Can EDD be contacted on Saturdays? Weekend call hours explained

Unfortunately EDD is NOT open on Saturdays. Their regular customer service lines only operate Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. They used to have some extended hours during the pandemic but they've gone back to normal hours now. Your best bet is to try calling during your lunch break or taking a day off if possible. The best times to call are right when they open at 8am or after 4pm when call volume slows down a bit.

The main EDD lines (1-800-300-5616 for regular UI claims) are only open Mon-Fri 8am-5pm like the other person said. BUT there is a self-service line at 1-866-333-4606 that operates 24/7, including weekends. You can't talk to a representative there but you can get automated info about your claim status, payment details, and certification. If your issue requires a human though, you're stuck with weekday hours unfortunately.

After 6 weeks of trying to get through to EDD during workdays and always hitting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message, I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a rep in less than 30 minutes! Their system basically keeps calling EDD for you until it gets through, then connects you. Totally worth it when you're desperate. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Just to be clear - they can only help you reach an EDD agent during regular weekday hours (they can't magically make EDD answer on weekends), but it saves you from the endless redial game.

@profile7 Yes, it's legit. They use automated technology to keep calling the EDD lines until they get through, then they connect you. I was skeptical too but it worked. They don't access your EDD account or anything - they just connect the call.

To directly answer your question - NO, EDD does NOT take calls on Saturdays or Sundays. Their hours are strictly M-F, 8am-5pm for all the main customer service lines: - Regular UI claims: 1-800-300-5616 - Employer line: 1-866-333-4606 - UI Online technical support: 1-833-978-2511 And YES, a rep CAN fix your pending status over the phone in many cases. If your claim is stuck pending for over 3 weeks, it usually means there's an eligibility issue that needs manual review. The rep can see what's holding up your claim and potentially clear it while you're on the phone. I was stuck in pending for 6 weeks, called in, and the rep fixed it in 10 minutes - my payment went from pending to paid that same day. The key is actually getting through to the right department. If you do call (or use a service to help you get through), make sure you get transferred to a Tier 2 specialist if the first person can't help.

EDD open saturday??? LOLOL good one. They barely work during the week!!! I spent 3 months trying to get my claim fixed and they're never available. Theyd never work weekends when they can make us suffer longer. The whole system is designed to make you give up.

One tip that worked for me - if you absolutely can't call during weekdays, you can submit questions through UI Online's Contact EDD feature. Go to your UI Online account > Contact EDD > Question Category > Select the appropriate category. It's not as good as calling, but they usually respond within 5-7 business days. Also, if your claim has been pending for over a month, you might want to reach out to your state assembly member's office. They have EDD liaisons who can help push claims through. Google "[your area] state assembly member" to find yours.

Small update: I just checked the EDD website and they occasionally have special phone hours for certain departments, but the regular UI claims line (1-800-300-5616) is definitely Monday-Friday only. I know it's super frustrating especially when you're working during their call hours.

Hey @Dmitri, I feel your pain! I was in the exact same situation a few months ago - pending claim for 5 weeks and couldn't call during work hours. Here's what finally worked for me: I took a "sick day" and called right at 8:00 AM sharp on a Tuesday. Had to redial about 50 times but eventually got through around 10:30 AM. The rep was able to see that my claim was flagged for identity verification (which I had no idea about) and walked me through submitting the documents right then and there. My payment switched from pending to paid within 24 hours. I know taking time off when you're not getting paid sucks, but sometimes it's the only way. Also, if you do try the online Contact EDD route that others mentioned, make sure to be very specific about your issue and include your claim details - the more info you give them upfront, the better chance they can actually help instead of sending a generic response. Good luck! Don't give up - your benefits are there waiting for you, just gotta get past the bureaucratic maze to claim them.

Just wanted to add another perspective - I'm a former EDD employee (quit last year) and can confirm that Saturday hours were discussed internally during the pandemic peak but never implemented. The department operates on a very traditional government schedule and getting approval for weekend staffing would require significant budget allocation that they've never pursued. One thing I'd recommend is calling the 1-800-300-5616 line at exactly 8:00:01 AM (not 8:00:00 - the system opens one second after the hour). Have your SSN and PIN ready, and when you get the menu, press 1-2-1 quickly to get to the claims specialist queue. Don't pause between button presses or you'll get kicked to a different menu. Also, @Dmitri, for claims pending over 30 days, there's usually either an identity verification hold, work separation issue, or eligibility question that needs manual review. The automated system literally cannot process your claim until a human clears the flag. That's why getting through to speak with someone is so crucial - they can often resolve it immediately once they see what's blocking it.

@GamerGirl99 Thank you so much for that insider information! The 8:00:01 timing and 1-2-1 button sequence are game-changers. I've been calling at exactly 8:00:00 and probably getting routed wrong this whole time. It's frustrating that these little technical details can make such a huge difference but aren't documented anywhere publicly. For anyone else reading this thread - I'm planning to take a sick day next week and try calling with these exact instructions. I'll report back on whether it works. After a month and a half of pending status, I'm willing to try anything. The fact that a human can often resolve these issues immediately while the automated system just leaves you hanging really highlights how broken this whole process is. Has anyone else tried the 8:00:01 / 1-2-1 method? Would love to hear if it's worked for others too.

Just to add to what others have said - I actually work for a company that has to deal with EDD regularly for our employees, and we've confirmed multiple times that they absolutely do NOT have Saturday hours. We've tried calling on weekends before thinking maybe there were special lines open, but nope - complete dead end. However, I wanted to mention something that might help - if your claim has been pending for over a month, you should also check if there are any outstanding documents or requirements in your UI Online account. Sometimes people miss notifications about needed paperwork and that can cause the endless pending status. Log into your account and look under "Inbox" and "Claim Summary" to see if there's anything flagged. Also, the suggestion about contacting your assembly member is spot on. We've had to do this for a few employees and it really does work - they have direct lines to EDD that can cut through the phone queue nightmare. It usually takes about a week to get a response but they can actually get things moving when the regular system fails.

I'm in a similar boat - been trying to reach EDD for weeks about my pending claim but can't call during work hours. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who shared tips here, especially @GamerGirl99 for the insider info about calling at 8:00:01 and using 1-2-1. I had no idea there was such a specific way to navigate their phone system! For what it's worth, I also found that EDD has a live chat feature on their website that's available during the same hours as phone support (M-F 8am-5pm). It's not always staffed but sometimes you can get basic claim information that way without burning through phone attempts. Not a replacement for actually talking to someone about complex issues, but might be worth trying for simple status checks. Going to take a personal day next week and try the 8:00:01 method. Will report back if it works! This thread has been more helpful than anything I've found on the official EDD website.

Adding to what everyone has shared - I'm a social worker who helps clients navigate benefit systems, and I can confirm EDD has NO weekend hours whatsoever. They're strictly M-F 8am-5pm. One strategy I've seen work well for people who can't call during work hours: try calling during your lunch break using the speakerphone while doing other tasks. Even if you're on hold for 45+ minutes, you can at least get in the queue. I've had clients successfully reach representatives this way. Also want to echo what others said about checking your UI Online inbox thoroughly - I'd say about 60% of pending claims I see are due to missed document requests or verification requirements that people didn't realize were there. The notifications can be easy to overlook. For @Dmitri specifically - given that your claim has been pending over a month, there's almost certainly a specific flag that needs manual review. The automated system literally cannot proceed until a human clears it. All the tips shared here about calling techniques are solid, but don't give up if the first representative can't help - ask to be transferred to a Tier 2 specialist who has more authority to make changes to your claim. Hang in there - once you get through to the right person, these issues often resolve quickly!