Any way to bypass EDD's lengthy automated messages when calling?

OMG thank you!! I'm definitely trying this tomorrow morning. Did you find any particular day of the week that's better than others? I keep hitting that stupid "we're experiencing higher than normal call volume" message.

Try pressing the number sequence as soon as the voice starts speaking - don't wait until it finishes a sentence. The timing matters. Also, with EDD's current system, calling during the middle of the week (Tuesday-Thursday) between 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm tends to have slightly shorter wait times according to the eligibility representative I finally spoke with.

I understand the frustration with the long message, but there's actually a reason for it - they're legally required to provide certain information for claims processing, especially regarding eligibility interviews and certification requirements. That said, you might have better luck using UI Online for simpler status checks rather than calling.

I've never heard of that before... does it actually work? I'm pretty desperate at this point since my rent is due next week and I still haven't received any payments since filing.

I was skeptical about Claimyr too but it genuinely worked for me after 3 weeks of trying to reach someone about my disqualification. Got connected to a tier 2 specialist who fixed my claim issue in about 10 minutes. Definitely worth it considering how many hours I wasted trying to get through on my own.

Thanks for the tip! I'll set an alarm for 8am tomorrow and try right when they open. Hoping I can finally get some answers about why my claim has been stuck for so long.

This is super helpful, thank you! I had no idea about the shift change timing or that there were different tiers of representatives. I'll definitely ask for a Tier 2 specialist when I get through.

I wish I could handle this online! My UI Online account shows my claim is "pending" with no other information. I tried using the Contact EDD feature two weeks ago and haven't gotten any response. That's why I've been trying to call - I literally have no other way to find out what's happening with my money.

You're absolutely right about the understaffing. My neighbor works for EDD (not on the phones thankfully) and says they lost a ton of experienced staff after the pandemic surge and the newer reps don't always know how to handle complex claim situations. That's why specific issues like disqualifications, eligibility interviews, and identity verification problems take so much longer to resolve.

I completely feel your frustration! I'm new to this community but going through the exact same thing with my claim being stuck in pending status. It's really reassuring to see so many people sharing helpful tips here. I'm definitely going to try that 1-2-4 trick tomorrow morning too - fingers crossed it works! The financial stress is real when you're waiting this long for benefits you're entitled to. Thank you for acknowledging how hard this is, and I hope we both get through to someone who can actually help us soon.

I'm going through the exact same thing! Just joined this community because I'm at my wit's end with EDD. My claim has been pending for 6 weeks now and I've probably called 50+ times. That automated message is like torture - especially when you're stressed about bills piling up. I'm definitely trying the 1-2-4 trick tomorrow at 8:01am sharp. It's crazy that we have to strategize like this just to talk to someone about our own benefits! Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - makes me feel less alone in this nightmare. Hopefully we'll both break through tomorrow and finally get some answers!

That's a really clever workaround! I never would have thought to try calling the disability line first. I'm definitely going to give that a shot along with the 1-2-4 sequence everyone's been talking about. It's honestly insane that we have to come up with all these creative strategies just to reach someone about our benefits. The speakerphone tip is interesting too - I'll try that since my regular phone sometimes has issues with tone recognition. Thanks for sharing another option, especially since it sounds like you've actually had success with it twice! At this point I'm willing to try anything to avoid sitting through that endless automated message again.

Thanks for these additional tips! I'm new to this community but definitely not new to the EDD frustration - I've been stuck in pending status for over a month now. The * followed by 0 trick is something I haven't tried yet, and the # repeatedly method sounds promising too. Wednesday at 11:30am is a specific time I wouldn't have thought of, so I'll definitely give that a shot. You're so right about having to become "phone system hackers" - it's absolutely ridiculous that we need all these workarounds just to get basic information about our own claims. I really appreciate you sharing what's worked for you, especially since it sounds like you've tested multiple approaches. At this point I'm willing to try every single trick mentioned in this thread if it means avoiding that torture of an automated message!

Welcome to the community! I'm also relatively new here but dealing with the same EDD nightmare. 7 weeks pending is absolutely brutal - I can't imagine the stress you're going through. I've only been waiting 3 weeks and I'm already losing my mind! It's really encouraging to see how supportive everyone is here and how many different strategies people have figured out. I'm planning to try the early morning 8:01am approach tomorrow too, along with that 1-2-4 sequence. The fact that we all have to share these "hacks" just to access our own benefits really shows how broken the system is. Hopefully one of these methods works for you - keep us posted on what happens! At least we're all in this together and can support each other through this frustrating process.

Welcome to the community, Malik! I'm also pretty new here but unfortunately very familiar with the EDD struggle. 7 weeks pending is absolutely brutal - I can't believe they're making people wait that long with zero communication. I've been stuck for about 5 weeks myself and it's driving me crazy. This thread has been a goldmine of tips though! I'm planning to try the 1-2-4 sequence at exactly 8:01am tomorrow, and if that doesn't work, I might give that disability line transfer trick a shot. It's honestly shameful that we have to crowdsource these workarounds just to get basic information about our own claims. The financial stress is so real when you're depending on these benefits. Really hoping one of these methods finally breaks through for you - please let us know how it goes! At least we have this community to share strategies and support each other through this mess.

Welcome to the community, Paolo! I just joined recently too and I'm dealing with the exact same situation. My claim has been pending for about 3 weeks now and I've called so many times I could probably recite that entire automated message word for word! It's honestly comforting to find this community where people actually share helpful strategies instead of just the usual "keep calling" advice you get everywhere else. I'm planning to try that 1-2-4 sequence at 8:01am sharp tomorrow morning too - maybe we'll both finally break through! The financial stress while waiting is no joke, especially when you have no idea why your claim is stuck or how long it might take. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, and I hope one of these methods finally gets you the answers you need. Let us know how it goes!

I'm new to this community too and going through the exact same frustration! My claim has been pending for 6 weeks now and I've called EDD probably 80+ times. That automated message is like torture when you're stressed about bills and rent. I'm definitely trying the 1-2-4 sequence at 8:01am tomorrow - it's amazing how many different tricks people have figured out just to bypass their own system! I also want to try that disability line transfer method someone mentioned earlier. It's absolutely crazy that we need a whole playbook of strategies just to talk to someone about our benefits. The worst part is sitting through that endless message over and over when you're already anxious about money. Thanks for sharing your experience - it really does help to know we're not alone in this mess. Hopefully one of these methods finally works for both of us!

Welcome to the community! I'm also new here and dealing with the same pending claim nightmare - mine's been stuck for about 5 weeks now. That automated message is absolutely brutal when you're calling multiple times a day! I've been taking notes on all the strategies people have shared in this thread and I'm planning to try the 1-2-4 sequence at exactly 8:01am tomorrow too. The disability line transfer method also sounds promising as a backup option. It's honestly insane that we have to crowdsource these phone system hacks just to get basic information about our own benefits, but I'm grateful this community exists to share these tips. The financial stress while waiting with zero communication from EDD is overwhelming. Really hoping one of these methods finally breaks through for you - please update us on how it goes! At least we're all supporting each other through this broken system.

This is exactly the kind of success story I needed to hear! I'm so glad you finally got through and got your issue resolved. I'm definitely going to try that exact approach - 1-2-4 sequence at 8:01am on Thursday with my phone on speaker. The tip about pressing the numbers immediately when the voice starts is really helpful, I think I've been waiting too long before entering the sequence. It gives me so much hope knowing that someone actually made it through and got their identity verification sorted out in just 15 minutes once they reached the right person. I've been pending for 4 weeks now and was starting to lose hope, but your experience shows it's definitely possible to break through their system. Thank you for sharing the specific details about timing and the Tier 2 specialist request - that's incredibly valuable information for all of us still fighting this battle!

Thank you so much for sharing your success story! As someone who just joined this community and has been struggling with a pending claim for 3 weeks, hearing that the 1-2-4 sequence actually worked for you gives me real hope. I've been calling randomly throughout the day without any strategy, but I'm definitely going to try your exact approach - Thursday at 8:01am with the phone on speaker and pressing those numbers immediately when the voice starts. The tip about requesting a Tier 2 specialist is gold too - I had no idea there were different levels of representatives. It's incredible that your identity verification got resolved in just 15 minutes once you reached the right person, after weeks of being stuck in limbo. Really appreciate you taking the time to share the specific details that worked for you. It's posts like this that make this community so valuable when dealing with EDD's broken system!

This gives me so much hope! I'm new to this community and have been stuck with a pending claim for about 2 weeks now. I've been calling randomly without any real strategy, just getting more and more frustrated with that endless automated message. Your success story with the 1-2-4 sequence at exactly 8:01am on Thursday is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm definitely going to try your approach - phone on speaker, press the numbers immediately when the voice starts, and ask for a Tier 2 specialist if I get through. It's amazing that your identity verification got resolved so quickly once you reached the right person! Thank you for sharing such specific details about what worked - this community is honestly the best resource for navigating EDD's nightmare system. Fingers crossed I can replicate your success this Thursday!

Welcome to the community, Grace! I'm also new here and completely understand your frustration - I've been dealing with a pending claim for about 5 weeks now and that automated message is absolute torture when you're already stressed about money. I've been taking notes on all the strategies shared in this thread and I'm planning to try the 1-2-4 sequence at 8:01am sharp tomorrow too. That success story from Melissa about getting through on Thursday morning and resolving her identity verification in 15 minutes with a Tier 2 specialist really gives me hope! It's crazy that we need a whole playbook just to talk to someone about our own benefits, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing these tips. The financial stress while waiting with no updates is really getting to me too. Hopefully one of these methods finally works for both of us - let me know how it goes if you try calling tomorrow!