Best time to call EDD without getting disconnected? Keep hitting 'max callers' message

I had the same problem last month when my claim got flagged for 'further review' without explanation. After talking to my neighbor who used to work for EDD, I tried calling at 8:01am exactly (right when they open) and finally got through... but still had to wait 45 minutes on hold. Thursdays and Fridays seem to be slightly better than Mondays when everyone's trying to call after the weekend.

The real secret is to use Claimyr. I was in your exact situation (kept getting the 'max callers' message for weeks). My friend recommended this service that basically calls EDD for you and gets you in the queue, then calls you when they have an agent on the line. It worked on my first try - got through to a real person in about an hour instead of spending days redialing. Check out their site at claimyr.com and there's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km

Former EDD employee here. The best times to call are generally: 1. Tuesday-Thursday (avoid Mondays at all costs) 2. Either right at 8:00am when the lines open or between 1:30-2:30pm when staff return from lunch 3. Mid-month tends to be slightly less busy than beginning/end of month Also, make sure you're calling the right number for your specific issue. The general line (1-800-300-5616) is always the most congested. If you have a specific question about your UI Online account or web certification, the technical support line (1-833-978-2511) sometimes has shorter wait times. One more tip: If your claim shows 'pending,' it could be because the system flagged something on your certification. Common reasons include reporting income incorrectly, answering 'no' to being available for work, or having a previous certification issue that wasn't resolved.

ugh edd is THE WORST!!! i spent 2 months trying 2 get thru last year. ended up having to reach out to my state assembly person's office - they have special contacts at edd who can help push ur claim thru. worked in less than a week after i did that!

i try to call at 8:00 exactly and just keep hitting redial for like 20-30 minutes. eventually i get through maybe 1 out of 10 times. its super frustrating. sometimes the afternoon is better but honestly its just random luck

UPDATE: Finally got through! For anyone with the same problem, here's what worked: Called the technical support line at 1:45pm on Thursday (seems to be slightly less busy than the main number). Still took about 20 attempts before I didn't get the busy signal, but once I got in the queue, I only waited about 35 minutes. Turns out my claim was pending because I reported some part-time gig work on my last certification, and the system flagged it for income verification. The rep was able to review it on the spot and release my payment. Should hit my Money Network card in 24-48 hours. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation - my claim has been pending for 2 weeks now after I reported some freelance work. I've been trying the main number obsessively but keep getting that "max callers" message. Definitely going to try the technical support line at 1:45pm tomorrow based on your success story. It's so frustrating that we have to develop these elaborate strategies just to access basic services, but I'm grateful for this community sharing what actually works. Fingers crossed I can get through and get my payments released too!

I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Been trying to reach EDD for over a month about my pending payments. The "max callers" message is like a slap in the face every single time. I've tried calling at literally every hour of the day - 6am, noon, 3pm, even 7pm thinking maybe fewer people would be calling then. NOPE. Always the same automated rejection. What's really frustrating is that my UI Online account just shows "pending" with zero explanation. No letters, no notifications in my inbox, nothing. How are we supposed to fix issues we don't even know exist? I'm definitely going to try that technical support line (1-833-978-2511) at 1:45pm strategy that worked for Mei. And the assemblymember office idea is brilliant - I never thought of that but it makes total sense that they'd have special contacts. At this point I'm willing to try anything because rent doesn't wait for EDD to get their act together! Thanks everyone for sharing what actually works. This community is more helpful than EDD's own website!

I've been dealing with the same issue for the past month - my payments stopped after I reported some tutoring income and now everything shows "pending" with no explanation. The automated "max callers" message is absolutely maddening when you're already stressed about bills. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to try calling the technical support line (1-833-978-2511) at 1:45pm on Thursday. It's encouraging to hear that several people have had success with this strategy rather than the main number. I also had no idea about contacting my assemblymember's office - that's such a smart workaround that I never would have thought of. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to develop these elaborate calling strategies and insider tips just to access our own unemployment benefits. The system is clearly broken when people are spending weeks just trying to get through to ask a basic question about their claim status. Thank you all for sharing what actually works - this thread is more helpful than anything on EDD's official website!

I'm in the exact same boat as so many of you - been stuck with a "pending" status for 3 weeks now after reporting some freelance graphic design work on my certification. That "max callers" message is soul-crushing when you're already panicking about rent and bills. Reading through all your experiences and strategies has been incredibly helpful! I'm definitely going to try the technical support line (1-833-978-2511) at 1:45pm on Thursday approach that worked for several people here. The assemblymember office idea is genius too - I never would have thought of that but it makes perfect sense that they'd have dedicated EDD contacts. It's honestly insane that we have to crowdsource these workarounds just to talk to someone about our own benefits. The fact that multiple people have had success with the tech line gives me hope though. Thanks for creating such a supportive community where people actually share what works instead of just complaining! Going to try calling tomorrow and will update if I get through. Fingers crossed this nightmare ends soon for all of us! 🤞

Just want to echo what everyone's saying about how broken this system is! I've been lurking in this community for a while but finally decided to join because I'm going through the exact same nightmare. My payments stopped 3 weeks ago after I reported some DoorDash earnings, and I've been getting that soul-crushing "max callers" message ever since. I must have called over 60 times at this point! This thread has been a lifesaver though - I had no idea about the technical support line strategy or the assemblymember office option. Definitely going to try calling 1-833-978-2511 at 1:45pm on Thursday based on all the success stories here. It's ridiculous that we need these "insider tips" just to access our own benefits, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing what actually works. The fact that so many of us are dealing with the exact same issue (reporting income = automatic pending hell) shows there's clearly a systematic problem with how EDD handles these situations. Anyway, fingers crossed the tech support line works - will update if I get through! Thanks everyone for the hope and practical advice! 🙏

Just wanted to add my voice to this thread - I'm dealing with the exact same situation! My claim has been pending for almost a month now after I reported some part-time retail work on my certification. Like everyone else, I keep getting that dreaded "max callers" message no matter what time I call the main line. Reading through all these strategies has given me so much hope though! I'm definitely going to try the technical support line (1-833-978-2511) at 1:45pm on Thursday approach that seems to be working for multiple people. The assemblymember office idea is brilliant too - I had no clue that was even an option but it makes total sense they'd have direct EDD contacts. It's honestly maddening that we have to become strategic masterminds just to talk to someone about our own unemployment benefits, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real solutions. The fact that so many of us are stuck in "pending hell" after reporting income shows there's clearly a systematic issue with how EDD processes these cases. Going to try calling tomorrow and crossing my fingers - will definitely update with results. Thanks everyone for the practical advice and for showing we're not alone in this frustrating process! 🤞

Just joined this community because I'm going through the exact same nightmare! Been stuck in pending status for 2.5 weeks after reporting some Instacart earnings on my certification. That "max callers" message is absolutely soul-crushing when you're already stressed about making ends meet. This thread has been incredibly helpful though - I had no idea about the technical support line strategy! Reading all the success stories with calling 1-833-978-2511 at 1:45pm on Thursdays gives me actual hope for the first time in weeks. The assemblymember office tip is genius too - never would have thought of that but it makes perfect sense they'd have direct EDD contacts. It's beyond frustrating that we have to develop these elaborate strategies just to talk to someone about our own benefits, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share what actually works. The fact that reporting ANY income seems to automatically trigger "pending hell" for so many of us shows there's clearly a broken process on EDD's end. Going to try the tech support line tomorrow at 1:45pm - fingers crossed! Will definitely update with results. Thanks everyone for the hope and practical advice when the official system has completely failed us! 🙏