Edit: If you are in a desperate situation, or getting rejected multiple days, please call your State Assemblymember. Staffers in the Legislature have access to additional resources and can help you get the assistance you need from EDD.
The California EDD Paid Family Leave phone tree is like a choose your own adventure book, where almost every option leaves you with no option to contact a human. This can be frustrating. But you can reach a human if you know the right buttons to press!
Here is how to reach a human:
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Call the EDD Paid Family Leave number at 877-238-4373.
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Press '1' for "benefit information."
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Follow the prompts to enter your SSN, zip code, date of birth, and weekly benefit amount.
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The computer will read you an automated list of information about your claim.
The computer will then read a list of prompts. Wait!! After the computer asks if you want to go back to the main menu it will say "press 0 to speak to a human." Press 0 and then wait and you should get a human!
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Thank you for your service!!!
you’re a godsend, thanks
Omg this saved me so much time.. I was going through loops and loops of IVR and not able to find a way to reach to a representative for paid Family Leave issue.
I filed a claim 7 working days ago and I am waiting to know if it has been approved. I am checking everyday to see if there are any messages on SDI website for me. None. I noticed you wrote that I should enter weekly benefit amount in the options to get a human. However, I don’t know yet what that amount is. How I find the status of my filed claim after waiting for a week.
Hi, I’ve tried this multiple times and after I press 1, I don’t hear any prompts to enter my social or other info. I also never get the chance to press 0 for a rep. Did something change? I’m desperate! Thank you!
This works but at the end I get “The Maximum Number of Callers Has Been Reached” and edd hangs up on me. This has happened 2 days in a row.
Don’t know if this helps, but my experience was similar but slightly different: Called the number you listed. Pressed 3 to get to PFL option of the phone tree, from there on, I had to press 1 (“Eligibility Info” – I think it was), wait through ALL of the LONG message and it continues as you say (at the VERY END, it will offer 0 to talk to a rep).
Thanks for your help!
Yes I did what Alex said to do.
1 for english
3 for PFL
1 for eligibility info
1 again (cant remember what for)
but waited till the end of the message even after it says “9 to go back” and i pressed 0 to speak with rep
but if there are too many people waiting it will say call back.
I wasn’t able to get through the representative as Alex’s instruction, BUT I was able to pressed 0 to speak with a rep with Ashley’s solution.
You don’t know how much this helped. My wife just had brain surgery to remove a tumor and I’ve been calling for 2 weeks to figure out if im filling this complicated form out correctly so our neurologist can forward it to EDD. Finally I found a way to speak to a human.
I made it to the press 0 part and then it says the maximum # of callers are in the queue…ahh this is so frustrating.
I keep getting “the maximum number of callers have been reached. Pls call again”. Do I just keep trying throughout the day? I started calling at 8:05am. I have been trying for two days now :(
It’s a hit or miss for me! Most of the time I start off at 8:01 then will try again every 5-7 minutes.
I got the same message every time for at least 10 attempts on multiple days. Then today I suddenly got through (around 1 PM on Tuesday), and asked them to call me back. I will update you when I got a call from them.
Thank you so much! You are a life saver.
Select
First – 1
Then – 3
Then – 1
Then – 1
Don’t need to wait for the long message to get over. Select 0 immediately to get into the waiting line.
they make it so difficult for you to talk to someone, ive been trying for almost week and still “reached maximum number of callers. i tried going to go to the local employment office, and all they can’t help you but tell you have to continue doing the same steps.
1/3/2022 I should be receiving SDI since 11/1/2021, but it’s apparent they deleted my file & app. since I have proof they recvd it in Nov.2021 I into SDI as shown on my pay stubs but these offices are way out of line in how they control our situations. I cannot pay my house payment nor anything. What legislatures have a say in this? I get thrown out queue day after day!