How to contact EDD Appeals department when regular numbers don't work

I went through the same exact thing with my appeal last month! The trick is to call the Appeals office at 7:58am right before they open. That's the ONLY way I actually got through. The regular line never works because it's always "we're experiencing high call volume" BS. If you miss that morning window, you're not getting through all day.

The disqualification-to-appeal process is frustrating but there's a specific protocol to follow. First, don't panic about the hearing date - they're required to give you at least 10 days notice before scheduling it. For contacting the Appeals Board: 1. Call your specific REGIONAL Appeals office (not the main Sacramento number) 2. Leave a voicemail with your case number, full name, and callback number 3. Follow up with a fax to the same office (yes, they still use fax - it's ridiculous) 4. Check your mail daily - they often communicate only through regular mail The regional offices generally respond within 48-72 hours to voicemails if you include your case number. Also, the online portal messages often go to the wrong department - appeals are handled separately from regular UI claims.

when i appealed they called me the DAY OF my hearing lol no notice at all good thing i answered! this was back in January

Try Claimyr.com to get through to an EDD rep faster. I was in the same boat trying to reach someone about my appeal status. Normal calls were useless, but Claimyr got me through to a real person in about 15 minutes who was able to tell me my appeal status and connect me to the Appeals dept. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km that shows how it works. Definitely worth it when you're facing a time crunch with rent coming up.

I work with employment issues, and I can tell you that the Appeals Board is severely backlogged in 2025. A few specific strategies: 1. Your written statement is extremely important with appeals. Make sure you've submitted a detailed written statement with documentary evidence supporting your case (emails/texts showing layoff, etc). 2. For expediting contact: Call the main Appeals line at 1-800-300-5616, press 1 for English, then 1 for claim questions, then 4 for appeals. Don't follow the menu options that seem logical - follow this exact sequence. 3. You can request an expedited hearing if you're facing financial hardship (potential eviction, utilities shutoff, etc). This requires a separate form (DE 6412) which must be submitted to both your regional office and the main Sacramento office. 4. Monitor your UI Online account daily - sometimes hearing notices appear there before arriving by mail. The good news is that appeals currently have about a 62% success rate for claims like yours where there's a dispute about voluntary quit vs. layoff.

THIS IS WHY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!! I had THREE appeals last year and every single time it was IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone. They DELIBERATELY make it hard to win appeals because they don't want to pay benefits. I ended up having to do my hearing without any preparation because I couldn't get answers to my questions beforehand. The whole process is designed to FRUSTRATE people into giving up!!!!

Hey so my cousin works at EDD (not appeals but still) and she told me that appeals has a special internal email that sometimes gets faster responses than calls. Try sending an email with your case number in the SUBJECT LINE to appealsinfo@edd.ca.gov - make sure your case number is in the subject or it'll just sit in their general inbox forever. Also have you checked if your hearing might already be scheduled? Sometimes the letters take forever to arrive but the date is already in their system. That happened to me last year and I almost missed my hearing because the notice came 2 days before!!

i had my appeal in february and honestly i just waited. they eventually called me with a hearing date about 4 weeks after i got that same letter you got. i know waiting sucks but sometimes thats all you can do with edd

UPDATE: I finally got through! For anyone who might need this info in the future: 1. I tried the early morning call trick at 7:59am to my regional office 2. Got voicemail but left a detailed message with my case number, name, and phone 3. Used Claimyr later that day and got through to someone who confirmed my hearing is actually scheduled for next Tuesday (!!!) but the letter hasn't been sent yet 4. They transferred me to Appeals where I was able to request the hearing details by email so I don't have to wait for regular mail So relieved but also stressed that I would have missed this if I hadn't been persistent. They said notices went out late because of a "system update" - whatever that means. Thanks everyone for your help!

Wow, this is exactly what I needed to read! I'm dealing with a similar situation - got disqualified after they said I "abandoned" my job when I was actually furloughed due to company restructuring. Filed my appeal 3 weeks ago and have been getting nowhere with phone calls. I'm definitely going to try the early morning call strategy and look into Claimyr. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get basic information about our own cases. The fact that your hearing was scheduled but they hadn't even sent the notice yet is terrifying - how many people miss their hearings because of this? Thanks for sharing all the specific tips everyone gave you. Going to bookmark this thread and try everything tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed I can get through before my situation gets as desperate as yours was!

Just want to add another resource that helped me when I was dealing with EDD appeals last year - your local State Assembly member's district office can sometimes expedite things faster than you'd expect. I know Joshua mentioned they said it could take weeks, but if you emphasize that you're facing imminent eviction/hardship, they often have a direct line to EDD supervisors. Also, for anyone reading this thread in the future: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Keep a log of every call you make, every voicemail you leave, every email you send. Include dates, times, and any reference numbers. If your case gets escalated or if there are issues with your hearing, having that paper trail can be crucial. The system is definitely broken, but persistence does pay off. I ended up winning my appeal after they initially said I was "fired for cause" when I was actually laid off due to budget cuts. The ALJ saw right through their BS once I had all my documentation organized properly.

This entire thread is incredibly helpful - I'm saving it for reference! Just wanted to add that if you're dealing with appeals, make sure to also request your complete claim file from EDD (form DE 8714). Sometimes there are notes or documents in your file that contradict what they told you during the interview, and having that full record can be crucial evidence for your hearing. Also, for anyone struggling with the phone system - I've found that calling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 8:30-9:00am tends to have slightly better success rates than other days. Mondays and Fridays are usually impossible. The fact that Joshua's hearing was scheduled but no notice was sent is unfortunately becoming more common. I work in legal aid and we're seeing this happen to clients regularly - they're clearly overwhelmed and behind on their administrative tasks. Always assume your hearing might be scheduled even if you haven't gotten official notice yet.