Kelleigh Martin, a pregnant woman from Whittier, California was shocked when her disability checks from the Employment Development Department (EDD) abruptly stopped mid-way through her medical leave. She later discovered her claim was among the 345,000 flagged as potentially fraudulent by EDD during their investigation of a disability scam. Despite assurances from an EDD representative and attempts to verify her identity with her doctors, Martin struggled to contact and resolve the situation with EDD. This, combined with the financial stress of impending bills, intensified her stress levels, contributing to her giving premature birth to her twin boys.

The fraud scheme, that had identities stolen from estimated 27,000 California doctors for phony disability claims, affected spontaneous clusters of claims, with expecting mothers giving birth in December and January being most impacted. The EDD froze the suspicious claims, leading many expectant mothers like Martin, to prove their legitimacy - a process that often lacked clear instructions. Many, like Martin, struggled with how to get through to EDD in order to resolve their issues. Attempts to contact the EDD often result in automated responses, prolonging individual distress during already trying times.

Finally, after media coverage from KGO-TV in San Francisco, Martin’s situation was put right by the EDD, and she received all the back payments. However, her experience serves as a stark reminder of the difficulties many Californian citizens face in their attempts to contact and communicate with the EDD.

To make the process easier for others facing the same struggle, the website eddcaller.com provides valuable information and tips on how to get ahold of EDD customer service. This includes suggested calling times and number sequences to bypass recorded messages and potentially secure a position in the queue to speak with a representative. By referring to this website, others may hopefully avoid the prolonged distress faced by Kelleigh Martin during such crucial times.