EDD website won't show option to add new claim - stuck on UI Online home page

You actually can't file a new claim directly through UI Online. For a new claim, you need to go to the main EDD website (edd.ca.gov), then click on "Unemployment" at the top, and select "File a Claim". It's a completely separate process from the UI Online dashboard which is only for managing existing claims. This confuses a lot of people!

same thing happend to me last month lol. their website design is sooooo bad

To expand on what the first commenter said, here's the exact step-by-step process: 1. Go to www.edd.ca.gov 2. Click on "Unemployment" in the top menu 3. Select "File a Claim" 4. Click the "File a Claim" button on that page 5. This will take you to the UI Online Registration page where you can start a new claim After you complete your claim application, you'll then use your UI Online account to certify for benefits every two weeks, check payment status, and manage your claim. Don't forget to complete your work search activities for each week you certify!

What if the edd.ca.gov site keeps giving me error messages when I try to file? I've been trying for 3 days and keep getting timed out!!! This system is RIGGED to prevent people from filing claims successfully. I've tried 5 different browsers and even my friend's computer. Anyone else having this problem??

i had the same issue, turns out my claim wasnt actually expired even tho i thought it was? check ur benefit year end date in UI online. if ur still in ur benefit year u might need to reopen claim not file new one

After trying to reach EDD for THREE WEEKS about a similar issue, I finally used Claimyr to get through to an actual human at EDD. Saved me so much frustration! Their system connects you with EDD without having to redial hundreds of times. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km) and was able to reach someone at EDD in about 25 minutes. The agent was able to help me file a new claim over the phone since I was having website issues too. Check out claimyr.com if you keep running into website problems.

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm curious - when you file a new claim after your benefit year ends, do they look at the same base period as your original claim, or do they use new earnings? I worked part-time while on partial unemployment last year and wondering if those earnings will help my new claim amount.

does any1 know if u file on website do u still have to do phone interview??

Update: I followed the instructions and found the right page to file a new claim! You guys were right - it's completely separate from the UI Online system. I had to answer a bunch of questions about my previous employment and reason for separation. The whole process took about 45 minutes. Thanks everyone for your help!

Glad you got it sorted out! For anyone else reading this thread, I want to emphasize that timing can really matter when filing online. I've noticed the EDD website tends to be most stable early in the morning (around 6-7 AM) or late at night (after 10 PM). During peak hours, especially Monday mornings and right after holidays, the system can be really slow or throw errors. If you're getting stuck on any step of the application, try switching to a different time of day before calling. Also, make sure you have all your employment information ready beforehand - employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation. Having everything organized will make the 45-minute process go much smoother!

Just wanted to add for anyone still having trouble - if you're using an older browser or have strict privacy settings, that can sometimes cause issues with the EDD website too. I had problems until I temporarily disabled my ad blocker and allowed all cookies for the edd.ca.gov site. Also, if you're on a work or school network with heavy filtering, try using your phone's mobile data instead. The EDD site seems pretty sensitive to certain browser configurations. Once I switched to a clean browser session with everything enabled, the whole filing process went smoothly.

One thing I'll add that might help future people finding this thread - if you're a returning filer like Diego was, make sure you're not accidentally trying to reopen your old claim instead of filing a new one. I made this mistake and wasted a whole day thinking the website was broken! When your benefit year expires, you need a completely NEW claim, not a reopened claim. The "Reopen Claim" option in UI Online is only for claims that were closed but are still within the same benefit year. It's another one of those confusing EDD distinctions that trips people up. The new claim process through the main EDD website is definitely the right path when your benefit year has ended.

For anyone who might be reading this thread in the future, I wanted to share a quick tip that helped me when I was in a similar situation. If you're having trouble finding the "File a Claim" option on the main EDD website, sometimes it helps to clear your browser's cache and cookies first. I was getting redirected to weird pages and the navigation wasn't showing up properly until I did this. Also, if you're on mobile, the desktop version of the site tends to work better for filing new claims - the mobile version can be pretty buggy. Just switch to "Desktop Site" in your mobile browser settings before starting the application process. Hope this helps someone avoid the headaches I went through!