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Amara Okafor

EDD phone number en español - can't get Spanish language support after hours of calling

I've been trying to reach EDD in Spanish for my mom who doesn't speak English well. We've called the main number dozens of times and when we finally get through the menu (pressing 2 for Spanish), we either get disconnected or put on hold for hours. Does anyone know the best way to get Spanish-speaking agents? My mom's claim has been pending for weeks and she's getting desperate. We've tried calling at different times but keep hitting the same wall.

Same exact problem here! My dad needs Spanish support and we've wasted so many hours. The Spanish option seems to have even longer waits than English.

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It's so frustrating! You'd think they'd have enough Spanish-speaking staff but apparently not.

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I heard they have fewer Spanish agents which is why the waits are even longer. Not fair at all.

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The trick is to call early morning right at 8am and immediately press 2 for Spanish. Don't wait for the full prompt. I got through for my mother-in-law this way after 45 attempts.

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45 attempts?! That's insane but I'll try anything at this point. What day of the week worked best?

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Wednesday morning around 8:05am. Avoid Mondays completely - it's impossible.

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After calling 200+ times over two weeks trying to get Spanish support for my aunt, I found Claimyr. They handle the Spanish line too and got us connected in about 20 minutes. Worth every penny when you're spending entire days redialing.

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Claimyr works for Spanish speakers? How much does it cost? My mom is getting really stressed about this.

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Yeah they handle all the EDD lines including Spanish. Check claimyr.com - saved us probably 40 hours of calling. The agent spoke perfect Spanish too.

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I was skeptical about paying for something like this but honestly the time savings is worth it. My grandmother got her issue resolved same day.

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The lunch break hits the Spanish line too - 12pm to 1:30pm they basically don't answer. Learned this the hard way after calling for 3 straight hours during lunch.

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Wait they ALL take lunch at the same time? Even the Spanish speakers?

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Yep, the whole call center shuts down. Don't waste your time calling between noon and 1:30.

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Pro tip: The menu pattern is the same - dial 2 for Spanish, wait about 70 seconds, then 1-1-***. You can press the numbers before the prompts finish to save time on each call.

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This is super helpful! How long did you wait between the 2 and the next sequence?

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About 70 seconds for Spanish, slightly longer than the English menu. Time it on your first call then speed it up.

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The Spanish prompts are definitely longer. I usually count to 75 Mississippi before hitting the next sequence.

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Been helping Spanish-speaking clients reach EDD for months. Thursday afternoons around 2pm seem to be the sweet spot. Avoid Friday afternoons completely - you'll wait all weekend for resolution.

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Do you work for a community organization? My local centro de ayuda said they've had better luck with Thursday calls too.

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Yes, I help with benefit applications. Thursday is definitely the most reliable day for Spanish support.

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Just want to warn everyone - I got through to the Spanish line after 2 hours on hold and the call dropped right when the agent picked up. This has happened 3 times now. The system is completely broken.

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This is my biggest fear! All that waiting just to get disconnected. How do you deal with the frustration?

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Honestly I ended up using one of those callback services someone mentioned. Couldn't handle the stress anymore.

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The call drops are the worst part. Happens on about 40% of calls from what I've experienced.

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For anyone still calling manually: the 833-978-7353 and 800-300-5616 numbers are exactly the same line. Don't let anyone tell you there's a 'secret Spanish number' - there isn't.

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Thank you for clarifying this! I wasted hours trying different numbers thinking one was better for Spanish.

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Yeah it's all the same phone system. Save yourself the trouble and stick to one number.

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My wife and I tag-teamed calling - she'd call the Spanish line while I called English. Whoever got through first would stay on hold. Took us 4 days but finally worked.

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Smart strategy! Did you both get the same wait times or was one line faster?

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Spanish line was consistently slower. Took about 30% more attempts to even get on hold.

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That makes sense - probably fewer Spanish-speaking agents available.

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After reading all these struggles, I tried Claimyr for my mom's Spanish support needs. Got a callback in 35 minutes with a bilingual agent. Sometimes you just have to accept that your time is worth more than the calling fee.

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How was the agent's Spanish? My mom is very particular about being understood properly.

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Perfect Spanish, native speaker. They handle all the EDD lines professionally. Check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10

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I was hesitant to pay but after 60+ failed attempts, best money I ever spent. Got my uncle's issue resolved in one call.

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Don't fall for the myth about calling different departments for Spanish help. The specialist lines were discontinued after COVID. Everything goes through the main number now.

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Good to know! I was about to try calling the disability line thinking it might be less busy.

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All roads lead to the same overloaded phone system unfortunately. No shortcuts anymore.

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For those keeping track of attempts: I called 127 times over 6 days before getting through to Spanish support. The successful call was Tuesday at 2:15pm. Document everything - day, time, attempts. Helps you find patterns.

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127 times?! That's dedication. Did you keep a spreadsheet or just rough count?

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Full spreadsheet with times, outcomes, hold durations. I'm a data person - needed to find what actually worked.

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Tuesday afternoons have been good for me too. Seems like their staffing is better mid-week.

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PSA: EDD hours are 8am-5pm Monday through Friday Pacific Time. Don't waste time calling evenings or weekends like I did for two weeks before realizing.

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I made the same mistake! Kept calling at 6pm wondering why it went straight to the closed message.

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Yeah the Spanish message is pretty clear about hours but I wasn't listening carefully at first.

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Final update: After all this advice, I got through manually on attempt #89 this morning at 8:12am. Spanish agent was very helpful and resolved my mom's issue in 20 minutes. Sometimes persistence pays off, but honestly considering all the time invested, a callback service would have been smarter.

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Congratulations! 89 attempts though... that's basically a part-time job. Glad it worked out.

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The math on this is crazy. If each attempt takes 2 minutes, that's 3 hours just dialing, not counting hold time.

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Exactly. Next time I'm definitely using Claimyr or similar. My time is worth more than the cost.

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One more tip for Spanish speakers: if you do get through, have all your documents ready in advance. The agents are professional but they move quickly and you don't want to waste the call looking for paperwork.

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Great advice! What documents should we have ready specifically?

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ID, Social Security card, any EDD letters, work history, bank info if setting up direct deposit. Have it all within arm's reach.

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