EDD phone nightmare - can't get through after 6 days of calling
I've been calling EDD every single day for almost a week now trying to fix an issue with my claim. Every time I navigate through all those annoying automated prompts (which takes forever btw), I just get the same message about 'high call volume' and then it disconnects me! I've tried calling at different times - early morning, afternoon, even right when they open. Still nothing. My rent is due next week and my claim has been stuck on 'pending' for over 3 weeks now. I NEED to talk to an actual human being! Has anyone successfully gotten through recently? This is seriously stressing me out and I don't know what else to do at this point. Any tips would be really appreciated!
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Benjamin Kim
same boat here! been calling for 2 weeks straight. its ridiculous how they expect ppl to just wait around with no money coming in. tried calling right at 8am yesterday and still got the same message.
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Victoria Stark
•It's so frustrating! Have you tried using the contact form on the website? I did that too but haven't heard anything back yet...
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Samantha Howard
The key is persistence and timing. Try calling precisely at 8:01am and then again at 11:32am and 3:47pm. These times have worked for me in the past because they're right after staff meetings or shift changes. Also, when the system asks for your SSN, enter it slowly with a 2-second pause between each number. Sometimes this helps bypass the automatic rejection system. If you get the 'high call volume' message, hang up immediately and redial rather than listening to the entire message. This slightly increases your chances.
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Megan D'Acosta
•is this for real?? entering SSN slowly actually works? seems like a weird glitch but im gonna try anything at this point lol
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Sarah Ali
After wasting WEEKS trying to get through to EDD's ridiculous phone system, I finally tried Claimyr and actually got connected to a rep in about 30 minutes. Seriously wish I had known about this sooner instead of burning through my cell minutes for nothing. Their system basically keeps dialing for you until it gets through, then calls you back when there's a real person. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km so you can see how it works. The website is claimyr.com if you want to try it. Honestly, considering how many hours I wasted trying to call myself, it was worth every penny.
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Victoria Stark
•Thanks for this suggestion! Does it really work? I'm desperate at this point but also wary of using services I've never heard of before...
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Sarah Ali
•I get being skeptical - I was too. But yes, it actually worked for me. They don't handle your EDD login or anything, they just get you past the impossible phone barrier. The agent I spoke with was able to see what was wrong with my claim and fixed the pending payments right away.
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Ryan Vasquez
EDD DOESN'T CARE ABOUT US!!! They deliberately make it impossible to reach them so claims stay pending and they keep the money!!! I called 47 TIMES yesterday and nothing!!!! The whole system is BROKEN BY DESIGN!!!
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Avery Saint
•While the system is certainly frustrating, I don't think it's fair to say EDD is deliberately making it hard to reach them. They're dealing with millions of claims with limited staff. That said, persistence is key. Try the tier 2 number (833-978-2511) instead of the main line, and select option 1, then 2, then 4 when prompted. Sometimes this route has shorter wait times.
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Taylor Chen
Here's what finally worked for me after 3 weeks of trying: call the main number (1-800-300-5616) exactly at 8:02 am. Not 8:00, not 8:05, but precisely 8:02. Select options 1, then 2, then 4. If it says they're experiencing high call volume, hang up and immediately redial. I had to do this 8 times in a row, but on the 9th try, I got into the queue! Still waited about 50 minutes, but actually spoke to someone who fixed my pending payments. They also told me that Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be slightly less busy than other days. Hope this helps!
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Victoria Stark
•Thank you for the detailed advice! I'm definitely going to try this exact method tomorrow morning. Did they explain why your payments were stuck on pending? I'm worried mine might be due to some verification issue that I don't even know about.
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Taylor Chen
•In my case, it was actually a "stop payment alert" flag that got triggered when I reported some part-time hours. Nothing I could've fixed on my own - needed the rep to manually remove the flag. That's why it's so important to actually reach someone. Let me know if the 8:02 trick works for you!
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Keith Davidson
i went thru this last month, total nightmare. ended up driving to an actual edd office (the one in san bernardino) and waited in line for 2hrs but atleast got to talk to someone face to face who could help. if ur near any edd location might be worth it instead of the phone game
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Victoria Stark
•I didn't even realize you could just go to an office in person! The nearest one to me is about an hour drive, but honestly that might be faster than whatever I'm doing now. Did you need an appointment or could you just show up?
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Keith Davidson
•no appointment needed but get there EARLY. like before they open. bring all ur paperwork and id and stuff. the line gets crazy long by 9am
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Avery Saint
I understand your frustration completely. Having worked with many EDD claimants, I recommend trying these steps: 1. Call the alternate number: 833-978-2511 (sometimes less busy) 2. Try calling Wednesday or Thursday afternoons between 1-4pm 3. When prompted for SSN, try entering only the last 4 digits 4. Use the Ask EDD feature on the website and select "Where is my payment?" 5. Contact your state assembly member's office - they have dedicated EDD liaisons Your pending status could be due to identity verification issues, quarterly income review, or work search requirement flags. Don't give up - keep documenting all your call attempts in case you need to demonstrate due diligence later.
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Victoria Stark
•Thank you so much for these detailed suggestions! I didn't know about contacting my assembly member's office - that's a great idea. I'm going to try each of these methods. Do you know if there's any way to check if my pending status is due to a specific issue, or is speaking to a rep the only way to find out?
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Avery Saint
•Unfortunately, the specific reason for pending status isn't usually visible in your online account. You can check your inbox in UI Online for any notices requiring action, but most pending issues need a representative to explain and resolve them. When you do get through, be sure to ask them to document notes on your account about what caused the issue so it doesn't happen again with future certifications.
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