Can't certify for EDD benefits on weekend - phone system says 'call during business hours'

The UI self-service line at 1-866-333-4606 should definitely work 24/7 for certifications. I certified by phone last Sunday without any problems. Sounds like there might be a system outage or maintenance happening. Regarding the UI Online account setup issues - double check these things: 1. Make sure you're entering her full legal name exactly as it appears on her claim documents (including middle initial if shown) 2. Verify you're using the correct format for her SSN (no dashes) 3. The EDDCAN number needs all 10 digits 4. The mailing zip code must match what's on file Sometimes even a single space after a name can trigger that error message. If you still can't get it working by Monday, I'd recommend calling the technical support line at 1-833-978-2511 (they're open 8am-8pm).

ya the phone system shoud work on weeknds for sure. my neighbor just did hers last sat night. maybe ur mom's claim has some flag on it that needs a real person? did she just file her initial claim?

You're experiencing two separate issues: 1. For new claimants, the first certification sometimes requires additional verification that the automated systems can't handle. This is especially true if there are any potential issues with the claim (like if your mom was fired instead of laid off, or if she worked for multiple employers). 2. The UI Online account setup errors are common. The system is EXTREMELY picky about matching information exactly. One thing people often miss is that you need to enter the name EXACTLY as it appears on the EDD documents - so if her mail says "Jane A Smith" but you're entering "Jane Ann Smith" it will fail. Unfortunately, you'll probably need to speak with a representative to resolve both issues. The certification phone line should work on weekends, so getting the "call during business hours" message suggests there might be a hold on her account requiring agent review.

I was in your exact situation in February trying to help my dad. EXACT. SAME. PROBLEMS. The EDD system is TERRIBLE for helping elderly parents! Here's what I discovered: for first-time certifications, sometimes the automated systems don't work even though they're supposed to. When I called the regular customer service line on Monday, they told me that new claims sometimes have a "review flag" that requires talking to a representative before the first certification can be processed. The problem is getting through to a representative is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. I spent THREE DAYS calling non-stop and never got through because of the "we're experiencing high call volume" message. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The agent was able to clear the flag on my dad's account AND help me with the online account setup issues. Saved me days of frustration.

I HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM LAST MONTH!!! The EDD phone system is BROKEN!!!! Normal business hours for certifying are supposed to be 24/7 but sometimes the system just decides to not work for no reason at all. Their whole computer system is from like 1980 and nobody at EDD CARES about fixing it. My claim had some stupid flag on it that made it so I couldn't use the automated system even though NOBODY TOLD ME THAT. I wasted an entire weekend trying to certify before finally getting through to someone on Tuesday who told me I had an "interview requirement" flag that wasn't even showing on my account. Good luck getting through on the phone. I called 137 TIMES in one day and never got past the robot voice.

Something similar happened to me. Make sure you're calling the right number for certifying. There's one for regular information (1-800-300-5616) and a different one for actually certifying (1-866-333-4606).

After reading everyone's responses, I think your mom likely has what's called a "pending determination" flag on her account. This happens with many first-time claims and requires a manual review before certifications can be processed. The system should notify you about this, but EDD's communication is notoriously poor. Your best option is to contact EDD directly on Monday. Be prepared for a long wait. The technical support line (1-833-978-2511) often has shorter wait times than the regular claim line. They can at least tell you if there's a flag on the account and transfer you if needed. Regarding the online account setup, try logging in with just the EDDCAN and the zip code first to create the initial account, then add the personal details later. Sometimes doing it in stages works better than all at once.

I'm dealing with something similar right now with my aunt's claim! She filed her initial claim about 2 weeks ago and we're having the exact same issues - can't certify by phone (getting the business hours message even though it should be 24/7) and the online account setup keeps failing with "information doesn't match" errors. From what I've learned lurking in this community, it seems like new claims often get flagged for manual review, especially if there's anything even slightly unusual about the employment situation. The frustrating part is EDD doesn't always tell you there's a flag - you just get these vague error messages. One tip that worked for us with the online account: try entering the name exactly as it appears on the physical mail, including any weird spacing or formatting. My aunt's middle name was abbreviated on some documents but spelled out on others, and that was causing the mismatch. We're planning to call first thing Monday morning too. Fingers crossed we can all get through! This whole system really needs an overhaul.

I went through this exact same nightmare with my grandmother's claim back in December! The "call during business hours" message on weekends is usually a sign that there's some kind of hold or flag on the account that requires human intervention. What helped us was calling the EDD Disability Insurance (DI) line at 1-800-480-3287 first thing Monday morning - they often have shorter wait times and can sometimes transfer you directly to the right department without going through the main UI phone tree. For the online account setup, try using a different browser or clearing your cache completely. The EDD website is notoriously glitchy and sometimes cached data interferes with account creation. Also, make sure you're not using any browser extensions that might auto-fill information. One more thing - if your mom worked for the state or federal government at any point, or if she had any gap in employment before filing, those can trigger automatic review flags that prevent automated certifications. The system is supposed to notify you about this but often doesn't. Hang in there, it's frustrating but you'll get it sorted out!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! My dad filed his initial claim about a week ago and we're hitting the same roadblocks - the weekend phone certification isn't working (just says to call during business hours) and the online account setup keeps rejecting his information even though we've triple-checked everything. After reading through all these responses, it sounds like first-time claims often get flagged for manual review without any clear notification to the claimant. That's probably why the automated phone system isn't working - there's likely a hold on the account that requires speaking with a representative. I'm planning to try calling that technical support line (1-833-978-2511) first thing Monday morning since several people mentioned it has shorter wait times. If that doesn't work, I might try the DI line suggestion too. It's really frustrating how confusing this whole process is, especially when you're trying to help an older family member navigate it. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with these issues!

I'm going through this exact same issue with my grandfather's claim right now! He filed his initial unemployment claim about 2 weeks ago and we've been hitting the same wall - the automated phone certification system keeps saying "call during business hours" even on weekends when it's supposed to be 24/7, and the UI Online account setup fails every time with "information doesn't match our records." After reading all these responses, it's becoming clear that first-time claims often get automatically flagged for manual review, especially if there's anything even slightly complex about the employment history. The really frustrating part is that EDD doesn't proactively notify you about these flags - you just get cryptic error messages and have to figure it out yourself. What's helped me understand the situation better is realizing this isn't a technical glitch - it's actually the system working as designed (poorly). When there's a review flag, the automated systems are intentionally blocked until a human agent clears it. I'm planning to call both the technical support line (1-833-978-2511) and try that DI line workaround (1-800-480-3287) first thing Monday morning. Really hoping one of those routes gets us through faster than the main UI phone system. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know this is a common issue and not something we're doing wrong!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Just went through this with my sister's claim last week. The weekend certification issue is almost always because there's a "pending determination" or review flag on new claims that blocks the automated systems - even though EDD doesn't tell you this upfront. A few things that helped us: 1. Try calling the UI customer service line (1-800-300-5616) at exactly 8:00 AM on Monday - we got through on the third try using this timing 2. For the online account setup, make sure you're entering the EXACT name format from the award letter, including any middle initials or abbreviations exactly as shown 3. Sometimes clearing your browser cookies/cache completely helps with the "information doesn't match" error The really frustrating part is that these review flags are super common for first-time filers but EDD's communication about them is terrible. Once we got through to a rep, they cleared the flag in literally 2 minutes and my sister could certify normally after that. Don't give up - it's annoying but totally solvable once you reach a human! The system is just designed poorly for new claimants.

I'm having the EXACT same problem right now with my dad's claim! Filed about a week and a half ago, first time certifying, and we're getting the same "call during business hours" message on the weekend phone line even though it's supposed to be 24/7. The online account setup also keeps failing with "information doesn't match" no matter how carefully we enter everything. After reading through all these responses, it's really eye-opening to see how common this is for first-time filers. Sounds like there are automatic review flags that block the automated systems but EDD just doesn't bother telling people about them - you have to figure it out through trial and error like this. I'm definitely going to try calling that technical support line (1-833-978-2511) first thing Monday at 8:00 AM sharp based on the advice here. Also going to try the DI line workaround (1-800-480-3287) if that doesn't work. It's so frustrating that something as basic as unemployment benefits has to be this complicated, especially when you're trying to help an older family member navigate it all. But at least now I know we're not doing anything wrong - it's just EDD's terrible system design. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!