Tips and Tricks: Getting Through to California’s EDD, Sanity in Tact
Back in January, I posted Thanks to the EDD, I’m Slowly Losing My Mind.
It chronicled my infuriating experience with California’s unemployment office. I shared my frustration at not being sent my first unemployment check, two months after filing my claim. I highlighted my disbelief at being told to call a 1-800 number, then spending weeks dialing it… in vain.
And I soon came to realize I wasn’t alone.
Comment after comment, readers shared their own stories. They gave tips and tricks for getting past the automated phone system. They LOL-ed at the preposterousness of the situation (and probably cried quietly to themselves). Six months later, the comments section of that post is still alive and kicking.
So if you find yourself jobless, checkless and at the wrong end of an EDD phone call, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s what we’ve learned from our community since the story went live:
- Keep your resume with CalJobs up to date.
- You did know you needed to post your resume on CalJobs, right?
- Make sure you fill out both columns on the right hand side of the form (some people, I’m told, overlook one of the columns; alright fine, it was me, but the lady on the phone assured me it happens a lot)
- Make photocopies of your claim form, in case you make a mistake on one or in case they stop sending them to you.
- Make sure the check boxes are dark. Form is read by computers.
- There is no unemployment office in California, at least no office that allows you to speak to an adviser face-to-face. All contact is by phone, mail and email. But mostly it’s by Scantron sheets from the late 70s.
- If you’re unlucky enough to have to call them (lost form, problem on form, etc), dial 12117 as soon as you hear “welcome”. Our readers swear by it.
- Still can’t get through? Try the Vietnamese line: 1-800-547-2058. It’s got less traffic than the other lines and the person who picks up will be bilingual, and will have to speak to you in English. I know at least two people who this worked for.
- Calling 223 times in one day is not unusual, and no guarantee you will get through.
- Still can’t get through by phone? Go here, and send them a message. You’ll receive a reference number by email. Keep it!
- They don’t have downloadable bi-weekly claim forms online. That would be too efficient. But you can request to have a new one sent to you. Go here. Click on “select category” >Unemployment Insurance Benefits>Select Topic>Claim Form-Need Replacement Form.
- Stay on top of them like “you’re managing a bunch of kindergartners”
Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed to our forum, sharing tips and generally supporting one another. And if you have any other suggestions or stories, please continue to share them!
Sometimes it’s just a relief to know that other people are going through the same maddening experience. And that if you are losing your mind (as I was), it really is thanks to the EDD.
P.S. For musings not related to unemployment, check out my new blog, Lipstick & Lemonade
DON’T %$@ AROUND WITH 800#’s the post that gave me the (909) 383-4661 # IS THE WAY TO GO.
916-683-4400 Number for Sacramento. Perhaps, the best…. one ring and someone answers.
Great article. I just lost my apartment and am moving in my co-worker who had a spare room. I’m afraid to give EDD my new mailing address for fear they will stop payment and ask me why I’m moving, etc. Should I just get a PO Box and have my mail forwarded?
Fred, do the change of address to the P.O. Box that way they will not stop your benefits… If you change your address they might stop your payments to find out how long it took you to move. They will dock for that.
So, i finally figured out how to get through to EDD. There is a code you have to put in to get on a wait time. I got this info from a local unemployment agency. You first call the 800#, when you hear thank you hang up and redial. When you hear the words welcome put in 12117 when you hear goodbye hang up, redial. This process may take a couple of tries but you will get the welcome again and again put in code, you will eventually hear your wait time. It does work, ive tried it today and got through (after a few attempts lol). Best of Luck!
fix this website! it has a virus!
Brilliant!
I had the nasty experience of the EDD making a clerical error on my claim. This resulted in my claim being denied. Once I got it all straight I was out 3 weeks worth of checks. I again got it all straight. The only reason I tell you my tale of woe is….your magic code saved me! I had to make over a dozen calls to get this resolved. Each time I got through! Longest wait time was 4 min.
THANK YOU! you saved my soul…..
The 12117 worked for me after trying to get ahold of them for hours. Also Try (916) 464 3300 for special claims or work share but dont try to get transfered to a regular operator. Even then they have to try the same numbers and same wait times we do.
You can now complete your continued claim form online. But BIG SURPRISE???? They haven’t announced it nor is it easy to find. I only found out because supposedly they never received my claim and I suggested that they need to put the claims process online so that people don’t have to wait for them to mail out new forms, process, etc to correct errors and she said but you can…
After I finished banging my head on the wall, I then had to bang my head on the keyboad to find the form. To save you guys the pain, here’s the link:
http://www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/EDD_Web-Cert.htm
I would like to add to the 12117 Edd trick, i tried it today 07/26/10 i call @ 2:25pm and got the rep @ 2:30, i notice that every time i redial i get the Welcome greetings about five times and they put me on waiting hold line for the rep, so when you keep redialing you get the welcome greetings you should get hold off the Edd rep.
My steps:
1) program my phone to dial ” 1800300561612117 ”
A) WELCOME screen
B) dial ” 12117 ”
2) redial with the same no#
3) waiting game began.
After trying to reopen a claim for 2 weeks i found this article. I did good little unemployed thing and looked in the stupid handbook. All it told me was the claim would start on a sunday. Not even a hint for a number or if i should visit the website.
However, my first time trying the 12117 when you hear welcomed worked! I had a 4 minute wait time then was connected to a very nice lady.
Thank you!
Thank you so much….dialed 12117 and it worked.
I wouldn’t trust that EDD Web-Cert. It looks like a disaster waiting to happen. The antique computers EDD uses are a joke. The computer might see you as being in the system twice. Then you will get flagged for an interview and have to go 6 weeks without a check
I received one check from EDD and they cut me off with no explanation.
How do I get back in the system ?
Thanks, Ron
I had a fresh claim opened in Nov.2009. In March, I took a job as an independent sales rep so I just stopped filling out the forms and such.
That job has now ended.
Is my claim still there, waiting to be used until this fall or do I start the whole process over again?
The Vietnamese number has worked! 18005472058 they talk in Vietnamese on the automated system for 5mins, then you hear music for 5 mins, then a person answers in Vietnamese, but you just start talking in English and they answer in English very clearly and the man who I talked to was very nice, however he kept asking me many questions (I was late on mailing back my form because I moved and had an address change) and he asked me several times exact dates when I got the forms and why I was so late as if t see if my story was straight and matched up. Then he said I will have a phone interview next week (not 6 weeks from now but next week!) which was great, and that new forms will be mailed out t me. The weird thing is that I never had a phone interview in the first place, they just started sending me forms and I wasn’t sure what to do when my first form was late. BUT YEA CALL THE VIETNAMESE LINE FOR SURE!
Awesome tips everyone. I’m anxious to try them. After filing my application I recieved a letter a few days later saying that it was accepted and that I would start receiving checks. Then a letter came about a week later for telephone interview. Decision came back, negatory, I am a teacher in a district with declining enrollment, massive budget cuts, etc. I am on appeal, wrote my letter, stated my case and am waiting to hear back. I have read that if I want to apply for back payments I need to be sending in DE 4581 The Continued Claim Certification. Problem is they aren’t sending them to me. Any suggestions? Has anyone fought and won in the appeal process?
Thanks again
I have been out of work since last November. At that time it took me 3 days and literally over 100 attempts to get through to someone at EDD. I was approved for the first Fed extension and received a check on 6/12, but none since. This morning I called EDD and used the 12117 trick and got through on the second try to a lady who was very helpfull, and explaind that my claim form from the 6/12 check had not been received, probably lost in the mail. She is sending a duplicate, and all the forms to catch up my benifits. The 12117 works!!!
OMG. This site is a lifesaver. I called the Sacramento number, got a live person, and was directed to the web certification, while they mail me more forms.
Dialing the 800# and entering 12117 as soon as you hear “Welcome…” worked like a charm for me this morning! Two rings and I was on with a human. THANK YOU!!!
THANK YOU, JENN, THE “12117″ CODE DID THE TRICK!!!!!!!!! I GOT A LIVE EDD REP IMMEDIATELY. He was very helpful and assisted me in filing a new claim (in actuality extending my 1 yr. claim which had expired a couple days ago, as I am part way into my Tier 2 federal extension). Thank you, thank you, thank you…Jenn!!!!!!!!!!
To Fred and/or anyone else that has a concern about moving. I too lost my job over a year ago and had a stream of “bad” roommate situations resulting in me having to move 8 times! Each time I moved, I updated it with the new address with EDD. I never once had a problem in receiving my checks. EDD does not care nor is it their business where and why you moved (unless you moved out of state or country). And they don’t dock your pay!
Best of luck to all you!
P.S. In case anyone is wondering…I am a california unemployed resident.
All the phone numbers provided above are great. Since Congress has signed the bill for the 3rd & 4th extension on July 20th, the EDD office has been swamped and behind in getting people claim forms and checks. I’ve been chasing mine for 3 weeks now. I’ve had to call at least three times a week and each time have gotten through. The number I use is (800) 300-5616 and then enter 1243. Works like a charm!
Also, an EPIC FAIL on EDD’s part by not making it publicly known that they now have a program called Webcert where you can fill out your bi-weekly claim forms online. Saves you stamps and time in receiving your checks. When I learned of this program (on Thursday 8/12), I registered and submitted my claim form and EDD immediately processed and a check was mailed out the following day.
Here is the link if anyone is interested:
http://www.edd.ca.gov/unemployment/EDD_Web-Cert.htm
The Web Cert site was fantastic till it collapsed this weekend. It was up for about an hour today, my husband processed his claim. We went back in to check and the status was “Submit Paper Form”. I went to check again and the site is copletely down.
I knew I was right. I don’t trust that Webcert and will never use it. EDD computers are from the 80′s. It can crash and lose your claim information
Has anyone on here filled out section B (the back) of the continued claim form? If so, how do you fill it out given that half of the jobs are on line and are being sent to an anonymous email address? Also, sometimes it’s just a blind add with an email address and I don’t know the company name. I just received my first claim form for my final extension with the X marked for question 3.
Any help is much appreciated.
Kind regards,
Ian
Can anyone tell me if EDD mails the checks out the day the recording says, “Check in the amount of $$$ has been processed on…” Lately I’ve noticed my checks coming a day or two later. Don’t know if it’s EDD or the post office that’s lagging. It’s frustrating when I used to get them on a Friday and now not until a Monday or sometimes Tuesday!!