EDD mailed application processing time in 2025 - anyone know how long to wait?
I mailed in my UI application last week because the website was giving me technical issues. Now I'm wondering if that was a huge mistake given how slow everything is with EDD. Has anyone recently sent in a paper application? How long did it take for EDD to process it? My last job laid me off without warning and I'm getting anxious about bills piling up while waiting. Online it just says processing times may vary but doesn't give any specifics for paper applications. Should I just try the online application again or wait? Thanks for any advice!
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Ruby Knight
omg why would u mail it??? online is ALWAYS faster even with tech problems
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Nina Chan
•The website kept crashing when I tried to submit my work history. I spent 3 hours trying before giving up and mailing it.
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Diego Castillo
I mailed mine in January and it took almost 5 weeks before it showed up in the system. Then another 2 weeks before I got my account number in the mail. Paper applications go through a manual processing queue that's much slower than online applications. You can try calling EDD to see if they've entered it into their system yet, but good luck getting through to anyone.
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Nina Chan
•5 WEEKS??? That's insane. I can't wait that long without income. Is there any way to cancel the paper application and just do it online? Or will that mess everything up?
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Logan Stewart
This literally happened to me too!!! The website is garbage sometimes. I waited 3 weeks and nothing happened so I ended up just trying the website again during non-peak hours (like 5am) and it actually worked. Then had to call EDD to cancel my paper application. Total nightmare.
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Mikayla Brown
Based on current processing times, paper applications are taking 4-6 weeks minimum to process versus 7-10 days for online applications. The EDD scanning department has a significant backlog. If you can manage to submit online, that's definitely the faster route. I'd recommend trying the online application again using a different browser or clearing your cache. If the website works, call EDD to let them know you're submitting online and to disregard your paper application to avoid duplicate applications which can cause delays and potential issues with your claim.
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Nina Chan
•Thank you for the clear info! I'll try Firefox instead of Chrome tonight and see if that works better. Definitely don't want duplicate applications causing more problems.
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Sean Matthews
i sent mine by mail last year and it never got processed at all!! had to start over after waiting 2 months. call them asap
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Ali Anderson
•This happened to my cousin too! His application got lost somewhere in the mail system and he had to start all over again after waiting almost 3 months with no response. The paper system is completely broken. I've tried calling EDD multiple times with no luck but I discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 25 minutes when I was dealing with my certification issues. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km It helped me skip the whole "we're experiencing high call volume" nonsense. The agent I spoke with was able to tell me exactly what was happening with my claim.
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Zadie Patel
I work with unemployment cases frequently, and here's what you should know: As of 2025, EDD has significantly reduced their paper application processing staff as they've moved to primarily digital systems. Paper applications are now first sent to a scanning facility in Sacramento before being entered into the system. Paper applications currently take approximately 5-7 weeks before they're fully processed, compared to 7-10 days for online applications. Unfortunately, there's no way to check the status of a paper application until it's been entered into the system. Your best course of action is to attempt the online application again. Try using an incognito/private browsing window on a different device if possible. If you successfully complete the online application, call EDD at 1-800-300-5616 to inform them you've submitted online and request they disregard the paper application.
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Diego Castillo
•This is spot on. I had to help my mother with exactly this situation last month. The Sacramento scanning facility is massively backlogged. When we finally got through to someone on the phone, they explained that paper applications aren't even looked at for the first 3-4 weeks.
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Nina Chan
Thanks everyone for the advice. I tried the online application again using Firefox in incognito mode at 11pm last night and it WORKED! Got all the way through and received a confirmation number. Now I need to somehow contact EDD to tell them to ignore my paper application. Been trying to call since 8am with no luck getting through.
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Ali Anderson
•That's great you got the online app submitted! For contacting them, seriously consider using Claimyr that I mentioned earlier. I wasted three full days trying to get through on my own before using it. The $15 or whatever it costs was totally worth not spending another week trying to get through. Much less stressful.
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Ruby Knight
•good job!! ya definitely call them about the paper one or ull probably get flagged for fraud for having 2 applications!!
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Nina Chan
UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD! I tried calling right when they opened at 8am and got through after about 20 attempts. They confirmed my online application is in the system and put a note to disregard my paper application when/if it gets processed. The rep said my claim should be processed within 10 business days. What a relief! Thanks again for all the help everyone.
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Mikayla Brown
•Great news! Make sure you set up your UI Online account as soon as you receive your account number so you can certify for benefits on time. The first certification period is critical - missing it can cause payment delays.
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Ravi Patel
So glad you got it sorted out Nina! Your story is going to help so many people who run into the same website issues. The tip about trying Firefox in incognito mode late at night is gold - I'm definitely bookmarking this thread. It's crazy how much faster the online system is compared to paper applications. Good luck with your claim processing!
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Shelby Bauman
•Yes, this thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where the EDD website keeps timing out when I try to upload my employment verification documents. Reading through everyone's experiences here gives me hope that persistence will pay off. @Nina Chan thank you for sharing your journey and congrats on getting it resolved! Going to try the Firefox incognito method tonight.
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