PA UC Base Year calculation confusion - filed January 2025, which quarters count?

Hi all! Super confused about how PA calculates my base year for unemployment. I just filed my initial claim on January 12th, 2025 after being laid off from my warehouse job (company relocated operations). I keep reading different things about which quarters they'll look at to figure out my weekly benefit amount. Will they use Oct 2023-Sep 2024? Or will they use Jan-Dec 2024? I worked at my last job for 3 years but had a lot more overtime in early 2024 compared to late 2024, so it makes a big difference for me! Also, what's with all the "boosting" I see in other threads? I'm new to this forum and trying to understand how it works. Thanks for any help! This whole unemployment process is WAY more complicated than I expected 😓

0 coins

41 comments

Amara Nwosu

•9M

For a claim filed in January 2025, PA UC will use the standard base year which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So that would be October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. Your overtime from early 2024 will count as long as it was within those quarters. PA takes your highest quarter earnings and uses a formula to calculate your weekly benefit amount. And "boosting" just means people are commenting on posts to keep them active and visible at the top of the forum. It helps questions get more attention from those who might have answers.

0 coins

Fatima Al-Farsi

•8M

You're right! PA has the standard base year (first 4 of last 5 quarters) and an alternate base year (last 4 completed quarters) that can be used if you don't qualify using the standard calculation. But they always try the standard method first, and only if you don't qualify would they check your eligibility using the alternate base year. There's also a third option called the "Alternate Base Year Extended" for people who were sick or disabled, but that's much less common.

0 coins

Dylan Cooper

•8M

I just went thru this whole mess in December!! The base year thing is so unnecessarily complicated and NOBODY at UC could give me a straight answer. I tried calling for 3 weeks and kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual UC rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The rep explained my base year calculation and fixed another issue with my claim. Saved me weeks of stress. Sometimes you just need to talk to an actual human at UC to get things straight.

0 coins

Amara Nwosu

•8M

There could be several legitimate reasons for different benefit amounts even when filing on the same day from the same company: 1) Different wage histories before working together 2) Different hours or positions at the same company 3) One person might have had multiple employers during their base year 4) Possible deductions for things like pension payments It's not about paying as little as possible - the formulas are set by law. But the system is definitely confusing and the communication could be much better.

0 coins

Fatima Al-Farsi

•8M

Great question! PA UC will include ALL your wages from all states during your base year. You'll file in the state where you last worked (sounds like PA in your case), but they'll do what's called a "combined wage claim" to pull in the earnings from NY too. The PA UC system should automatically detect this when you list your NY employer in your work history. If for some reason they miss it, you can contact them to make sure they're including the out-of-state wages.

0 coins

Gabriel Graham

•5M

Hey Liam! Just wanted to add one more helpful tip since you're new to this whole process - make sure you keep detailed records of ALL your job search activities (where you applied, when, contact info, etc.). PA requires you to make at least 2 work search contacts per week to maintain eligibility, and they can ask for proof at any time. Also, if your employer offers you any severance or vacation payout, make sure to report those when you file your weekly claims as they might affect your benefits timing. Better to over-report than get hit with an overpayment later! Welcome to the forum and hope your claim goes smoothly! 🤞

0 coins

Connor Murphy

•5M

Thank you so much Gabriel! That's really helpful advice. I definitely want to avoid any overpayment issues down the road. Quick question - for the work search requirement, do online applications count as valid contacts? And do I need to apply to jobs that are exactly like my warehouse position, or can I branch out to other types of work? I'm wondering if this might be a good opportunity to try something different while I'm looking. Also, my company said they'll be sending me some kind of separation notice - should I wait for that before filing my weekly claims or just go ahead and start filing? Thanks again for all the guidance! This community is incredibly helpful for navigating this confusing process.

0 coins

Yuki Kobayashi

•5M

Hey Connor! Yes, online applications definitely count as valid work search contacts - just make sure you keep good records with the company name, position title, date applied, and how you applied (online portal, email, etc.). For job types, you have some flexibility but PA generally expects you to look for "suitable work" which starts as work similar to your previous job in terms of pay/skills, then gradually expands over time. So you can definitely branch out, especially after you've been claiming for a while. As for the separation notice, don't wait for it to file your weekly claims! File your weekly claim for any week you're unemployed, even if your initial claim is still processing. The separation notice (probably a Notice of Potential Chargeback) is just for their records with your employer. You can upload it to your UC account when you get it, but don't let waiting for it delay your weekly filings. Good luck with everything! 👍

0 coins

Michael Adams

•4M

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum! 👋 Just wanted to jump in and confirm what others have said - for your January 2025 filing, PA will indeed use October 2023 through September 2024 as your base year. So all that overtime you earned in early 2024 will definitely count toward your benefit calculation, which is great news! One thing I didn't see mentioned yet - when you get your monetary determination letter (usually comes within a week or two of filing), double-check that all your employers and wages are listed correctly. Sometimes there are errors or missing employers, and it's much easier to fix these issues early in the process rather than later. Also, since you mentioned you're new to the forum - don't hesitate to search through old posts here before your weekly certifications. There's a wealth of information about common issues people run into, and you might find answers to questions you didn't even know you had yet! Hope your claim processes smoothly and you're back on your feet soon! 🤞

0 coins

Fernanda Marquez

•4M

Thanks Michael! That's really good advice about checking the monetary determination letter carefully. I'll definitely keep an eye out for that and make sure all my employers are listed correctly. I've already started browsing through some of the older posts here and you're absolutely right - there's so much useful information! I found a few threads about weekly certification questions that I bookmarked for later reference. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to help a newcomer understand this whole process. This community seems like such a valuable resource for people going through unemployment. Thanks again! 😊

0 coins

GalacticGuardian

•4M

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum and congrats on finding this community - it really is a lifesaver when navigating PA UC! I see you've gotten some great answers already, but I wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful: when you're calculating what your weekly benefit might be, PA uses your highest earning quarter from that base year (Oct 2023-Sep 2024) and divides it by 26. So if your best quarter had $13,000 in earnings, your weekly benefit would be around $500 (before any deductions). Since you mentioned having more overtime in early 2024, there's a good chance one of those quarters (Jan-Mar 2024) will be your highest, which should work in your favor! Also, totally agree with what others said about keeping detailed job search records from day one. I use a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, company, position, how I applied, and any follow-up. Makes the weekly certifications much easier when you have everything organized. Good luck with your claim! 🍀

0 coins

CosmicCruiser

•4M

Thanks so much for the calculation breakdown! That's really helpful to understand how they actually arrive at the weekly benefit amount. I was wondering about that formula. My best quarter was definitely Q1 2024 with all that overtime, so hopefully that works out well for me. The spreadsheet idea for job search tracking is brilliant - I'm definitely going to set that up this weekend before I start applying places. Much better than trying to remember everything when I'm filling out the weekly certifications. I'm feeling so much more confident about this whole process after all the advice from everyone here. Really grateful to have found this community! 🙏

0 coins

Natasha Volkova

•3M

Hey Liam! Welcome to the PA UC community! 🙌 I went through this exact same situation last year when I got laid off from my manufacturing job. Filed in January 2024 and was so confused about the base year calculation - you're definitely not alone in finding this process overwhelming! Everyone here has given you spot-on advice about the base year being Oct 2023-Sep 2024 for your January 2025 filing. That overtime from early 2024 will definitely help boost your weekly benefit amount. One small tip I haven't seen mentioned yet: when you get your first payment (if everything goes smoothly, usually 2-3 weeks after filing), PA will send you a debit card for future payments. Don't throw it away thinking it's junk mail like I almost did! 😅 Also, you can set up direct deposit instead if you prefer - just log into your UC account and look for the payment options. The learning curve is steep at first, but you'll get the hang of the weekly certifications pretty quickly. This forum was a huge help for me throughout my claim period. Everyone here really looks out for each other! Best of luck with your claim process! 🤞

0 coins

Zara Ahmed

•3M

Thanks Natasha! That's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same thing. I definitely would have been confused about getting a random debit card in the mail, so thanks for the heads up about that! Good to know about the direct deposit option too - I'll probably set that up since I'm more comfortable with that than carrying around a benefits card. It's amazing how much less stressful this whole process feels after getting all this advice from everyone here. When I first started researching this stuff online, I was getting so many conflicting answers that I wasn't sure what to believe. Having real people who've actually been through it share their experiences makes such a huge difference. Really appreciate you taking the time to welcome me and share your experience! This community is fantastic. 😊

0 coins

Grace Thomas

•3M

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum! 👋 I just wanted to chime in since I see you've gotten tons of great advice already. I filed my claim in February 2024 after getting laid off from a similar warehouse position, so I totally understand the confusion about base years and all the conflicting information online. Just to reinforce what others have said - yes, for your January 2025 filing, PA will use October 2023 through September 2024 as your base year. That overtime from early 2024 will definitely count in your favor! One thing I learned the hard way that I don't think anyone mentioned yet: make sure you respond to ANY correspondence from PA UC immediately, even if it seems like just an informational notice. I almost missed responding to a fact-finding questionnaire because I thought it was just a general update, and it nearly delayed my benefits by weeks. Also, bookmark this forum! I probably visited here daily during my first month of unemployment just to make sure I wasn't missing anything important. The community here really knows their stuff and has saved me from several potential issues. Good luck with your claim - sounds like you're off to a great start by asking the right questions early! 🍀

0 coins

Andrew Pinnock

•3M

Thanks Grace! That's such an important tip about responding to ALL correspondence immediately - I definitely would have made that same mistake of thinking some notices were just informational. I'll make sure to treat anything from PA UC as urgent and respond right away. I've already bookmarked this forum and can totally see myself checking it regularly like you did! There's so much practical knowledge here that you just can't find in the official PA UC documentation. It's reassuring to know other people have navigated this successfully and are willing to share their experiences. Really appreciate you sharing that warning about the fact-finding questionnaire - that could have been a costly mistake to make. Thanks for looking out for newcomers like me! This community is incredible. 🙏

0 coins

Christian Bierman

•3M

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of PA unemployment bureaucracy! 😅 Just wanted to add my voice to confirm what everyone else has said - for your January 2025 filing, you'll be using October 2023 through September 2024 as your base year. So yes, all that sweet overtime from early 2024 will definitely count toward your weekly benefit calculation! I filed my claim in November after my retail job eliminated my position, and I was just as confused as you about the whole base year thing. This forum was a lifesaver for understanding the process. One quick tip I haven't seen mentioned: when you're doing your weekly certifications, they'll ask if you worked or earned any money that week. Make sure you report EVERYTHING, even small odd jobs or gig work. It's better to be completely transparent than risk an overpayment investigation later. Also, don't stress too much about the weekly work search requirement right away - you have a one-week waiting period anyway, so use that first week to get organized and set up your job search tracking system like others suggested. The process is definitely more complicated than it needs to be, but once you get into the rhythm of weekly certifications, it becomes pretty routine. This community has your back if you run into any issues! Best of luck with your claim! 🤞

0 coins

Connor Gallagher

•2M

Thanks Christian! Really appreciate the confirmation about the base year - it's so helpful to hear from multiple people who've been through this process recently. That tip about reporting ALL income during weekly certifications is super important - I definitely don't want to deal with overpayment issues down the road. Good point about using that first waiting week to get organized! I'll spend that time setting up my job search spreadsheet and getting familiar with the weekly certification process so I'm ready to hit the ground running. It's honestly such a relief to find this community. When I first started researching PA UC online, I was getting overwhelmed by all the confusing and sometimes contradictory information. Having real people share their actual experiences makes this whole process feel so much more manageable. Thanks for the warm welcome and practical advice! Looking forward to being part of this supportive community. 😊

0 coins

Emily Nguyen-Smith

•2M

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum! 🙋‍♀️ I can see you've already gotten some fantastic advice from everyone here - this community really is amazing for navigating PA UC! Just wanted to add one more tip that saved me a lot of headaches when I filed my claim last year. Since you mentioned you worked at your warehouse job for 3 years, make sure when you're filling out your work history that you include ALL employers during your base year period (Oct 2023-Sep 2024), even if you only worked there briefly or as a second job. Sometimes people forget about short-term employment or side gigs, but those wages can add up and help boost your weekly benefit amount. Also, if you have any W-2s or pay stubs from that base year period, keep them handy! PA UC usually gets wage info automatically from employers, but sometimes there are delays or missing data, especially for smaller companies. Having your own records can speed up the process if they need verification. The fact that you're asking these questions upfront shows you're approaching this the right way. So many people just wing it and end up with issues later. You're going to do great! Good luck with your claim! 🍀

0 coins

Dmitry Sokolov

•2M

Thanks Emily! That's really helpful advice about including ALL employers during the base year period. I actually did have a brief part-time gig helping with inventory at another warehouse during the holidays in 2023, so I'll make sure to include that when I'm filling out my work history. Every little bit of wages helps with the benefit calculation! I definitely have all my W-2s and pay stubs organized and ready to go. After reading all the advice here about potential delays or missing data, I want to be prepared with documentation if they need it. You're absolutely right that asking questions upfront is so much better than trying to figure things out after problems arise. This community has been incredible for helping me understand what to expect and how to avoid common pitfalls. Really appreciate you taking the time to share that tip! It's exactly the kind of practical advice that could make a real difference in my claim. Thanks for the warm welcome! 😊

0 coins

Dmitry Ivanov

•2M

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum! 👋 I can see you've gotten some excellent advice already from everyone here - this community really is a goldmine for navigating PA UC! Just wanted to add one more perspective since I recently went through this exact situation. Filed my claim in late January 2025 after getting laid off from a logistics company, and yes, they used October 2023 through September 2024 as my base year. The good news is that your overtime from early 2024 will definitely be included in that calculation! One thing I learned that might help you: when you get your monetary determination, pay close attention to which quarter they list as your "high quarter" - that's what they'll base your weekly benefit amount on. Since you mentioned having a lot of overtime in early 2024, there's a good chance Q1 2024 will be your high quarter, which should work out well for you. Also, totally agree with everyone about keeping detailed job search records from day one. I use a simple Google Sheet with columns for date, company, position, method of contact, and any follow-up needed. Makes the weekly certifications so much easier when you have everything organized. The whole process definitely has a learning curve, but you're asking all the right questions upfront. That's going to save you a lot of potential headaches down the road. This forum will be here if you need any help along the way! Best of luck with your claim! 🤞

0 coins

Ravi Gupta

•28d

Thanks Dmitry! That's really helpful to hear from someone who just filed recently in the same timeframe. It's reassuring to get confirmation that they're consistently using that Oct 2023-Sep 2024 base year for January 2025 filers. Great tip about paying attention to the "high quarter" on the monetary determination - I'll definitely watch for that. Since I had so much overtime in Q1 2024, I'm hoping that will end up being my high quarter like you suggested. The Google Sheet idea for job search tracking is perfect! I like that you included a column for follow-up needed - that's something I wouldn't have thought of but will definitely be useful for staying organized with my applications. I'm feeling so much more confident about this whole process after all the advice from everyone here. It's amazing how much practical knowledge this community has that you just can't find in the official PA UC materials. Really appreciate you sharing your recent experience and tips! Thanks for the encouragement and warm welcome! 😊

0 coins

Zara Shah

•21d

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum! 👋 Just wanted to add another voice confirming what everyone has said about your base year - for your January 2025 filing, PA will definitely use October 2023 through September 2024. So all that overtime you earned in early 2024 is going to count toward your weekly benefit calculation, which is great news! I filed my claim back in March 2024 after my manufacturing plant closed, and I remember being just as confused about the base year calculation as you are now. This forum was absolutely invaluable for understanding the process and avoiding common mistakes. One thing I wanted to mention that I don't think anyone has covered yet: if you have any union dues or other payroll deductions that were taken from your gross pay during your base year, make sure those are still included in your total wage calculation. PA UC uses your gross wages (before deductions) for benefit calculations, so don't worry if your take-home pay was less due to deductions. Also, since you're new to the forum, I'd recommend using the search function to look up topics like "weekly certification tips" or "work search requirements" - there are some really detailed posts from experienced members that can help you avoid common pitfalls. The whole unemployment process can feel overwhelming at first, but you're doing exactly the right thing by asking questions and getting informed upfront. This community has your back if you run into any issues along the way! Good luck with your claim! 🍀

0 coins

Miguel Silva

•14d

Thanks Zara! That's a really important point about gross wages vs. take-home pay that I wouldn't have thought of. I do have union dues and some other deductions taken out, so it's good to know they'll use the gross amount for calculating my benefits. I've already started exploring the search function here and you're absolutely right - there's so much detailed information in the older posts! I found some great threads about work search strategies and weekly certification common mistakes that I've bookmarked for reference. It's honestly incredible how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. When I first started researching PA UC online, I was getting so much conflicting information that I felt more confused than when I started. But everyone here has been so helpful in breaking down the process and sharing real-world experience. Thanks for the warm welcome and practical advice! I'm feeling much more prepared to navigate this process successfully. 😊

0 coins

Olivia Kay

•7d

Hey Liam! Welcome to the forum! 🙌 I can see you've gotten some absolutely fantastic advice from everyone here - this community really is incredible for navigating the PA UC maze! Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me tremendously when I filed my claim. Since you mentioned being confused by all the different information online, I'd highly recommend bookmarking the official PA UC handbook (you can find it on the PA.gov website). While this forum is amazing for real-world advice and experiences, having the official reference handy can be helpful when you want to double-check specific rules or requirements. Also, one small thing that caught me off guard: when you start receiving benefits, PA will withhold federal taxes if you request it (which I'd recommend), but they DON'T automatically withhold state taxes. You might want to set aside about 3-4% of each payment for PA state taxes to avoid a surprise at tax time. You're definitely approaching this the right way by asking questions upfront and getting organized. With all the great advice you've received here, plus your proactive approach, I'm confident your claim will go smoothly! This community will be here if you need any help along the way. Good luck! 🍀

0 coins

Savannah Vin

•8h

Thanks Olivia! That's such a practical tip about the PA state taxes - I definitely wouldn't have thought about that and could see myself getting caught off guard at tax time. I'll make sure to set aside some money from each payment for state taxes. The PA UC handbook tip is great too! You're absolutely right that having the official reference alongside all the real-world advice from this forum gives me the complete picture. I'll definitely bookmark that. I'm honestly blown away by how helpful everyone has been in this thread. When I first posted, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed by the whole process, but now I feel like I have a solid roadmap for navigating my claim successfully. This community is such an amazing resource! Thanks for taking the time to share those tips and for the encouragement. It's really reassuring to know this supportive community will be here if I run into any issues down the road! 😊

0 coins