The California Employment Development Department (EDD) provides a variety of services to individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19 in California. For the week ending on March 6, as per the updated press release, EDD has processed and paid out $114 billion in unemployment benefits to workers who are out of work or hours reduced. The magnitude of the benefit payments distributed by EDD since March 2020 is greater than the total benefits paid in the worst full year of the Great Recession.

Eligible Californians have access to assistance programs such as Paid Family Leave (PFL) and State Disability Insurance (SDI). Claimants can also benefit from federal programs like the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Additional Compensation (PAC). The EDD has been working around the clock to process and issue these benefits to eligible claimants.

Given the huge influx of claims, the EDD is continuously making efforts to improve points of customer contact. There have been improvements in the ability of claimants to reach UI customer service representatives, from the average of 60 seconds from the start of hold music to the pickup by a representative.

If you have queries and need information about how to contact EDD, you have a couple of options. You can reach out through the ‘Contact Us’ tab on the EDD website, where you can find information on various topics. Additionally, you can call the EDD Customer Service line for Unemployment Insurance at 1-800-300-5616. If your query is not resolved over the call or online, you can also schedule an appointment with EDD representatives via the same contact method. The department is committed to processing each claim as swiftly and accurately as possible.

In conclusion, while the volume of claims has posed significant challenges, the EDD endeavor to process applications without delay and disburses benefits to eligible claimants in a timely manner. For more information on how to get through to EDD or to speak to an EDD live person, you can visit eddcaller.com. It provides a wealth of resources and useful information to help you navigate the process and contact the EDD.