struggling on unemployment, but losing my entire benefit stream would be catastrophic. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and strategies - this thread has been incredibly helpful in showing me that I'm not alone in this broken system and that there are actually viable solutions beyond spending days hitting redial. It's frustrating that we have to pay extra just to access a basic government service, but when your livelihood is literally on the line, sometimes you have to work around a broken system rather than let it defeat you.
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I've been on CalJOBS for about 2 weeks now and honestly, finding this thread feels like discovering a goldmine! I was getting so frustrated thinking I was doing something fundamentally wrong since I've applied to 12+ positions with zero responses while getting actual interest from Indeed and LinkedIn. The whole "compliance tool" concept that everyone keeps mentioning is exactly the mindset shift I needed. I've been burning myself out trying to make CalJOBS work as my main job search strategy when it's clearly just bureaucratic paperwork I need to complete. I'm definitely going to try the systematic approach everyone's talking about - that daily morning check with "Last 3 Days" filter sounds way more efficient than randomly scrolling through weeks-old postings. And the work search log feature for documenting external activities is brilliant - I had no idea that existed! It's honestly ridiculous that we all have to figure out these workarounds ourselves just to navigate what should be a helpful system, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real experiences. Now I can stop feeling like a failure on CalJOBS and put my energy into platforms that actually connect with employers. Thanks for starting this discussion - you've probably helped way more people than just those commenting here! 🙌
I've been struggling with CalJOBS for about 4 weeks now and this entire thread has been such a lifesaver! Like everyone else here, I was getting incredibly discouraged thinking I was somehow failing at job searching since I've applied to 25+ positions through their system with only one response (which turned out to be way below market rate). Reading all these experiences has completely changed my approach. The "compliance tool" mindset is exactly what I needed to hear - I've been wasting hours daily on that clunky interface when I should have been treating it like bureaucratic paperwork while focusing my real energy elsewhere. I'm definitely going to implement the strategies everyone mentioned: that daily morning check with "Last 3 Days" filter, applying to 3-4 state positions weekly just for documentation, and most importantly - using that work search log feature to record ALL my job search activities. I had no idea you could log external applications there for audit protection! It's honestly frustrating that we all have to reverse-engineer these workarounds to make a broken government system somewhat functional, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real experiences and practical solutions. Now I can stop feeling guilty about CalJOBS "not working" and put my time where it actually generates results. Thanks for starting this conversation - you've helped way more people navigate this bureaucratic maze than you probably realize! Sometimes peer knowledge beats official guidance every time. 🙏
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I'm going through the exact same situation right now! Got my disqualification notice two weeks ago for "voluntary quit" even though I was clearly laid off when my department got eliminated. Filed my appeal immediately but have been stressed about the hearing process. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - it sounds like having solid documentation (which you definitely have) makes a huge difference. I have my layoff notice, final paycheck stub showing "reduction in force," and emails from HR about the department closure. One thing I'm curious about - did anyone here have their former employer actually show up to contest the appeal? My HR department seemed pretty disorganized when I left, so I'm wondering if they'll even bother participating in the hearing process. Thanks for posting this question, Amelia - you've gotten some really valuable responses that are helping me prepare for my own hearing!
Hey Hunter! It's actually really comforting to know someone else is going through the same thing right now. Your documentation sounds even more comprehensive than mine - having those HR emails about the department closure is fantastic evidence. From what I've read in the responses here, it seems like employers often don't show up to contest appeals, especially in clear-cut layoff situations like ours. @Kaiya Rivera mentioned her employer didn t'show up and her hearing was only 20 minutes because of it. I think when companies do legitimate layoffs, they usually don t'waste time fighting unemployment claims since they know the employee is entitled to benefits. Good luck with your appeal! Maybe we ll'both have good news to share in a few months. Thanks for letting me know this post helped you too - makes me feel like asking the question was definitely worth it!
Just wanted to add my experience from last year - I was terrified about the hearing too but it really wasn't bad at all! Mine was a phone hearing that lasted about 30 minutes. The judge was very patient and walked me through each question clearly. One thing that really helped my anxiety was calling the EDD Appeals office a few days before my hearing to confirm the phone number and process. They explained exactly how it would work - they call you at the scheduled time, put you in a "waiting room" on hold, then connect you to the judge when it's your turn. Since you have that termination letter showing budget cuts, you're in great shape. I had similar documentation and won my appeal easily. The judge seemed most interested in whether I had any advance warning about being laid off (I didn't) and whether I was given any option to stay (nope). Try not to stress too much about it - you've got solid evidence and these judges deal with wrongful disqualifications all the time. They know the difference between someone who was legitimately laid off versus someone trying to game the system.
Thanks Connor! That's really helpful to know about calling ahead to confirm the process - I hadn't thought of that but it's a great idea to reduce anxiety about the logistics. It's also reassuring to hear that the judges are experienced with these types of cases and can usually tell when someone was legitimately laid off versus trying to work the system. Your point about them asking whether you had advance warning or options to stay is useful - I'll make sure I'm prepared to answer those questions clearly. Sounds like I just need to stick to the facts and let my documentation speak for itself!
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I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been absolutely incredible for understanding what's actually possible! My benefits just exhausted three days ago and I was completely panicking about having to wait until my benefit year ends in January - that would be a 10+ month gap that I honestly can't survive financially. I worked part-time doing rideshare driving and some handyman work during my benefit year and earned about $4,800 total. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences here, it sounds like the key factor is whether I earned over that $1,300 threshold in any single quarter. I think most of my rideshare earnings were concentrated during the busy holiday season, so I'm really hoping the timing works in my favor! The consistent recommendations for using Claimyr to bypass EDD's nightmare phone system and asking specifically about "lag quarter" wages seem to be the magic formula based on all these success stories. I've been avoiding calling because I know how impossible it is to reach anyone there, but seeing so many people here get positive results gives me the confidence to actually try. @Ava Williams - your coffee shop success story is exactly what I needed to hear! The fact that you were able to avoid months of waiting and get benefits restored so quickly proves this exception really works when you have the right approach and information. This community has been such a lifeline for navigating rules that should be straightforward but EDD makes unnecessarily complicated. Planning to organize all my rideshare records and handyman invoices by quarter this weekend and call first thing Monday using Claimyr. Really hoping my holiday driving surge put me over that threshold! Thanks to everyone who's shared such detailed real-world experiences - you've given those of us just starting this terrifying process so much hope and practical guidance! 🙏
So ridiculous. I'm 63 and was laid off through no fault of my own. Over my lifetime I have paid more than 100K in unemployment (I made good money). In California the most you can get is $450 a week. Doesn't even pay my rent. The claim has run out after 6 months and I'm still unable to get an extension. The system is a joke.
I completely understand your frustration, @Socal_Stan. The system really doesn't seem designed for people who've been paying into it for decades and then need it most. $450/week when you've contributed so much over your career feels like such an insult, especially when rent alone costs more than that in most of California. Have you looked into whether you might qualify for any of the federal extension programs that sometimes get activated during high unemployment periods? Also, at 63, you might want to check if there are any special programs for older workers through your local workforce development office - sometimes they have resources specifically for people closer to retirement age who face age discrimination in hiring. I know it doesn't solve the immediate financial crisis, but you shouldn't have to drain your retirement savings because the system is so inadequate. Really hoping things turn around for you soon. The whole situation is just wrong.
Madison Tipne
I'm going through this nightmare right now too! Been trying to register for 6 days straight with that same "information cannot be verified" error and I was seriously starting to think I broke something. This thread is honestly such a lifesaver because now I know it's not just me being an idiot with the form. Going to try the ALL CAPS name trick once I hit that 14 business day mark everyone keeps talking about. Also really helpful tip about entering the SSN without dashes - I've been including them this whole time! It's so frustrating that such a critical system has all these weird quirks that nobody tells you about. The fact that we can't even start certifying until we can register just adds to the stress when you're already dealing with unemployment. Thanks to everyone who shared what worked for them - gives me hope that there's actually a solution to this mess!
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DeShawn Washington
•@Madison Tipne You re'absolutely not alone in this! I just went through the exact same registration nightmare a couple weeks ago. That error message is incredibly unhelpful and makes you feel like you re'doing something fundamentally wrong. The good news is that almost everyone eventually gets it working with the tips shared here. The waiting period is annoying but seems to be necessary for their system to fully process everything. I d'also suggest trying different browsers if the ALL CAPS and no-dashes SSN tricks don t'work after the 14 days. Sometimes clearing your browser cache helps too. It s'ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access benefits we re'entitled to, but at least there are workarounds!
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Keisha Robinson
I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my claim about 8 days ago, got my EDDCAN letter yesterday, and I'm already hitting that frustrating "information cannot be verified" wall. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I was starting to think I was somehow messing up a simple registration form! The ALL CAPS trick that worked for @Freya Christensen seems to be the real deal based on all these success stories. I'm definitely going to wait the full 14 business days before trying that method. Also super helpful to know about entering the SSN without dashes - I've been including them! It's crazy that EDD's system has all these undocumented quirks that can trip you up. The waiting is stressful when you need to start certifying, but sounds like patience is key here. Thanks everyone for sharing what worked - this thread is going to save me a lot of frustration!
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