Can I collect Washington ESD unemployment benefits if I receive severance pay?

You can still collect unemployment benefits while receiving severance pay in Washington, but it depends on how the severance is structured. If it's paid as a lump sum or as salary continuation, it might affect your weekly benefit amount differently. The key is whether Washington ESD considers it 'wages' for the period you're receiving it.

I went through this same thing last year. Had to report my severance on my weekly claims and it reduced my unemployment benefits during those weeks. Washington ESD has specific rules about how they calculate it - I think they divide your weekly severance amount by your weekly benefit amount or something like that.

Actually, I just went through this exact situation and found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD quickly. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and redialing.

The important thing is to be completely honest about your severance when you file your initial claim and on your weekly claims. Washington ESD will eventually find out anyway through employer reporting, and if you don't report it upfront you could face an overpayment situation later.

wait so if you get severance you can still get unemployment?? I thought it was one or the other

I'm dealing with something similar but my severance was a one-time lump sum of $15K. Washington ESD told me they have to spread that out over however many weeks it would have been regular salary to determine how it affects my benefits. So complicated!

This whole system is so confusing. Why can't Washington ESD just have clear guidelines posted somewhere instead of making everyone call in to figure it out?

Pro tip - when you do get through to Washington ESD, ask them to calculate it for you while you're on the phone. Don't just get a general answer. Give them your specific severance amount and payment schedule and have them walk through the calculation so you know exactly what to expect on your weekly claims.

Does anyone know if vacation payout affects unemployment benefits the same way as severance? I'm getting both when my job ends next month.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it really does work. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes instead of spending all day redialing. They were able to explain exactly how my severance would affect my benefits.

Make sure you keep all your severance paperwork too. Washington ESD might ask for documentation later, especially if there are any questions about the amount or timing of payments.

been there done that with severance and unemployment. the key thing is just being upfront about everything from the start. washington esd is pretty reasonable if youre honest with them but they dont like surprises

One more thing - if your severance includes health insurance continuation (COBRA), that doesn't count as income for unemployment purposes. Only the actual cash payments matter for benefit calculations.

Bottom line - you should definitely file for unemployment even with severance. Worst case scenario is your benefits get reduced for a few weeks, but you'll still be in the system and eligible for full benefits once the severance period ends.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much more confident about filing my claim now. Going to gather all my severance documents and file this week.