Missed EDD phone interview due to disconnected service - what are our options?
My fiancé has an eligibility phone interview scheduled with EDD next week, but our phone service is getting shut off tomorrow due to financial issues. We're currently behind on bills while waiting for his unemployment to process. Is there a way to notify EDD about this situation? Can he call them before our phones get disconnected to reschedule or provide an alternative contact method? Has anyone dealt with something similar? Really worried this will mess up his entire claim if he misses the interview!
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Louisa Ramirez
same thing happened to me last yr!! i went to the library and used their phone. most public libraries have phones u can use for free for important calls like this
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Marilyn Dixon
•Thanks for the suggestion! Do you know if I need to bring any documentation to the library to use their phones? Also wondering if the EDD call might take longer than what they allow for free calls...
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TommyKapitz
He should definitely call EDD right away to explain the situation. The number to reschedule interviews is 1-800-300-5616. Make sure he calls BEFORE your service is cut off. They can either reschedule the phone interview or sometimes they can arrange to conduct it through your UI Online account messaging system instead. Don't wait - phone interviews are crucial for claim processing and missing one without notice can result in automatic disqualification.
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Marilyn Dixon
•Thank you so much! I'll have him call first thing tomorrow morning before our service gets shut off. I'm worried about the wait times though - last time he tried calling it took hours to get through.
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Angel Campbell
I missed my interview last month becuz my phone broke and they denied my claim! had 2 appeal & it took another 6 wks to get paid. def try 2 contact them b4 the interview date!!
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Payton Black
•This happened to me and all I did was borrow my neighbor's phone for the interview. Told the EDD interviewer at the start I was using someone else's phone and they were totally fine with it. The system is designed to trip you up so you don't get benefits! They WANT you to miss interviews so they can deny claims and save money. Been through this nightmare 3 times now.
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Harold Oh
You have several options here: 1. Call EDD immediately at 1-800-300-5616 to explain the situation and request either a reschedule or alternative contact method. Make sure he has his claim number ready. 2. If you have internet access, log into UI Online and use the Contact EDD feature to send a message explaining the situation. 3. Visit an America's Job Center in person to explain your situation - they can sometimes help facilitate communication with EDD. 4. Borrow a phone from a friend or family member for the interview day. Most importantly, document all your attempts to contact them. If something goes wrong, you'll need this documentation for any appeal process.
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Marilyn Dixon
•These are really helpful suggestions, thank you! We do still have internet through our neighbor's WiFi that we can access from our apartment, so the UI Online messaging might work. How long does EDD typically take to respond to those messages?
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Amun-Ra Azra
I've been through this exact nightmare. Tried calling EDD for THREE DAYS straight and couldn't get through because of their ridiculous phone system. Always saying "we're experiencing high call volume" and hanging up on me! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an EDD agent in about 20 minutes. They helped me reschedule my phone interview. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Seriously saved my claim because missing that interview would have been a disaster.
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Angel Campbell
•does this actully work??? im so tired of calling 50 times a day n never getting thru!!
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Amun-Ra Azra
•Yes, it actually does! I was super skeptical too but I was desperate. They got me through to an agent who was able to note my account about my phone situation. You still talk directly with EDD, this just gets you past the busy signals and wait times.
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Summer Green
hey dont stress too much about this, EDD isnt as strict as ppl think. if he misses the interview they usually try to call at least 1 more time before denying anything. my roomate missed his interview and got a letter saying they'd try again in 2 weeks. just make sure ur fiancé explains everything when they do reach him
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Payton Black
•This is NOT accurate! EDD absolutely will deny your claim if you miss the interview. They might reschedule ONCE but it's not guaranteed, and they'll mark it as "claimant failed to participate" which can lead to weeks of delays. With their current backlog, a rescheduled interview could be 3-4 weeks out. Bad advice!
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Summer Green
•ok maybe i just got lucky then! guess it depends on the case worker or something
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TommyKapitz
Another option if you have internet: update his contact phone number in the UI Online system to a friend or family member's number for the interview day. Just make sure that person knows to expect the call and can get your fiancé on the phone quickly when EDD calls. They normally call within a 2-hour window of the scheduled time.
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Marilyn Dixon
•That's a really good idea! I didn't realize we could update the contact number through the online portal. My mom might be able to help us out with this. Thank you!
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Harold Oh
One important thing to note - if he's able to contact EDD before the interview, make sure they document this contact in his case notes. Ask them specifically to add a note about the phone service issue and any alternative arrangements. This creates a paper trail protecting his claim if there are any issues later. If he does end up missing the interview despite your best efforts, he should file an appeal immediately citing these circumstances.
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