Can I collect Washington ESD unemployment if I get severance pay?

So they'll reduce my weekly benefit by the severance amount? That kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it?

Not necessarily. If your weekly benefit would be $400 and you get $1000 in severance that week, you'd get $0 in UI. But if you get $300 in severance, you'd still get $100 in UI benefits.

Did you have to provide documentation about the severance to Washington ESD?

Yes, I had to send them a copy of my severance agreement. They wanted to see the payment schedule and total amount.

It's being paid as a lump sum when I leave. So that shouldn't delay my benefits starting?

Correct! Lump sum severance generally doesn't delay your benefit start date in Washington state.

It's being paid bi-weekly like regular paychecks for 8 weeks. Does that mean I have to wait 8 weeks to start getting unemployment?

If it's structured as wages in lieu of notice, then yes, you'd likely need to wait until that period ends. But definitely check with Washington ESD directly to be sure.

So I can still file my initial claim right away even with the severance coming?

Yes, you should file your claim as soon as you're unemployed. Washington ESD will calculate how the severance affects your weekly payments, but filing early protects your claim date.

Thanks! It's going to be paid as a lump sum, so that sounds promising. Do I need to report it when I file my initial claim?

Definitely report it on your application. Washington ESD needs to know about all separation payments, but they'll determine how it affects your benefits based on the specifics.

How did you report it on the weekly claims? Was there a specific section for severance?

Yeah, when you do your weekly claim there's a section asking about any income received. You just put the severance amount there and they handle the calculations.

Did you have trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about this? I've been trying to call for weeks about my claim issues.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Is it legit? I'm worried about scams when it comes to unemployment stuff.

Yeah it's legitimate. They basically help you get through the phone queue to talk to actual Washington ESD agents. I used it when I had adjudication issues and it saved me hours of calling.

HR departments often give incorrect information about unemployment. You should file as soon as you're laid off, even with severance. Washington ESD will determine how it affects your benefits.

Ugh, I've been waiting 3 weeks already based on what HR said. I'm definitely filing tomorrow.

Is this legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly.

I thought the same thing but I was desperate. It's real - they just handle the calling part so you don't have to sit on hold forever. Still talk to the actual Washington ESD agent yourself.

I've heard of Claimyr from other people on here. Seems like a reasonable solution for getting through to Washington ESD when you have urgent questions.

Good point. I definitely don't want to deal with overpayment problems later.

Exactly. Always report everything to Washington ESD. They have access to wage records and will catch unreported income eventually.

That's reassuring! Did you have any trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about it?

Yeah, calling Washington ESD was a nightmare. Kept getting busy signals or hung up on after waiting forever.

I had the same calling issues until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents without all the waiting and busy signals. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

So I should file now even though I won't get paid for 8 weeks? That seems weird but I guess it makes sense for the timing.

Exactly! Filing now protects your benefit year and ensures you don't lose any potential weeks later. Plus Washington ESD needs time to process your claim anyway.

Did reporting the severance reduce your weekly benefit amount at all?

No, it didn't reduce my weekly amount since it was a true severance and not wages. But every situation is different.

That's really reassuring to hear! Did you have any trouble getting through to Washington ESD to confirm this?

Oh man, trying to call Washington ESD was a nightmare. Took me forever to get through and then they kept transferring me around.

It's not that weird when you think about it. Severance is a one-time payment for past work, not ongoing employment. Washington ESD just wants to make sure you're not double-dipping during the same weeks.

ok that makes more sense i guess

Vacation payout is usually treated differently than severance. It's considered wages for time already worked, so it might not affect your unemployment benefits the same way.

ok good to know. this is all so confusing

With a lump sum, Washington ESD typically divides it by your weekly benefit amount to determine how many weeks it covers. So if your weekly benefit is $400, that $12k would cover 30 weeks.

So I'd have to wait 30 weeks before I could collect unemployment? That seems really harsh.

Not necessarily 30 weeks. They might prorate it differently. You really need to talk to Washington ESD directly about lump sum severance calculations.

Severance is different from regular wages. Washington state unemployment law treats lump sum severance payments separately from ongoing income.

Okay but what if the company calls it 'continuation of pay' instead of severance? Does that make a difference?

Never heard of that before, is it legit? Seems too good to be true.

Yeah it's real, they basically handle the waiting and calling for you so you don't have to sit on hold forever. Really helped when I needed to talk to someone about my specific situation.

This is so confusing! What counts as 'wages' vs 'severance' exactly? My company is giving me pay for unused vacation days too.

Vacation pay is usually treated as wages, not severance. So that might delay your benefits depending on how much it is.

Right?? I've been going in circles on their site. Did you ever get a clear answer?

Eventually but I had to call like 20 times before getting through to someone who knew what they were talking about

So if my severance is paid as a lump sum, does Washington ESD spread it out over multiple weeks?

Usually they'll ask you to report when you actually receive the severance payment, not spread it out. So if you get $8,000 in one week, that's when it counts against your benefits.

That seems unfair though. Why should a lump sum severance wipe out multiple weeks of benefits?

If it's structured as periodic payments rather than a lump sum, Washington ESD will typically deduct it from your weekly benefits as you receive each payment. Much easier to manage that way.

That's a relief. I was worried they'd count the whole amount upfront.

Vacation payout is usually treated differently. Washington ESD often considers unused vacation pay as wages for work already performed, so it might be allocated to the period before your unemployment started.

Interesting, so it might not affect my weekly claims at all then?

Potentially, but you should definitely report it and let Washington ESD make the determination. Better to be transparent than risk an overpayment issue later.

Yeah, it's definitely confusing. I just want to make sure I do everything right.

How much does Claimyr cost? I'm trying to save money while I'm unemployed.

It's definitely worth it if you need to get through to Washington ESD quickly. The peace of mind alone was worth it for me when I had severance questions.

Good idea. I should call HR and ask about the payment structure.

Definitely. Sometimes they can adjust the payment schedule to minimize the impact on your unemployment benefits.

Ugh, I've been trying to call for two days and keep getting the busy signal or getting disconnected after waiting on hold for an hour.

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. I used it when I had adjudication issues and it actually worked. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works.

I get the frustration, but there are guidelines. The issue is that every severance situation is unique so they need to evaluate case by case.

Well their phone system is useless so how are we supposed to get these case-by-case evaluations?

Wait, you still had to do job searches while getting severance? That seems like a waste of time.

yeah its stupid but thats what they told me. had to log job searches on worksourcewa even though i wasnt getting paid yet

Actually, you don't have to do job searches during the severance postponement period. The person above might have been given incorrect information. You only need to start job search activities once your UI benefits actually begin.

That's exactly what I'm worried about. How did you finally get it resolved?

Had to appeal their overpayment decision and provide documentation showing exactly when I received the severance. Took forever but they eventually fixed it.

Good advice. Should I get something in writing from my employer about the severance details?

Absolutely. Get the severance agreement and any documentation showing payment dates and amounts. Makes everything much smoother if questions come up later.

Good point. My last day is February 15th and the severance gets paid out then. Should I wait until the 16th to file?

That would be safest. File on or after your actual separation date to avoid any complications.

Never heard of this service. Is it legit? Seems too easy.

Yeah it's real. They basically handle the calling process for you so you don't have to deal with busy signals and waiting on hold forever.

I know right? The whole unemployment system is needlessly complicated.