Collecting EDD benefits while receiving severance pay - confused about start date

You generally cannot collect unemployment while receiving severance in California. EDD considers severance as wages, so you'll need to report that income during certification. Your claim eligibility typically begins after your severance period ends. However, you should still file your claim now - select your last actual working day (April 15th) as your last date of employment, not when severance ends. When certifying, you'll report the severance income which will reduce or eliminate your weekly benefit until severance ends. This establishes your claim in the system though, which is important.

To add to what the previous person said, if your severance payments are less than your potential weekly benefit amount, you might qualify for partial benefits. For example, if your weekly benefit would be $450 but your weekly severance is $300, you could receive the difference of $150. Also, the key thing is whether your severance is paid as a lump sum or as continued wages. If it's a lump sum, the EDD treats it differently than if it's paid out like regular paychecks.

just fyi my company did somethign similar to me last year. filed right after my last day even tho i was gettin severance for 3 months. didnt get any $ until severance ended but at least my claim was in the system. dont wait to file!!

When I got laid off in 2024, EDD made a mess of my claim because of severance issues. They initially disqualified me completely saying I wasn't unemployed yet because of severance! Had to appeal and wait FOREVER. My advice - DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! Save your termination letter showing your last day worked vs. severance period. You'll need it if there's confusion.

I went through this exact situation last year! File your claim now using April 15th as your last day worked. When you certify, answer YES to the question about receiving other income and report your severance. You probably won't get benefits until your severance ends, but at least your claim will be established and ready to go. The most important thing is that you need to be truthful about your severance when certifying. If you don't report it, they'll eventually find out and you'll end up with an overpayment situation which is a nightmare to deal with.

I've had so much trouble getting through to EDD on the phone lately. I spent two weeks trying to reach someone about my severance situation back in March - kept getting "we're experiencing high call volume" messages. Finally used a service called Claimyr that got me through to an EDD rep in about 20 minutes. Totally worth it for peace of mind. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km and their site is claimyr.com if you end up needing to actually speak with someone at EDD.

One more thing to consider - make sure you're fulfilling the work search requirements even while on severance. Since you mentioned you've been job hunting, keep detailed records of all applications, interviews, networking, etc. You'll need to certify that you're looking for work, and EDD can audit those records later. Also, once you file, set up your UI Online account right away so you can manage everything electronically.

wait i thot severance and unemployment were totally different???? my friend got both at same time last year!!! why is everyone saying u cant???

After reading through all these comments, I think the consensus is pretty clear: 1. File now with April 15th as your last working day 2. Report your severance income when certifying 3. Keep detailed records of your job search 4. Expect to receive reduced or no benefits until severance ends 5. Make sure you have your termination letter and severance agreement ready in case there are questions This is exactly what worked for me when I was in your situation. The system is designed to handle this common scenario, but you need to be patient and thorough with your documentation.