Tried calling EDD 23 times today - any tricks to get through to a rep?

welcome to EDD hell! I had the same issue last month and ended up calling over 100 times in 3 days. The system is designed to make you give up. My trick was to call exactly at 8:00am AND use all phone lines - the 5616 number, the 2511 number, and even the employer line sometimes (though that's hit or miss). Keep redialing like your life depends on it for the first 15 minutes after they open.

I've been working with EDD issues for years, and unfortunately, the call volume problem has gotten worse since COVID. Here are some strategies that actually work: 1. Call Wednesday-Thursday rather than Monday-Tuesday (fewer people calling) 2. Try the afternoon lull around 1:30-2:30pm when some reps are coming back from lunch 3. When you get the automated system, select options for Employer Services first, then navigate back to claims (sometimes bypasses the queue) 4. If your certification is pending, check your UI Online account for any messages requiring action before spending hours trying to call The pending status often means there's an eligibility interview needed or identity verification issue. You can sometimes resolve these through your online portal without calling.

its all about timing. i only call on thursdays at 8:13am exactly. not 8:12, not 8:14. works like 60% of the time for me

After struggling for two weeks to reach EDD (trying over 40 times per day!), I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through in under an hour. They basically automate the calling process and notify you when they get a rep on the line. Saved my sanity honestly. You can see how it works at claimyr.com or check their video demo: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km It was a lifesaver for me because I needed to resolve an identity verification issue that was blocking all my payments. They got me through to an actual tier 2 specialist who fixed it on the spot.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!! They deliberately make it impossible to get through so people give up. I'm convinced they have a secret quota of how many claims they need to deny each month to save money. I've been trying for MONTHS and finally got through last week only to have the call dropped after waiting 2 hours on hold. THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN ON PURPOSE!!

If your certification is stuck on pending without any explanation, it might be flagged for an eligibility interview. In that case, calling won't always help because you specifically need an eligibility interviewer. Check your UI Online mailbox for any notices about a scheduled phone interview. If you don't see anything, another option is to visit an EDD office in person. Many people don't realize you can do this, but physical offices reopened after COVID and sometimes it's the fastest way to get help with a pending certification. Bring ID and all your claim information.

Also, whatever you do, DON'T select the option to have them call you back. I did that and waited 3 days for a callback that never happened. When I finally got through to ask why, they said their callback system was "experiencing technical difficulties" lol what a joke

my cousin works at edd (not telling which office lol) and she said even the employees cant get the phone system to work right. they hate it as much as we do

Update: I tried the Claimyr service that someone recommended here, and it actually worked! Got through to an EDD rep this morning. Turns out my claim was flagged for an eligibility review because my last employer contested it (even though I was laid off, not fired). The rep scheduled me for a phone interview next week and said my payments should release after that. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!