What are EDD's current phone hours? Still open until noon only?

The current EDD phone hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday for the main UI Customer Service line (1-800-300-5616). This is for regular unemployment questions. They actually extended their hours back in 2024 after all the backlogs they were having. The technical support line (1-833-978-2511) has the same hours. Make sure you're calling the right number for your specific issue!

They were only open til noon during part of covid but that changed ages ago, like at least a year!! Waited forever trying to get thru the other day tho, called like 14 times and still no luck 😠 EDD IS THE WORST!!! 🤬

i think it depends which number ur calling? disability is different hours than regular unemployment i got confused about this too

They're open till 5pm but honestly good luck getting through at ANY time lol. Best times to call are right at 8am when they open or around 4pm. Avoid calling Mondays or Tuesdays - those are the busiest days. I've had the most success on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons personally. Just be prepared to hear "we're experiencing higher than normal call volume" about 50 times before you get through!

ya its 8-5 but i called 22 times yesterday befor getting thru and then waited 1.5 hours on hold lmao

Pro tip: When you call, press 1 for English (or whatever language), then press 2-4-1 in sequence when prompted. This routing bypasses some of the general menu options and gets you to an unemployment specialist faster. Also, have your EDD Customer Account Number and last employment info ready before calling. They'll ask for verification, and having it handy saves time. The 8am-5pm hours have been consistent since mid-2023, and I don't see them changing anytime soon based on their staffing patterns.

Just wanted to add that if you're calling about a pending claim specifically, make sure you have your last 4 weeks of job search activities documented too. I learned the hard way that they'll often ask for details about your work search efforts when you're trying to resolve pending issues. Also, if you get disconnected (which happens more than it should), don't panic - just call back and mention you were disconnected mid-conversation. Sometimes they can pull up notes from your previous call. Good luck with your claim!

Another tip that helped me get through faster - if you're calling about a pending claim, try calling the EDD Claim Status line at 1-866-333-4606 first. Sometimes they can resolve simple pending issues without transferring you to the main customer service line. It's automated at first but if you press 0 a few times it'll connect you to a live person. The wait times are usually shorter than the main 1-800-300-5616 number. Still 8am-5pm hours though. Worth a shot before spending hours on hold with the main line!

I've been dealing with EDD for months now and can confirm the hours are definitely 8am-5pm Monday through Friday. But here's something that might help - I've noticed they seem to have more availability right after lunch around 1-2pm. I think a lot of people assume they should call first thing in the morning or right before closing, so there's actually less competition during that midday window. Also, if you have access to your EDD online portal, check there first to see if your issue can be resolved without calling. Sometimes pending claims will update overnight and you might not even need to call! But if you do need to speak to someone, definitely have your Social Security number, EDD customer account number, and employment history for the last 18 months ready before dialing.

Just wanted to jump in as someone who recently got through after weeks of trying! The hours are definitely 8am-5pm now, but I found success using a combination of the tips mentioned here. I called the claim status line (1-866-333-4606) first around 1:30pm on a Wednesday and actually got through in about 15 minutes. The rep was able to see my pending claim and told me exactly what documentation I needed to fax over to resolve it. Turns out I was missing one piece of paperwork from my previous employer. Got it sorted within 48 hours after that call! So definitely try that claim status number first if your issue is just about pending payments - it's a game changer compared to the main customer service line.

Hey everyone! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the claim status line at 1-866-333-4606 or that the hours changed from the old noon cutoff. I've been putting off calling because I thought I only had that tiny morning window. Now I feel like I actually have a fighting chance! Planning to try the claim status number tomorrow around 1pm with all my documentation ready. It's such a relief to know other people have actually gotten through and resolved their pending claims. Sometimes it feels like EDD is this impossible black hole, but reading these success stories gives me hope. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips! 🤞

Just wanted to add something that helped me recently - if you're getting the "we're experiencing higher than normal call volume" message and getting automatically disconnected, try calling from a different phone number or using a Google Voice number. I noticed that EDD's system sometimes seems to recognize numbers that have called multiple times and boots them faster. Switched to my partner's phone and got through on the 3rd try after being blocked all morning on my regular number. Could be coincidence but worth a shot if you're hitting a wall! Also seconding everyone about having ALL your docs ready - they asked for way more verification than I expected even for a simple pending claim question.

This thread is absolutely gold! I've been struggling with a pending claim for over a month and had completely given up after reading outdated info about the noon cutoff. Reading through all these success stories and strategies has totally changed my approach. I'm definitely going to try the claim status line (1-866-333-4606) during that 1-2pm window that several people mentioned, and I'm going to have EVERYTHING ready - SSN, account number, employment history, job search records, the works. The tip about using a different phone number is genius too. I've probably called 40+ times from my cell this week and keep getting the instant disconnect. Going to try my landline tomorrow. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their experiences - you've given me actual hope that I can get this resolved! 🙏