EDD phone interview scheduled for 7/29 - Can I call them before my appointment date?
I just got a notice that I have a phone interview scheduled with EDD on July 29th to discuss my eligibility for benefits. The thing is, I'm really anxious about waiting that long since I'm already behind on bills. Has anyone tried calling EDD before their scheduled interview date to see if they can handle it sooner? Would this mess up my claim or put me at the back of the line somehow? I'm wondering if being proactive would help or hurt in this situation. Thanks for any advice!
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Zara Khan
I would strongly advise against calling before your scheduled interview. Those phone interviews are scheduled in their system and tied to specific EDD staff who are assigned to review your case beforehand. If you call the general line, they won't have access to your specific interview details or the authority to conduct the interview early. You'll just waste your time and might even confuse things in their system. Your best bet is to prepare all your documentation for the scheduled call - employment records, separation info, etc. Make sure you're available for that call because missing it can delay your benefits for weeks.
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Sean Murphy
•Ugh, that's what I was afraid of. Thanks for being straight with me. Do you know if there's ANY way to speed things up? I'm really getting desperate here.
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Luca Ferrari
same boat last month!! had 2 wait 3 weeks for my interview and it was TORTURE. tried calling before but just got the runaround tbh
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Nia Davis
•This is exactly why I recommend people use Claimyr when they need to actually get through to an EDD rep. I was in a similar situation last year and was getting nowhere with regular calls. Claimyr got me connected to an actual EDD agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They can't change your interview date, but they might be able to explain why you have an interview scheduled and what to expect. Check out their video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or go to claimyr.com - literally saved me weeks of stress.
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Mateo Martinez
Calling early won't change your interview date and might just cause more confusion. THE SYSTEM IS DELIBERATELY DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU WAIT!!!! They WANT you to struggle while waiting for benefits - it's all about making the process so painful that people give up. I had THREE scheduled interviews last year that they randomly canceled and rescheduled. Each time they told me "oh just wait for the next one" while I was literally about to be evicted. The whole unemployment system is BROKEN BY DESIGN.
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QuantumQueen
•Whoa thats harsh man. My experience wasnt that bad. Interview was right on schedule and the lady was actually pretty nice. Not everyone at EDD is out to get you.
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Mateo Martinez
•You got LUCKY. Ask around - most people have horror stories. The system is deliberately understaffed and overcomplicated.
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Aisha Rahman
I think it really depends on why your interview was scheduled. Is it for income verification? Identity issues? Job separation? Each reason has different urgency levels in their system. When I had my eligibility interview last year it was about my job separation and self-employment income but my friend had one about identity verification and hers got prioritized faster.
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Sean Murphy
•The notice just says it's to "determine eligibility" but doesn't give specifics. I quit my restaurant job after they cut my hours from 40 to 10 per week, so I'm guessing it's about that? Not sure if that's considered voluntary quit or if they're checking my income... I'm confused about the whole thing.
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Zara Khan
•That's a work reduction issue which is actually a valid reason to quit in many cases. During your interview, be sure to have documentation about your previous hours and the reduction. Explain that the reduction made the job unsustainable financially. This is generally considered good cause for leaving employment if the hours reduction was substantial (which yours definitely was).
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Ethan Wilson
When I had my eligibility interview scheduled, I was in a panic too because I was already 6 weeks without income. My situation was complicated because I had worked 2 jobs and one let me go. What helped me get through the waiting period was signing up for CalFresh (food stamps) right away - you can usually get emergency approval within days while your unemployment is still processing. Also check with your utility companies - many have programs where they won't shut off service if you can prove you've applied for unemployment. Hang in there! The interview itself was only about 10 minutes for me.
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Sean Murphy
•Thank you - I didn't even think about CalFresh! I'll apply today. Really appreciate the tip about utilities too, going to call them tomorrow.
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Luca Ferrari
btw make SURE ur phone is charged and u have good reception on interview day!! my buddy missed his call cuz he was in a bad service area and had to reschedule the whole thing which took another 3 weeks lol
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Sean Murphy
•Omg that's a nightmare! I'll definitely stay home that day and keep my phone right next to me. Do they call exactly at the scheduled time or is it more like a window?
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Aisha Rahman
•In my experience they give you a time window (like between 10am-12pm) and call sometime during that period. They usually call from a blocked/unknown number so make sure you answer ALL calls that day even if you don't recognize the number.
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QuantumQueen
i had a interview in may and they called me 2 days early! so maybe keep an eye out just in case??
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Zara Khan
•That's extremely unusual. In my experience working with dozens of claimants, EDD almost never calls early for scheduled eligibility interviews. They sometimes call late or on the next day if they're backed up, but calling early would disrupt their carefully scheduled system. Not saying it didn't happen, but I wouldn't advise others to count on this as it's very much an exception.
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