ESD not counting my highest earning quarter - can I request alternate base year to increase my weekly benefit?

same thing happend to me! the system is rigged i swear. they always find ways to pay u less $$$

So you couldn't change it either? Did you try calling them about it at all?

The alternate base year (ABY) is primarily designed for people who don't qualify under the standard base year, not for optimizing your weekly benefit amount. The standard base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file.\n\nThat said, you can certainly call ESD and ask if you can use ABY calculation instead. From my understanding, they generally won't allow it if you already qualify under the standard calculation, but it's worth asking. This is particularly true if there's a significant difference in your earnings.

That's what I was afraid of, but definitely still worth a call. I'm just dreading the whole \

if u just filed now in November, ur base year is July 2024-June 2025, so yea ur right about missing that july raise. but i think u gotta qualify first for ABY, its not just to get more $$. maybe wait till January to file?? then ur high quarter would be in the regular base year

That's not accurate. The base year is the first 4 of the last 5 COMPLETED calendar quarters before filing. So if they filed in November 2025, the base year would be July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. The quarter we're currently in (Oct-Dec 2025) isn't counted because it's not complete, and the previous quarter (July-Sept 2025) is the

Have you tried reaching out to ESD directly? I know it's a pain but sometimes that's the only way to get a straight answer about your specific situation.

No, I was hoping to avoid the phone nightmare. Last year I spent days trying to get through before giving up. I'll try again though since it seems like the only option.

Just FYI, I used this service called Claimyr last time I needed to reach ESD. Got through to an agent in like 25 minutes instead of spending days calling. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nTotally worth it for me when I had an adjudication issue and needed answers quickly. They basically hold your place in line and call you when they have an agent.

I worked for ESD for three years, so I can provide some clarity here.\n\nThe alternate base year (ABY) is specifically designed for claimants who don't qualify for benefits under the standard base year calculation. It's not meant to be used as a way to maximize your benefit amount. That said, the law doesn't explicitly prohibit using ABY just to get a higher weekly benefit amount (WBA), but the system is set up to automatically use the standard base year if you qualify under it.\n\nYour best option is to call and speak with an agent about your specific situation. Be prepared with your quarterly earnings figures so you can clearly explain how using the ABY would affect your weekly benefit. In some cases, agents have discretion when there's a significant difference in earnings.\n\nAlso, double-check that your monetary determination is accurate. Sometimes employers don't report wages correctly, which could affect your benefit calculation.

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! That's really helpful. I do qualify under the standard base year, so sounds like ABY probably won't be an option. I'll definitely call to confirm and also double-check all my reported wages are accurate. Appreciate the insider perspective!

this system is DESIGNED to pay u as little as possible!! i had the same issue and they just kept saying rules are rules. good luck 🙄

Another option to consider if you're not having luck with changing the base year calculation: Did you have any weeks where you didn't work your full regular schedule during July-October? You might want to verify that your employer reported all your hours and wages correctly. Sometimes, a simple reporting error can affect your benefit calculation. You can request your wage verification from ESD to check that everything was reported accurately.\n\nAlso, remember that your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on your highest-earning quarters, not just your most recent ones. So if you had two really strong quarters before your raise, those might still be factoring more heavily into your calculation than the more recent ones would.

That's a really good point about checking wage verification. I worked consistent overtime in September and early October, so it's worth making sure all that was properly reported. Thanks for the suggestion!

my cousin works at WorkSource and she said sometimes u can file for a redetermination if there were wages missing or reported wrong. might be worth checking into that angle.

After thinking about this more, I realized there's one more thing to consider - if you waited until January to file, the Oct-Dec quarter would become part of your base year, but you'd lose the earliest quarter (which might be lower anyway). If your wages were significantly higher in October, that might actually help.\n\nHowever, this only makes sense if:\n1. You can financially manage without unemployment until January\n2. Your October wages were high enough to offset losing a quarter from the previous year\n3. You don't risk exceeding the earnings limit for any weeks you might try to claim in November/December\n\nJust something to consider as an alternative approach.

That's a really interesting strategy I hadn't considered. I'd lose January-March 2024 wages, which were decent but not great. And October 2025 was actually very strong with lots of overtime as we rushed to finish projects before winter. \n\nI have some savings I could stretch through December if needed. Definitely going to run the numbers on this option. Thanks for the creative thinking!