EDD locked my claim for 4 weeks after missed phone interview - need help ASAP

same thing hapend to me last month!! they never even sent me a notifacation for the interview and then my claim got frozen. i had to wait 6 weeks to get my money and had to borrow from family just to pay rent. the system is SO BROKEN its ridiculous

You need to specifically request a 'determination reschedule' rather than just trying to get through to any representative. When you call, use these exact options in this order: 1-2-4 when you get the automated system. This bypasses some of the general queues. Also, call precisely at 8:01am or 1:01pm as those are shift change times and sometimes the queue is briefly open. If that doesn't work, you can also submit the issue through your UI Online account under 'Contact EDD' - select 'Payments' as the category and 'Interview Scheduling' as the topic. Be very clear that you need to reschedule a missed eligibility interview. They should reopen your claim within 1-2 weeks if you successfully make contact. Make sure to keep certifying every two weeks even while your claim is pending.

I've been dealing with EDD for almost a year now (regular UI then disqualified, appealed, won, now back on UI) and the ONLY way I got through to an actual person who could help was using Claimyr. I was skeptical at first, but after 3 weeks of trying to call myself with no luck, I tried their service and it worked. They automate the calling process and then call you when they actually reach a person at EDD. Saved me literally hours of redial hell. Their site is claimyr.com and you can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km

THE EDD SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN AND THEY DO THIS ON PURPOSE!!!! I had the EXACT same thing happen and do you know what I found out?? They schedule these "phantom interviews" KNOWING people will miss them so they can delay paying us OUR MONEY that WE PAID INTO THE SYSTEM!!! When I finally got through after 5 WEEKS, the rep told me they had "no record" of scheduling an interview even though I had the letter right in front of me. This is how they save $$$ - they hope people give up and don't pursue their claims. DON'T GIVE UP!!

Important: while you're trying to get this resolved, make sure you continue certifying for benefits every two weeks. Even though you're not getting paid now, once your eligibility issue is resolved, they'll release all pending payments at once - but ONLY for weeks you properly certified for. I've seen too many people miss out on backpay because they stopped certifying during a pending period.

have u tried going to the edd office in person?? sometimes they can help u there even tho they say they cant. my boyfriends brother got his phone interview rescheduled that way last month

One option that hasn't been mentioned yet is contacting your state assembly member or senator's office. They have dedicated staff who can intervene on your behalf with EDD. I've seen cases where people who couldn't get through for weeks had their issues resolved in 3-5 days after reaching out to their representative's office. Look up who represents your district and call their office explaining your hardship situation. This is especially effective if you're facing eviction or other serious financial consequences.

my friend had this happened to her but it was cuz she answered a question wrong on her certification. have u double-checked all ur certifications to make sure u didnt accidentally say u refused work or something? sometimes thats why they schedule interviews and it could be affecting ur claim now

After you get this resolved, make sure to set up your account to receive text notifications about interviews and important claim updates. They don't always send physical mail in time, and sometimes emails go to spam. The text system is the most reliable way to get notified about interviews. Go to UI Online > Profile > Contact Information > Communication Preferences and check the SMS option for all notification types.