Can't get through to EDD phone lines - always 'maximum callers reached' no matter when I call

This is unfortunately super common right now. Their call volume is insane since they reduced staff after the pandemic but claims are going up again. I was in your exact position last month and wasted HOURS redialing. I finally used Claimyr.com and got through to a rep in about 30 minutes. It's a service that basically auto-redials for you until it gets through, then calls you when an EDD agent is on the line. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Saved me from losing my apartment honestly.

YES!!! I HATE THE EDD PHONE SYSTEM WITH A PASSION!!! Been dealing with this garbage for MONTHS!!!!! The system is DESIGNED to keep us from getting help!!!! They don't care if we end up homeless as long as they don't have to answer calls!!!

I've had consistent success reaching EDD by calling 1-833-978-2511 (not the main number) at exactly 8:01am. Don't call right at 8:00 when everyone else is calling. The key is to select the options that lead to claim filing questions, not payment status. Once you get a rep, they can transfer you to the right department. Also, Thursdays tend to have lower call volume in my experience. Be prepared with your claim number, last 4 of SSN, and have a clear explanation of your specific issue. This increases your chances of getting your problem resolved in one call rather than needing multiple transfers.

I've helped dozens of claimants with this issue. The EDD phone system is overwhelmed, but there are effective strategies to reach a representative: 1. Call the 833-978-2511 number (as mentioned above) 2. Try calling Tuesday-Thursday (Mon and Fri are busiest) 3. The sweet spot is actually 10:30-11:15am or 2:30-3:15pm when morning/afternoon shift changes happen 4. When you hear "We're currently experiencing high call volume" do NOT hang up - wait through the entire message 5. If using the main number (800-300-5616), select options that lead to claim filing (1, then 2, then 4) 6. Have your case details ready: claim ID, specific dates with issues, and exactly what needs fixing If your issue relates to certification problems or pending payments, you might also try using the "Contact Us" form in UI Online, specifically selecting "Payments" as the category. Sometimes this gets a faster response than calling.

just keep hitting redial man thats wat i do lol. took me like 97 calls last week but i got thru eventually. its a numbers game

So when I was having this issue last month (my claim was stuck in pending for 3 weeks), I was also going crazy calling EDD nonstop. Then my neighbor told me she contacted her state assembly member's office and they helped push her claim through! I tried it and it actually worked. Google your district's assembly member, most have EDD assistance forms right on their websites. Took about 5 business days but they got back to me and had an EDD specialist call me directly. Didn't have to deal with the regular phone lines at all.

Just wanted to follow up about the Claimyr service I mentioned. I was skeptical at first too, but it worked for me when nothing else did. After they connected me with an EDD rep, I got my pending certification issue resolved in one call. It was such a relief after weeks of stress. The rep explained that my claim had a "quarterly review flag" that needed manual removal.

my cousin works at the edd office in sacramento and she says they're super short staffed right now. like half the normal people answering phones. sucks for everyone :

UPDATE: You guys are the best! I tried calling the alternate number (833 one) at 10:40am today using the options several of you suggested. Still got the high volume message, but I waited through it like @helpful_advice said, and surprisingly got transferred to a queue! Waited about 35 minutes but FINALLY spoke to a real person. Turns out I had that exact "quarterly review flag" on my account that needed to be manually cleared. All my pending weeks are now showing paid and the money should hit my Money Network card in 24-48 hours. THANK YOU ALL for your help!

I'm so glad you got through and got your issue resolved! This thread is like a goldmine of actually useful EDD tips. I've been struggling with a similar pending certification issue for 3 weeks now and was getting desperate. Reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that there ARE ways to get through this broken system. I'm going to try the 833 number tomorrow morning at 10:40am and wait through the full message like you did. The quarterly review flag explanation also makes so much sense - I bet that's exactly what's happening to my account too since my claim started in December. Thanks for updating us on your success! It really helps to know these strategies actually work.

Just wanted to add another tip that worked for me - if you're still having trouble getting through, try calling on a Tuesday or Wednesday around 11:30am. I noticed the call volume seems lower mid-week compared to Mondays and Fridays. Also, make sure you're calling from a phone that shows your actual number (not blocked/private) because some people have reported that EDD's system might deprioritize calls from blocked numbers. Another thing - if you do get through but get disconnected during the call, immediately call back and explain to the first rep you speak with that you were just disconnected. They can usually see the recent call attempt in their system and will be more willing to help quickly. The quarterly review flag issue seems to be affecting a lot of people right now, so don't panic if your payments are stuck - it's likely just that automatic review that needs manual clearing.

Wow, this thread is incredible! I've been dealing with the exact same issue for the past month - my certification has been stuck in pending status and I was starting to lose hope. Reading through everyone's experiences and seeing that @Oliver Becker actually got through gives me so much relief that there IS a way to fix this. The quarterly review flag explanation makes perfect sense because my claim also started in December, so the timing lines up exactly. I had no idea that was even a thing! I'm definitely going to try the 833-978-2511 number tomorrow morning around 10:40am and make sure to wait through the entire high volume message instead of hanging up immediately. I've probably wasted dozens of hours calling the main line and hanging up as soon as I heard that message. Also planning to try calling from my actual cell phone instead of my work phone since @Lucas Kowalski mentioned the blocked number issue. If that doesn't work, I'm going to look into contacting my assembly member - that seems like such a smart backup plan that I never would have thought of. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and actually useful tips instead of just complaining (though the complaining is totally justified too lol). This community is a lifesaver!

This thread is amazing - thank you everyone for sharing actual working solutions! I've been stuck in the same pending certification hell for over 2 weeks and was starting to think I'd never get through. The quarterly review flag explanation is eye-opening because my benefit year also started in December, so that's almost definitely what's happening to my account. I had no clue this was even a thing! Going to try the 833-978-2511 number tomorrow at 10:30am and make sure to wait through the entire high volume message instead of immediately hanging up like I've been doing. Also really appreciate the tip about calling from an actual phone number vs. blocked - I've been using a different service that might be showing up as blocked. The assembly member backup plan is brilliant too, never would have thought of that. Will definitely report back if I get through! Fingers crossed this nightmare finally ends soon.

This thread has been absolutely life-changing! I've been struggling with the exact same pending certification issue for almost 3 weeks now and was completely losing hope until I found this discussion. Seeing everyone's success stories, especially @Oliver Becker getting through and resolving the quarterly review flag, gives me so much motivation to keep trying. I had no idea about the 833-978-2511 alternate number or the specific timing strategies - I've been wasting hours calling the main line at random times and hanging up immediately when I heard the high volume message. My claim also started in December so I'm almost certain I have that same quarterly review flag stuck on my account. The fact that this is happening to so many people and EDD doesn't bother to explain what's going on is infuriating, but at least now I understand what I'm dealing with. Going to try the 833 number tomorrow morning at 10:40am and wait through the entire message like several of you suggested. Also switching to my regular cell phone instead of my Google Voice number in case that's causing issues. If that doesn't work, the assembly member contact method sounds like an excellent backup plan. Thank you all for sharing real solutions instead of just venting (though the venting is totally justified too!). This community support means everything when you're facing potential eviction and the system seems designed to keep us from getting help.

This entire thread has been a lifesaver! I've been dealing with the same pending certification nightmare for almost a month and was starting to think I'd never get my benefits. Reading through everyone's experiences and success stories gives me so much hope. The quarterly review flag explanation finally makes everything click - my claim started in late December so that timing matches perfectly. I had absolutely no clue this was even a thing! It's beyond frustrating that EDD doesn't send any kind of notification explaining these automatic system flags. We're just left wondering if our claims are broken or if we did something wrong. I've been calling the main 800 number religiously every morning at 8am sharp and getting that same "maximum callers" message every single time. After reading all your tips, I realize I've been doing everything wrong - wrong number, wrong timing, and hanging up too quickly. Tomorrow I'm going to try the 833-978-2511 number at exactly 10:35am and wait through the entire high volume message no matter how long it takes. Also switching from my work phone to my personal cell in case the caller ID is causing issues. If that doesn't work, I'm definitely looking into the assembly member option - that's such a brilliant backup plan I never would have thought of. Thank you all for sharing real, actionable solutions and giving each other hope when the system fails us completely!

Just wanted to share another strategy that worked for me after reading all these helpful tips! I was stuck in pending for 3 weeks with what I now know was probably that quarterly review flag (my claim started in December too). After trying the phone strategies with limited success, I decided to try both approaches simultaneously. I submitted a detailed "Contact Us" form through UI Online explaining my specific issue and mentioning the quarterly review flag by name, AND I contacted my assembly member's office the same day. The assembly member route ended up being faster - they had an EDD specialist call me within 4 business days and my pending weeks were cleared immediately. The rep confirmed it was indeed the quarterly review flag and explained that mentioning it specifically in my initial request helped them prioritize my case. For anyone still struggling, don't overlook the political route - your representatives actually have dedicated staff for EDD issues and they can cut through the phone system nightmare completely. Sometimes working smarter beats working harder!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stuck in pending status for about 2.5 weeks and was getting really anxious about my situation. Reading everyone's success stories, especially about the quarterly review flag, gives me so much hope. My claim also started in December so I'm pretty confident that's exactly what's happening to my account too. I tried the 833-978-2511 number this morning at 10:45am after reading all your tips and actually made it to the queue! Waited about 40 minutes but got through to a rep who confirmed I had the quarterly review flag and cleared it immediately. She said my pending certifications should process within 1-2 business days and the payments will show up in my account after that. One thing I'll add that might help others - when I got to the rep, I immediately said "Hi, I think my account has a quarterly review flag that needs manual clearing because my certifications have been stuck in pending since my benefit year crossed into the new quarter." She knew exactly what I was talking about and went straight to fixing it instead of having me explain the whole situation from scratch. Thank you SO much to everyone who shared their strategies and experiences. This community support made all the difference when I was starting to panic about rent money!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I've been struggling with the exact same pending certification issue for almost 3 weeks now and was starting to lose hope. My claim also started in December, so reading about the quarterly review flag was like having a lightbulb moment - that HAS to be what's happening to my account. It's incredibly frustrating that EDD doesn't communicate these automatic system holds at all. We're just left panicking thinking we did something wrong or our claims are broken. I've been calling the main 800 number every single morning right at 8am and getting that "maximum callers" message every time. After reading everyone's strategies, I realize I've been approaching this completely wrong. Tomorrow I'm going to try the 833-978-2511 number around 10:30am and actually wait through the full high volume message instead of hanging up immediately. I'm also going to use @Anastasia Popova's script about mentioning the quarterly review flag by name right away - that seems like such a time-saver compared to explaining all the symptoms. If the phone approach doesn't work, the assembly member option sounds like a brilliant backup plan. Thank you all for sharing real solutions and giving each other hope when the system completely fails us. This community support means everything!

This thread is absolutely incredible - I just created an account specifically to thank everyone for sharing these strategies! I've been stuck in pending hell for almost 4 weeks now and was literally about to give up and accept that I might lose my apartment. My claim started in December too, so the quarterly review flag explanation makes PERFECT sense. I had no idea this was even a thing! I've been doing everything wrong - calling the main 800 number right at 8am every day and hanging up as soon as I heard that dreaded "maximum callers" message. Reading through everyone's success stories gives me so much hope that there's actually a way out of this nightmare. Going to try the 833-978-2511 number tomorrow morning at 10:35am and wait through the entire high volume message no matter how long it takes. I love @Anastasia Popova's strategy of immediately mentioning the quarterly review flag by name - that's going to save so much time explaining symptoms. Also planning to contact my assembly member as a backup plan since several people had great success with that route. I never would have thought of going the political route! Thank you all for not just complaining about the broken system (though we have every right to) but actually sharing solutions that WORK. This community support is everything when you're facing eviction and the system seems designed to keep us from getting help. Will definitely update when I (hopefully) get through!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I've been dealing with the exact same pending certification nightmare for 5 weeks now and was completely at my breaking point. My claim started in December too, so reading about the quarterly review flag was like finally finding the missing puzzle piece. It's absolutely infuriating that EDD doesn't send ANY notification about these automatic holds - we're just left thinking our claims are broken or we made some mistake. I've wasted countless hours calling that main 800 number at 8am sharp every single day, only to get hung up on immediately. After reading everyone's strategies here, I tried the 833-978-2511 number this morning at 10:30am and waited through the ENTIRE high volume message (which felt like forever but was probably only 3-4 minutes). Got put in a queue and waited about 45 minutes, but I FINALLY got through to a real person! I used the script several of you suggested and immediately said "Hi, I believe my account has a quarterly review flag that needs manual clearing because my certifications have been pending since my benefit year crossed into the new quarter in January." The rep knew exactly what I was talking about and found the flag within 2 minutes. She cleared it on the spot and said my 5 pending weeks should process within 24-48 hours. I'm literally crying with relief right now. Thank you to everyone who shared their success stories and kept posting updates - it gave me the motivation to keep trying when I was ready to give up completely. This community is amazing when the system fails us so badly. For anyone still struggling with this issue, don't lose hope! These strategies really do work, you just have to be persistent and patient.