EDD phone nightmare - called 47 times today with no luck
I'm at my breaking point with EDD phone lines! I've been trying to reach someone about my claim status for THREE WEEKS now. Today alone I called 47 times (yes, I counted) between 8am-2pm and either got the 'too many callers' message or was disconnected after waiting 30+ minutes. My claim has been stuck in pending for 6 weeks now and I'm getting desperate. My rent is due next week and I have exactly $278 left in my account. The UI Online doesn't show any issues or alerts, but payments just stopped coming after the first two weeks. Has anyone successfully gotten through recently? What time of day works best? I'm seriously considering camping outside an EDD office at this point.
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Sofia Gutierrez
8am is when they open right? thats when everyone calls. try calling at weird times like 10:37am or 3:42pm. thats how i got thru last month
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Dylan Mitchell
•Thanks, I'll try that tomorrow. Did you use any specific phone options when you called? I've been selecting "claim questions" but maybe there's a better choice?
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Dmitry Petrov
There's probably an eligibility issue that needs to be cleared. When payments suddenly stop without any notification in UI Online, it's usually because they need to verify something. Do you have any work history gaps or did you report any earnings during certification? Check your inbox in UI Online for any messages or notices they might have sent that you missed. Also, sometimes the issue is as simple as answering a certification question differently than usual.
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Dylan Mitchell
•I double-checked and there's literally NOTHING in my inbox. No notices, no requests for additional info, nothing. I've been answering certification questions exactly the same way each time. This is what's so frustrating - I have no idea what's wrong and can't reach anyone to ask!
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StarSurfer
EDD SUCKS!!! I went through the EXACT same thing in January. Called 200+ times over TWO WEEKS. When I finally got through, turned out they needed some stupid document verification that they never even told me about!! The system is BROKEN and they don't care at all about us.
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Ava Martinez
•Actually, I had a similar issue but found another way. I was fed up with calling and getting nowhere when someone told me about Claimyr. It's this service that basically calls EDD for you and connects you when they get through. I was skeptical but it actually worked - got connected to an EDD rep in about 25 minutes. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Check out claimyr.com if you're desperate. Honestly saved me days of frustration.
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Miguel Castro
First, don't panic. Your situation is very common. Here's what might be happening: 1. Your claim might need manual review (common with pending payments) 2. There could be an identity verification hold (even if you've already verified through ID.me) 3. You might have a "false positive" for potential fraud that needs clearing When you do reach a representative, ask specifically about these three things. Also, request that they check for any "stop payment alerts" on your account - these often don't show up in UI Online but can freeze your payments. For calling, the best times are generally Tuesday-Thursday between 10:30-11:30am and 2:00-3:30pm. Avoid Mondays and lunch hours when call volume is highest.
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Dylan Mitchell
•This is really helpful, thank you! I didn't know about "stop payment alerts" - that could definitely be it since I don't see anything wrong on my end. I'll try calling during those specific windows tomorrow and ask about these things specifically if I get through.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
I had this happen in February and turns out my address verification failed because my apartment number didn't match exactly between my ID and what I entered (I put #304 instead of Apt 304). Such a stupid reason! But they never told me until I got through on the phone. Sometimes the UI Online system doesn't show these holds. Have you moved recently or is there any chance your address info could be inconsistent?
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Dylan Mitchell
•Hmmm, I did move about 8 months ago, but I updated my address with the DMV and EDD at the same time. But maybe something got flagged? That would be such a relief if it's something that simple to fix.
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Connor Byrne
im having the SAME PROBLEM rn!!! been trying to get thru for like a week. my brother told me to call right when they open at 8 but that doesnt work either. so frustrating!!!! plz update if u find a way to get thru
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Yara Elias
•You folks might also want to try contacting your state assembly member or senator. My cousin had a similar issue that dragged on for 2 months, and after reaching out to her assembly member's office, they helped escalate it and got it resolved within a week. Their offices often have dedicated EDD liaisons who can bypass the regular phone system.
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Dylan Mitchell
UPDATE: I finally got through this morning! I followed the advice about trying at an odd time (called at 10:42am) and only waited about 15 minutes. Turns out I had a pending eligibility interview because my former employer contested my claim saying I quit (I was actually laid off). The rep scheduled me for a phone interview next Tuesday and said my payments should release after that if everything checks out. She also put notes in my account about the financial hardship so they might expedite it. Thank you all for the suggestions and support!
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Miguel Castro
•Great news! For your eligibility interview, make sure you have any documentation ready that proves you were laid off - emails, separation notices, anything in writing. The more documentation you have, the smoother the interview will go. Good luck!
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Sofia Gutierrez
•see! told u weird times work better! glad u got thru finally!
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