ESD claim timing mistake - waiting for April 1st would've increased my WBA significantly
I think I really messed up with my unemployment claim timing and could use some advice. I just submitted my UI claim but realized it fell in a quarter that significantly reduced my weekly benefit amount. If I had waited until April 1st (just a few days from now), my base year would include a much better earning quarter and I'd get a substantially higher weekly benefit amount. I haven't filed any weekly claims yet or received any payments. Is it possible to cancel this application and reapply after April 1st? Or am I stuck with the lower amount now? I've tried calling ESD multiple times but can't get through to anyone (feels like 2020 all over again). I also sent a message through eServices about a week ago but haven't heard anything back. Should I just withdraw and reapply, or is there another process? Has anyone dealt with this situation before?
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Chloe Taylor
Yes, you can actually cancel your claim! Log into eServices, go to your claim summary, and look for the option to withdraw your claim. It should be near the bottom of the page. Since you haven't been paid yet, this is totally doable. Then just wait until April 1st to file a new claim to get the better base year. The system will automatically calculate using your highest earning quarters.
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Omar Zaki
•Thank you! I can't believe it might be that simple. I was looking everywhere in eServices but missed that option somehow. I'll check again right now.
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Diego Flores
i did this exact same thing last year lol. waited like 3 extra days to file and got almost $200 more per week because of a good quarter that kicked in. just withdraw and refile, its easy
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Omar Zaki
•That's exactly what I'm hoping for! Did you have any issues with the withdrawal process? How long did it take for them to process it?
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Diego Flores
•was super easy, like 2 clicks. the withdraw went thru right away and i filed new claim same day it was april. no problems at all
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Anastasia Ivanova
Just be careful about this. When you withdraw a claim, the system sometimes shows an error message but it actually DOES process the withdrawal. Then people think it didn't work and try to withdraw multiple times or call in. Just withdraw once, then wait 24 hours and check if your claim status changed before taking any other actions. Trust me, I've seen this confuse a lot of people at WorkSource where I volunteer.
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Omar Zaki
•This is super helpful. I would've definitely panicked if I saw an error message! I'll make sure to give it 24 hours after trying the withdrawal.
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Sean Murphy
WHY DOES ESD MAKE EVERYTHING SO COMPLICATED??!! I had the EXACT opposite problem in January - they told me to wait until the new quarter but then I found out I would've gotten MORE with the old quarter but by then it was TOO LATE!!! The whole system is designed to confuse people and pay out as little as possible!!!!
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StarStrider
•While I understand your frustration, the quarter system is actually mandated by federal UI law, not just an ESD choice. Every state has to use base year calculations. But you're right that it can be confusing and the timing can sometimes work against claimants, which is why understanding how the calculations work is so important.
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Zara Malik
If you're having trouble getting through to ESD (which is basically impossible these days), you might want to try Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with some urgency and couldn't get through on the phone for days. Claimyr got me connected to an actual ESD agent in about 25 minutes. I was shocked it actually worked. They have a demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out.
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Omar Zaki
•Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to try the withdrawal option first, but if that doesn't work or I run into issues, I'll definitely look into Claimyr. Having spent hours listening to hold music, anything that helps reach an actual person would be worth it.
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Chloe Taylor
One more thing I should mention - after you withdraw and before you file the new claim on April 1st, gather all your wage information for the new quarter that will be included. Having accurate income records ready will make the new application go much smoother and reduce the chance of delays or discrepancies with employer-reported wages.
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Omar Zaki
•Good thinking! I've got all my paystubs organized by quarter, so I should be good to go. Fingers crossed this works out - the difference in weekly benefits is pretty substantial for me.
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Luca Marino
hi i have a kind of similar question... so if u withdraw a claim does that count against u for like the year limit of how many claims u can have? or is it like it never happened??
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Withdrawn claims that never paid benefits don't count against your benefit year or maximum benefit amount. It's essentially like you never filed. You get a fresh start with the new claim. Hope that helps!
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Diego Flores
can u let us know what happens after u refile? im curios how much more ul get with the new quarter
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Omar Zaki
•Will do! Based on my calculations, I should get about $175 more per week with the April 1st filing date. I'll update once I go through the process.
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StarStrider
Just to clarify some technical details on this topic: When you withdraw an unemployment claim that hasn't paid benefits, it's completely removed from the system with no negative impacts. The quarters used for your base year calculation are the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before application. So filing on April 1, 2025 would use quarters: Jan-Mar 2024, Apr-Jun 2024, Jul-Sep 2024, and Oct-Dec 2024. Filing before April 1 would exclude the Oct-Dec 2024 quarter and instead use Oct-Dec 2023. If your earnings were higher in late 2024, waiting until April would definitely be beneficial.
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Omar Zaki
•This is exactly the situation I'm in. My Oct-Dec 2024 quarter had much higher earnings than Oct-Dec 2023, so waiting until April 1st makes a big difference. Thanks for explaining it so clearly!
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Luca Marino
•omg i never understood how the quarters worked until now!! thank u for explaining it so good!
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