Lines at EDD office in Oakland still long, despite agency claims of 'resolved' issues
Lines at EDD office in Oakland still long, despite agency claims of 'resolved' issues
Long lines persist at the Oakland EDD office on Oakport Street despite the agency saying many issues have been resolved.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Long lines are still snaking around the Employment Development Department building in Oakland as dozens of residents seeking their disability payments continue to complain about the bureaucratic process despite the agency's assurances that many of the issues have "been resolved."
Long lines persist at EDD in Oakland
What we know:
Lines at the EDD office in Oakland, Calif. on Sept. 14, 2026.
On two recent weekday mornings this week and last, people were set up in chairs and on crates sitting outside in the dark at the EDD office on Oakport Road across from the Coliseum. On Monday morning, there were at least 40 people waiting in line, hours before the office opened at 8 a.m.
That's because many disability seekers know to come as early as 5 a.m. or they won't get seen by one of the three employees working inside. Several of the people in line had walkers, canes, crutches, or oxygen tanks.
"I got here at 6:40 a.m. and there were already seven or eight people ahead of me," Karina Estrada said, after explaining she has not yet received any payment since Aug. 18 and has lived without that money for a month. "Why can't you just call or do it online? You can't get through on the phone. It's like nobody works here."
Estrada said her frustration level is "about a 10."
"I'm behind on my rent," she said. "I need my money."
She said she showed up in person because she had no other way to prove to the government agency that her doctor had provided her with all the proper documentation. The online portals never seem to work or give people access, according to Estrada and several other people interviewed by KTVU.
Frustrations high
The backstory:
Inside the long lines at Oakland's EDD office
Pregnant women, people with disabilities and others seeking help from California's Employment Development Department say they are waiting for hours on the phone and in long lines at the Oakland office, only to be turned away without assistance.
Estrada's frustrations come about a month after KTVU reported about the excessively long lines at the Oakport EDD office, where disability payments are disbursed for people who cannot medically work. KTVU has not received complaints about lines or service at the other Bay Area offices that provide disability insurance or family leave pay, which are in San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Rosa.
Several people that KTVU did interview reported that once they were able to see one of the three employees working in the Oakland office, their issues were resolved. But they questioned having to spend so many hours driving to the location, waiting in line and dealing with the matter in person, when many of their issues could be resolved more quickly on the phone or online. And they also said that if a second issue came up with providing documentation, they'd have to go back in line again and wait in person.
Some of the issues people reported having include that a wrong date was put on the paperwork, or the date was missing altogether. In some cases, the EDD told a disability seeker that he needed to use a government-approved doctor, but never sent the paperwork out.
EDD says many problems ‘have been resolved’
The other side:
At least 40 people were waiting in line at 7 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2026 to get seen at the EDD office on Oakport Street in Oakland.
For its part, EDD public affairs chief Greg Lawson acknowledged a month ago that the agency's system is outdated and is currently undergoing a transition to a new platform, "EDD Next," with the help of state funding.
Lawson also said Oakland, in particular, is facing low staffing as they transition their operations.
However, when questioned about the persistence of the long lines on Oakport Street, Lawson said in an email that several of those issues in August "have been resolved, and we’re seeing less demand in the Oakland office."
He said the "Qmatic queue management system," which provides customers with tickets to wait in line, was installed in Oakland, which he said is "already helping to ease the experience of customers visiting the office."
Lawson did say, however, that the EDD continues to "seek more space for our staff to serve customers at the counter in that area as demand for benefits has increased with the new benefit amounts available."
In terms of staffing, Lawson said the EDD has so far hired about 220 new staff statewide who are "in various phases of the onboarding and training process," and is trying to add more staff in Oakland.
Lawson noted that "it’s also important to note that service is not limited to specific offices, workload is shared across all of our offices in the state."
What is already in place, Lawson said, is "expanded self-service options implemented on our phone lines and in our EDD chatbot," which can provide claim specific information for people once they authenticate their identity.
But Lawson declined to be interviewed by KTVU, other than provide an email.
And he did not answer follow-up questions about why the EDD phone line seems to be constantly busy, or why several people interviewed for this story have complained it's nearly impossible to use or verify their identities.
‘You can’t get ahold of someone on the phone'
What they're saying:
Angela Moreno takes an Uber from Hayward to the Oakland EDD office because she doesn't have a car.
A man named Bob, who arrived in line at the Oakland office before 6 a.m. reiterated an oft-repeated gripe. He hurt his back and can't go back to work as a construction worker. He's been getting his disability payments until recently, when they just stopped. He was never told why.
"You can't get ahold of someone on the phone," he said. "I've tried calling for days in a row. I can't get a hold of nobody."
He, like others, also pointed out that disability insurance is something that workers pay for. California State Disability Insurance is a state-run program that provides short-term salary replacement for workers who need time off if they're sick or injured, or pregnant or just had a baby. The program is paid for by employees through state taxes withheld from the employee's paychecks. The EDD manages the program.
"I'm not trying to scam anybody," he said.
Attali Salazar, a nurse who is out on disability because of lower back pain, also said she can't get through online or on the phone.
"I can't get through on the portal," she said. "And when I do call, I don't get any representatives. I just get an automated system. So I had to come in person just to get my claim status figured out."
Angela Moreno, who lives in Hayward, pointed out what a financial burden it is to actually get to the Oakport Street office, since she doesn't have a car.
She paid $20 for an Uber to get in line by 6 a.m. because she didn't feel safe taking a bus at that hour.
She's had to come to the office four times in the last two months. She is on short-term disability and has been told she needs to "recertify" every two weeks.
As for what her issue is with not receiving her check this time?
"I don't know," she said. "I don't ever know until I get here."
The Source: The information for this story comes from interviews with people in line at the EDD office in Oakland, and an email from EDD spokesman Greg Lawsom.