California EDD claimants need immediate and rapid assistance from Governor Gavin Newsom, Secretary of Labor and Development Agency Julie Su,  and our state representatives/assembly members/senators.  As is evidenced in the reports from the CA state auditor investigating the EDD, the EDD has many issues it must overcome.  The audits detail timelines for some of these issues to be solved; however, these timelines leave claimants without benefits for quite some time, after many have already been without benefits for a great deal of time.

While there have been many issues causing legitimate, compliant claimants to have their benefits frozen, some current issues include delays in verification of ID, delays in having the new extension applied to claims, claims stuck in pending/disqualified/not paid status, changes in stop payment alerts which now flag claimants who answered their certifications in accordance with their guidance received from EDD, frozen Bank of America debit cards and reduced balances due to fraudulent charges, an internal error telling claims to reopen their claim which continues to reappear, those who see certifications populate after their benefit year have ended leaving them stuck in pending mode, and many other issues.

The EDD has failed to communicate with its claimants - often failing to provide information on upcoming changes, providing information after the fact, sharing information with assembly members before notifying claimants, and publishing information on Twitter and in press releases but failing to inform claimants directly of important issues with their claims.

The inadequate communication then results in a large volume of claimants attempting to contact EDD customer service; however, they are met with recordings stating that the EDD is not accepting calls due to high call volumes or early closure hours. 

While it is understandable that the EDD is experiencing an immense amount of hardship in handling the volume of claims they are receiving during the pandemic, claimants who have lost their employment or self employment due to the pandemic are left without their benefits - unable to pay rent, put food on the table, and don't know how or when they will receive assistance.

California needs it representatives and leaders to assist immediately to the full extent of their ability to help claimants to receive their benefits.