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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
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- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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You're doing all the right things to prepare! One additional tip that helped me during my eligibility interview - if you have any witnesses who can verify what happened the day you were let go (like coworkers who saw you cleaning out your desk or heard the conversation), mention their names during the interview. Even if EDD doesn't contact them, it shows you have people who can back up your story. Also, when you do get through to an EDD rep, ask them specifically about the timeline for their decision. In my case, they told me it would take 2-3 weeks but I got the determination letter in just 5 days. Having that realistic expectation helped reduce my anxiety while waiting. You've got this! The fact that your boss refused to give you a specific reason and you have positive performance documentation really works in your favor. Keep us posted on how it goes!
That's a great point about witnesses! I actually do have a coworker who was in the office when I was clearing out my desk and she seemed really surprised when I told her what happened. I didn't think to mention her but I'll definitely bring that up during the interview. Thanks for the tip about asking for a timeline too - the waiting and not knowing is honestly the worst part of this whole process. It's really reassuring to hear from people who have been through this successfully!
Just wanted to add something that might help with your preparation - when you're writing your statement, be very specific about the timeline and your boss's exact words. I went through a similar situation and the EDD interviewer asked me to repeat the exact conversation multiple times to make sure my story was consistent. Also, if you mentioned that other employees were let go around the same time, definitely include that in your written statement. It helps establish a pattern that this was likely a business decision (layoffs) rather than performance-related termination. Companies sometimes try to classify layoffs as "for cause" terminations to avoid paying higher unemployment insurance rates. One thing that really helped me was practicing explaining the situation out loud before the interview. It sounds silly, but when you're nervous it's easy to get flustered and leave out important details. Having your key points memorized makes the actual call much smoother. You're clearly being thorough in your preparation, which puts you in a much better position than most people going into these interviews. The fact that you have documentation of positive performance and no prior warnings is huge. Good luck!
This is such excellent advice! I hadn't thought about practicing out loud but that makes total sense - when I'm nervous I definitely tend to ramble or forget important details. I'm going to rehearse telling my story a few times before the actual interview. You're absolutely right about the timeline being important too. I should mention that two other people from my department were let go within the same week, which definitely supports that this was more about budget cuts than my individual performance. It's frustrating that companies try to game the system like this, but at least I know what to expect now. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience - it's so helpful to hear from people who have actually been through this process successfully!
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I'm going through this EXACT same nightmare right now! Started calling PFL on Monday for my claim that's been stuck for 2 weeks and I swear I've made at least 500 calls with zero success. Reading through all these strategies is giving me so much hope though - I had no idea there were so many creative workarounds! I'm taking notes on everything: the 7:59 AM timing, dual phone approach, disability number transfer, Spanish line trick, Friday afternoon calls, staying on the line after the "high call volume" message. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become phone ninjas just to get information about our own claims, especially when we're already stressed with new babies and medical bills. But knowing that so many of you have eventually gotten through gives me the motivation to keep trying. I'm going to arm myself with all these tactics tomorrow and see what works. Will definitely update here if I have success - we need to help each other beat this broken system! Thank you all for sharing your hard-won wisdom! 🙏
You're definitely not alone in this frustration! I'm actually new to dealing with PFL but reading through everyone's experiences here is both eye-opening and terrifying. I had no idea the phone system was THIS broken. It's honestly shocking that in 2025 we still have to resort to these kinds of workarounds just to access basic government services. The fact that you've already made 500 calls is just insane - no new parent should have to deal with this level of stress on top of everything else. I'm bookmarking this entire thread because clearly I'm going to need all these strategies when my time comes. Really hoping one of these methods works for you tomorrow! Please do update us - it sounds like this community has become an unofficial PFL survival guide at this point. Sending you strength and patience! 🤞
Reading through everyone's experiences here is both heartbreaking and incredibly helpful! I'm currently 6 months pregnant and honestly terrified about dealing with PFL after my baby arrives, knowing how broken this system is. It's absolutely appalling that new parents - who are already dealing with recovery, newborn care, and medical expenses - have to become phone system hackers just to access their own benefits. The fact that people are making 500-1000+ calls is just criminal. I'm definitely bookmarking all these strategies for when I need them: the dual phone method, early morning timing, Spanish line trick, disability transfer approach, and staying on the line after the rejection message. Thank you all for turning this thread into an invaluable survival guide! It shouldn't take a village to crack the PFL phone system, but I'm grateful this community exists to help each other navigate this nightmare. Sending strength to everyone currently battling this broken system - you shouldn't have to fight this hard for benefits you've earned! 💙
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I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just discovered someone filed unemployment claims using my identity last week and I've been in complete panic mode. Like everyone else, I tried calling the fraud hotline multiple times and it's absolutely useless - either busy signals or they hang up on you. Based on all the advice shared here, I'm abandoning that approach completely and going straight to: 1. Filing a police report today to get a case number 2. Emailing [email protected] with all details 3. Contacting my state assembly member's office immediately The assembly member route seems to be the real secret weapon that everyone discovers too late. I had no idea they had dedicated EDD liaisons who could actually cut through the bureaucracy. I'm also really concerned about the tax implications since multiple people mentioned receiving 1099-G forms for benefits they never got. Going to file Form 14039 with the IRS preemptively and put fraud alerts on all my credit reports today. It's absolutely insane that we have to become experts in navigating broken government systems just because criminals stole our information, but I'm so grateful everyone shared what actually works instead of the official channels that clearly don't. This community has probably saved me months of frustration! Has anyone had success with getting EDD to send written confirmation once the fraudulent claim is closed? I want to make sure I have documentation that this was resolved properly.
You're absolutely right about getting written confirmation - that's a crucial step that I almost forgot about! When my case was finally resolved through my assembly member's office, I specifically requested written confirmation from EDD that the fraudulent claim had been terminated and that no benefits were actually paid out. It took about a week after the verbal confirmation, but they did send me an official letter stating that the claim was closed due to identity theft. Keep that document with all your other paperwork because you'll likely need it for tax purposes and as proof that you reported the fraud promptly. Also, don't be surprised if you get one more piece of mail from EDD even after it's "resolved" - sometimes there's a lag in their system and you might get a final notice about the closed claim. Just keep it with your documentation. The assembly member route really is the game-changer here. I wish more people knew about it from the start instead of wasting months trying to navigate EDD's broken channels. You've got a solid plan and should be able to get this resolved much faster than the rest of us did. Stay persistent and document everything!
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - EDD identity theft has become such a widespread problem and their fraud reporting system is completely broken. I just went through this nightmare myself about 4 months ago and totally understand your panic! Everyone here has given excellent advice, but I wanted to add a few things that really helped speed up my case: **Skip the fraud hotline completely** - I wasted 2 weeks trying to get through and it's genuinely useless. Go straight to these steps: 1. **File police report first** (you need that case number for everything) 2. **Email [email protected]** with your police case number and ALL details 3. **Contact your state assembly member's office immediately** - this is the real game changer everyone discovers too late **Critical addition:** When you email EDD, also send the exact same email to your employer's HR department. They need to flag your account and contest any employment verification requests from EDD. This prevents the fraudster from potentially getting "employment verification" that could make their claim look more legitimate. **Tax protection steps:** - File Form 14039 with the IRS preemptively - Put fraud alerts on all three credit bureaus TODAY - Request your wage transcript from the IRS to monitor for fraudulent income My assembly member's office got me connected to an actual EDD fraud specialist within 24 hours, and the whole thing was resolved in 3 weeks. The regular channels are completely broken, but there are ways around the system once you know them. Document absolutely everything and don't give up - you'll get through this!
This is such great additional advice! I hadn't thought about notifying my employer's HR department - that's brilliant to prevent any potential employment verification issues. I'm definitely going to add that to my action plan along with all the other steps you've outlined. It's really encouraging to hear you got connected to an actual EDD fraud specialist within 24 hours through your assembly member's office. That gives me hope that this can actually be resolved quickly once the right people get involved, instead of the months-long horror stories some others have shared. The tip about requesting the wage transcript from the IRS is also really smart - I want to catch any fraudulent activity as early as possible before it becomes a bigger mess. Going to set up regular monitoring of that along with my credit reports. Thank you for taking the time to share what actually worked! It's so helpful to have a clear roadmap from people who successfully navigated this nightmare. I'm feeling much more confident about getting this resolved now.
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This is such a smart move for someone in tech recruiting! The industry pivot to UI/UX makes total sense given your background in understanding candidate needs and market demands. I'm actually considering a similar career change myself after getting laid off from my marketing role. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - when you meet with your caseworker, definitely emphasize how your recruiting experience translates to UX research and user interviews. That connection should really strengthen your case for approval since you're not starting from zero. Also, if you don't mind sharing after your intake appointment, I'd love to hear how the process goes! There are probably a lot of us in similar situations who could benefit from knowing the real timeline and requirements.
GalaxyGlider
I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and it was incredibly stressful! One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you have any family members or friends who work in government or legal fields, they might be able to help you navigate this faster. My sister works as a paralegal and she knew to check something called the "Notice of Computation" in addition to the determination letter. Apparently EDD sometimes issues multiple documents for disqualifications and they don't always show up in the same place online. Also, when you do file your appeal, consider including a statement about how the lack of proper notice has prejudiced your ability to prepare a defense. Administrative law judges take notice issues seriously since due process requires adequate notification. Don't give up - the system is frustrating but there are people who genuinely want to help you get through this!
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Malik Davis
•This is really helpful advice! The "Notice of Computation" tip is something I never would have known to look for. It's so frustrating that EDD has all these different document types scattered across their system with no clear explanation of what to expect or where to find things. Your point about due process and inadequate notification is really important too - if they don't properly notify people, that's a legitimate legal issue that could strengthen an appeal. Thanks for mentioning that administrative law judges take this seriously. It gives me hope that the system, while frustrating, does have some checks and balances built in to protect people when EDD drops the ball on basic communication!
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Teresa Boyd
This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening about how broken EDD's notification system really is! Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear this isn't just isolated incidents - it's a systemic problem affecting tons of people. What strikes me most is how many different workarounds people have had to figure out just to get basic documents that should be automatically provided. The fact that you have to try calling different phone numbers (DI line), use third-party services like Claimyr, contact elected officials, or physically visit offices just to get a copy of your own determination letter is absolutely ridiculous. For anyone else dealing with this nightmare, I'd suggest creating a document tracking all your attempts to get the letter - dates you called, who you talked to, what they told you, etc. This kind of documentation could be useful evidence if you need to appeal or file a complaint later. Also, it might be worth filing a complaint with the California State Auditor's office about these notification failures - they've investigated EDD before and this seems like exactly the kind of systemic issue they should know about. No one should have to jump through this many hoops just to exercise their basic right to appeal an adverse decision!
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Daniel Washington
•You've really hit the nail on the head about how systemic this problem is! It's honestly shocking that in 2025, people are still having to use these crazy workarounds just to access their own government documents. The fact that there are multiple phone numbers, third-party services, and even legislative offices all trying to fill the gaps in EDD's basic communication system shows how fundamentally broken it is. I love your suggestion about documenting everything and contacting the State Auditor - that's thinking beyond just solving your individual problem to actually trying to fix the system for everyone. If enough people start filing complaints about these notification failures, maybe we'll finally see some real accountability and improvements. It's ridiculous that people should have to become EDD experts and learn all these secret tricks just to navigate what should be a straightforward process. Thanks for bringing up the bigger picture issue here!
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