When to apply for DEO benefits after receiving severance pay? Laid off in RIF

Apply right now! Don't wait for your severance to run out. Florida DEO allows you to apply as soon as you're separated from your employer, even with severance. You'll need to report that income when you claim your weeks, and your benefits might be reduced or zero during that period depending on how much you're getting, but at least your claim will be in the system. The important thing is to get your claim established ASAP since there can be processing delays.

i went thru this last year. apply NOW but make sure u tell them bout the severance when u do ur weekly claims. they'll probably not pay u anything while ur getting severance but at least ur claim is active. the system is slow af so might as well get started

I'm going to disagree with everyone here! When I applied while still getting severance, the DEO system got totally confused and put my claim on hold for MONTHS. They kept sending me fact-finding questionnaires asking about my "employment" because they thought I was still working. It was a NIGHTMARE trying to explain to them that severance isn't the same as wages! I had to appeal and everything. Maybe they've fixed this by now but just be prepared for problems.

Here's what you need to know about severance and Florida unemployment: 1. Apply immediately - don't wait for severance to end 2. When you claim your weeks, there will be a specific question asking if you received severance pay 3. You need to report the gross amount (before taxes) of severance you received in each week 4. If your weekly severance exceeds the Florida benefit amount (currently max $375), you'll receive $0 for that week 5. BUT, those weeks still count towards your benefit year, and you'll still need to complete work search requirements Most importantly, getting your claim established now means once your severance ends, you're already in the system and can start receiving benefits without delay. The DEO system often takes 3-4 weeks to process initial claims, so you don't want to wait.

Wait... so your company is actually giving severance pay??? Mine just kicked us all out with zero notice and no severance. Florida employment laws are such garbage.

If you're struggling to reach someone at DEO to get specific advice about your severance situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with severance questions and spent days trying to get through on the regular line. Claimyr got me connected to a DEO agent in about 20 minutes. It costs a little money but saved me hours of frustration. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj

To answer your follow-up question - yes, you do still need to complete the 5 work search activities each week you claim, even during weeks when your severance reduces your benefit to $0. The only exception would be if you have a return-to-work date within 8 weeks (which it doesn't sound like you do). Many people miss this point and end up having to pay back benefits later. The DEO system will remind you about work search requirements, but sometimes people assume they don't need to do them during severance periods, which is incorrect.

Make SURE you keep detailed records of all your work searches!!! DEO randomly audits people and if you can't prove you did the searches, they'll make you pay everything back with penalties!!! Happened to my roommate last year and it was a complete disaster. Screenshot everything!!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I've gone ahead and applied today. The CONNECT system is definitely confusing but I made sure to indicate I'll be receiving severance. I'll make sure to report it properly when claiming weeks and keep up with those work searches. Fingers crossed the process goes smoothly once my severance ends!