EDD claim stuck on pending for 6 weeks - anyone else experiencing delays?
I filed my unemployment claim back on March 2nd and it's STILL showing as 'pending' in my UI Online account. This is my first time on unemployment after being laid off from my healthcare admin job, and I've certified for benefits every two weeks as required. My account shows no issues that need resolving, but nothing is happening with my claim. I've called the EDD hotline about 30 times in the past week but just get the automated 'we're experiencing high call volume' message before it hangs up on me. My rent is due in 5 days and I'm starting to panic. Is anyone else stuck in pending purgatory right now? How long did yours take to process? I'm seriously starting to wonder if there's something wrong with my claim that I can't see.
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Andre Moreau
Yes, this is unfortunately common right now. EDD is experiencing massive backlogs due to staff shortages and system updates. Mine was stuck in pending for 5 weeks before it suddenly switched to paid. Make sure you're continuing to certify on time even though you're not getting paid yet. The good news is that once your claim is processed, you'll receive all backpay for the weeks you certified.
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Carmen Reyes
•Thanks for responding. That's actually reassuring to hear it's not just me! Did you do anything specific that finally got yours to move from pending to paid? Did you ever get through to a rep?
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Zoe Christodoulou
mine was stuck for 7 weeks!!!! keep certifying even tho it sucks. when it finally got fixed i got all the back pay at once
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Carmen Reyes
•7 weeks is insane! Did they ever explain why it took so long? I'm worried because I answered a question about looking for work and I'm wondering if I messed something up.
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Jamal Thompson
THEY ARE THE WORST!!!!! I was stuck in pending for 8 weeks and nearly got evicted. The system is DESIGNED to make people give up. You HAVE TO talk to a tier 2 specialist to get it fixed - regular reps can't help with pending claims. Good luck getting through though - I called 50+ times a day for 2 weeks before I finally got through. And then they fixed it in 5 minutes!!!!! The whole thing is ridiculous.
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Mei Chen
•While it can be frustrating, there are legitimate reasons claims get stuck in pending. Often it's because of identity verification issues, employer response delays, or income verification problems. The important thing is to keep certifying and try to reach a representative who can look at your specific claim details.
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CosmicCadet
I had the same issue last month and finally got it resolved by using Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep. It's a service that connects you with EDD without having to call hundreds of times. Cost me some money but was worth it because they got me through to a tier 2 specialist who fixed my pending issue in one call. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km and their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. My pending payments (6 weeks worth!) were released within 48 hours after talking to the specialist.
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Carmen Reyes
•I've never heard of this service before. Did you actually get through to a real person? I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point.
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Liam O'Connor
•isnt this kind of sketchy? giving some random company your phone # just to talk to EDD? no offense but sounds like a scam to me
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Amara Adeyemi
have you checked if theres an eligbility interview scheduled? sometimes they dont tell u about it but its in your account somewhere. my claim was pending for weeks and turns out i had an interview scheduled but never got the notice lol
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Carmen Reyes
•Where would I check for that? I don't see anything about an interview in my UI Online account. Is it somewhere specific I need to look?
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Amara Adeyemi
•should be under the notifications tab or sometimes in your messages. but honestly the whole system is confusing af so maybe call and check
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Mei Chen
There are a few things that commonly cause pending status to persist: 1. Identity verification issues with ID.me 2. Incomplete work search records 3. Employer contest of your claim 4. Income verification problems 5. Quarterly review flags During your certifications, did you report any income or miss answering any questions? Did you complete the ID.me verification process? Have you received any mail from EDD requesting additional information? One strategy that sometimes works is calling right when they open at 8:00 AM or trying during less busy times like Wednesday or Thursday afternoons. The 833-978-2511 number sometimes has better luck than the main line.
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Carmen Reyes
•I did complete ID.me verification successfully when I first filed. I haven't received any mail requesting additional info, which is why this is so confusing. I've reported zero income each certification and answered all questions. I'll try the alternate number you suggested and calling right at opening. Thanks for the detailed response!
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Zoe Christodoulou
i had to contact my state assembly person before EDD would fix mine... might be worth trying if you cant get thru on phone
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Jamal Thompson
•THIS!!! I almost mentioned this too. My cousin had to do this and her assemblyperson's office fixed it in like 3 days after she was pending for 2 months!! They have special contacts at EDD.
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Andre Moreau
Just to follow up on what others have said - here's what I recommend based on helping several friends through this recently: 1. Continue certifying every two weeks without fail 2. Try calling at exactly 8:01 AM when they first open (set an alarm) 3. If you can't get through via phone after a few days, contact your state assembly member's office (Google "[your city] California state assembly member") 4. Check your UI Online inbox and physical mail daily for any requests 5. Make sure your contact information is up to date in the system The most common reasons for extended pending status are identity verification issues, quarterly review flags, or the need for an eligibility interview. A tier 2 specialist can usually resolve these quickly once you actually reach one. Hang in there - it's frustrating but will eventually get resolved, and you'll receive all back payments you're entitled to.
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Carmen Reyes
•Thank you for such a comprehensive list of steps! I'll start with the early morning calls tomorrow and move on to contacting my assembly member if that doesn't work by the end of the week. Really appreciate everyone's advice and just knowing I'm not alone in this mess.
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