Need the phone number to EDD - been searching everywhere and getting different numbers
I'm so confused about which phone number to EDD actually works. I've seen 800-300-5616 and 833-978-0953 posted in different places online. Some people say there's a special disability line and others mention an unemployment-specific number. Can someone please tell me the correct phone number to EDD that actually gets you to a human? I've been trying random numbers I found and just getting busy signals or wrong departments.
37 comments


Liam Duke
The main unemployment number is 800-300-5616. That's the one everyone uses. The 833 number you mentioned is the same line, just a different number that routes to the exact same place.
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Dana Doyle
•Wait, so both numbers go to the same call center? Why do they have two different numbers then?
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Liam Duke
•Yeah it's confusing but they're literally the same line. I've tested it myself - same hold music, same menu, same agents.
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Manny Lark
I've been calling 800-300-5616 for weeks and can barely get through. The menu is 1 for English, wait about a minute, then 1-1-*** to get to an agent.
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Rita Jacobs
•That menu pattern is correct but you'll probably have to call 50+ times just to get on hold. Then wait 2 hours if you're lucky.
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Khalid Howes
Honestly after trying to call manually for 2 weeks straight, I used Claimyr and got through in 20 minutes. Sometimes paying for the callback service is worth your sanity.
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Ben Cooper
•Is Claimyr legit? I keep seeing it mentioned but seems too good to be true.
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Khalid Howes
•Totally legit. Check their website at claimyr.com - they have tons of reviews. Way better than spending entire days redialing manually.
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Naila Gordon
The phone number to EDD for unemployment is definitely 800-300-5616. But here's what they don't tell you - the entire call center goes to lunch from 12pm to 1:30pm. Don't waste your time calling during lunch.
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Cynthia Love
•Are you serious? The WHOLE call center takes lunch at the same time? That's insane!
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Naila Gordon
•Yep, learned this the hard way after calling during lunch for days. Complete radio silence from 12-1:30pm every day.
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Darren Brooks
For disability claims you can also try 800-480-3287 but that's specifically for SDI. If you need unemployment benefits stick with 800-300-5616.
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Manny Lark
•Good to know there are different numbers for different programs. I was calling the wrong line for a week!
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Dana Doyle
Update: Finally got through using 800-300-5616 after 67 attempts. Called at 2:30pm on a Wednesday and waited 1 hour 45 minutes on hold. The key was pressing the menu options super fast.
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Rosie Harper
•Wednesday afternoons seem to be the sweet spot. Mondays are absolutely impossible.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•67 attempts just to get on hold? That's brutal. No wonder people use calling services.
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Rita Jacobs
PSA: There is NO secret specialist line anymore. That was a pandemic thing that ended. Don't believe anyone who says there's a special number that bypasses the queue.
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Demi Hall
•Thank you! I wasted so much time trying numbers people claimed were 'insider secrets' that didn't work.
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Ben Cooper
I tried calling the phone number to EDD at 7:55am (before they officially open) and actually got through faster. Start dialing early and have your coffee ready!
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Mateusius Townsend
•Early bird strategy works! I set my alarm for 7:30am, get coffee going, and start dialing at 7:55. Much better success rate.
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Kara Yoshida
Been tracking my calls in a spreadsheet. 800-300-5616 has about a 15% success rate of getting on hold. Tuesday-Thursday between 2-4pm are your best bets.
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Philip Cowan
•You're keeping a spreadsheet? That's dedication! What's your average hold time once you get through?
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Kara Yoshida
•Average hold is 1 hour 52 minutes. But about 40% of calls drop even after you wait that long.
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Cynthia Love
My coworker used Claimyr last month and said it was the best $20 she ever spent. Got a callback in 35 minutes instead of calling all day. Might be worth it if you value your time.
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Caesar Grant
•I was skeptical about paying for calling services but honestly after wasting 3 full days trying manually, Claimyr saved me.
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Lena Schultz
•They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 if you want to see how it works before paying.
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Gemma Andrews
Don't call after 4pm any day. They seem to stop taking new calls even though they're officially open until 5pm. Learned this after many wasted attempts.
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Pedro Sawyer
•Same experience here. After 4pm you just get the 'too busy' message immediately.
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Mae Bennett
For anyone still struggling with the phone number to EDD - it's 800-300-5616, but if manual calling isn't working, automated services like Claimyr exist for a reason. Sometimes your time is worth more than the service fee.
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Beatrice Marshall
•Exactly. I was stubborn about paying for calling help but after missing work to call EDD all week, the callback service paid for itself.
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Melina Haruko
•Just used Claimyr yesterday and got connected in 28 minutes. Definitely worth it compared to the endless redialing.
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Dallas Villalobos
One tip for the phone number to EDD: press all the menu digits (1-wait-1-1-***) as fast as possible. You can save 30-45 seconds per call attempt which adds up when you're redialing 100 times.
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Reina Salazar
•This shortcut is clutch! Also don't wait for the full prompts - start pressing numbers as soon as you hear the first word of each menu.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
Reality check: I called the EDD phone number 500+ times over 2 weeks and only got through twice. Both times the call dropped after 90+ minutes on hold. Sometimes you need to try alternatives.
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Demi Lagos
•Call dropping is the worst! You invest hours and then get disconnected right before talking to someone.
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Mason Lopez
•That's exactly why I switched to using Claimyr. Can't handle another dropped call after waiting 2+ hours.
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Ella Thompson
Just want to confirm what everyone's saying - 800-300-5616 is the correct EDD phone number for unemployment. I finally got through last week after 3 days of trying. My strategy was calling right at 8:00am sharp and having my finger ready to speed through the menu (1-wait-1-1-***). Still took 45 attempts but I got on hold and actually spoke to someone after waiting about 2 hours. The lunch break thing is real too - complete waste of time calling between 12-1:30pm. If you're getting desperate, the callback services people mention might be worth it, but the free route does work if you're persistent enough.
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