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

Thanks! Do I report the full severance amount when I first file my claim or just week by week as I receive it?

Report it weekly based on when you actually receive the payments. If you got a lump sum, you'll need to prorate it across the weeks it's meant to cover.

How long was your delay? My severance is pretty substantial so I'm worried it might push back my benefits for months.

Mine delayed benefits for about 6 weeks. The formula they use is based on your weekly benefit amount compared to the severance payments.

How much does something like that cost? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks with no luck.

It's worth it if you need to talk to someone quickly. Way better than the frustration of never getting through on your own.

I might need to try that. I've called Washington ESD probably 20 times and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting forever.

Yeah that section of their website is horrible. I read it three times and still didn't understand what it meant for my situation.

The key thing to remember is that you still need to file your weekly claims even if you think you won't get paid. Otherwise you lose those weeks completely.

That makes sense but seems harsh. So I'm basically getting punished for my employer being decent enough to give severance?

I know it feels unfair, but the logic is that you're not truly unemployed if you're still receiving income from your former employer. The good news is you can still file now and get your claim established.

No, you can still get unemployment. The severance just affects the timing of when benefits start or how much you receive each week.

ok good cause I was about to panic. my severance runs out in a few weeks and I still haven't found anything

That makes sense. My severance is definitely more than what my weekly benefit would be, so I guess I'll have to wait until it runs out.

Exactly, but make sure you still file your initial claim right away. You want to establish your claim date even if benefits are delayed.

This is really helpful info. I wish Washington ESD explained it this clearly on their website.

Vacation payout is usually treated differently. It's typically allocated to the period right after your last day of work, while severance is spread over a longer period.

Thanks! This is all so complicated. I wish there was an easier way to get answers from Washington ESD directly.

How do I report it exactly? Do I divide the total by 8 weeks or report it all at once?

Report it for the weeks it's intended to cover. So if it's 8 weeks worth, divide by 8 and report that amount each week.

Oh no! How much did they want back? That sounds terrifying.

Like $2800 plus penalties. I'm still paying it off. Just don't try to hide anything from them, they will find out eventually.

This is exactly why I'm being super careful about reporting everything correctly. The consequences sound awful.

Did they walk you through the calculation or just tell you the result?

They explained the whole process and helped me understand exactly how Washington ESD would handle my specific severance package. Made filing my weekly claims much less stressful.

Never heard of Claimyr but that sounds way better than sitting on hold forever. Did they charge you a lot?

They don't publish pricing but it was worth it to actually talk to someone who could explain the severance rules properly. Way less stressful than guessing.

This sounds like an ad. Can't you just call Washington ESD directly?

You can try but good luck getting through. I wasted days trying the regular way before finding this option.

Every state has different rules. In Washington, severance is considered deductible income that affects your weekly benefit amount.

That's confusing. Why can't they just make it simple?

Good point! I'll make sure to keep copies of everything my company sent me.

Yes! And take screenshots of your online account too. Sometimes the system glitches and you lose access to older information.

Monthly payments can sometimes work better with the Washington ESD system since you're reporting actual income received each week rather than prorating a lump sum.

That's what I was hoping! Fingers crossed it makes the process smoother.

That depends on your severance agreement with your former employer. Some companies have clauses about repayment if you find work early, but that's separate from your unemployment benefits.

I'll have to check my paperwork. This stuff is so complicated!

So if my weekly benefit would be $400 and my severance works out to $600 per week, I get nothing?

Exactly. And if the severance was $300 per week, you'd get $100 in UI benefits ($400-$300=$100).

The job search thing is real though. You still have to do 3 job search activities per week even if you're not getting paid yet because of severance.

Which is completely stupid if you ask me.

Good point. Should I upload documents when I file or wait until they ask?

File first, then upload when they request it. Don't delay your initial filing.

That's reassuring to hear a success story. Did you have any issues with adjudication or anything?

Nope, smooth process because I was upfront about everything from the start.

Oh great, another complication. My severance does include COBRA payments for 3 months.

You'll definitely want to ask about that when you file. It might not affect your claim but better to disclose everything upfront.

What do you mean by benefit year?

You get 26 weeks of benefits total within a 52-week period. That clock starts ticking when you establish your claim, not when you receive your first payment.

I got mine in a lump sum, so I guess they'll calculate how many weeks it's supposed to cover and spread it out that way?

Exactly. They'll look at your regular salary and figure out how many weeks the severance amount represents.

Good luck! Remember to keep filing your weekly claims even during the weeks when severance might reduce your benefits to zero.

Will do! I don't want to lose any weeks by not filing.

Lump sum severance gets divided by your normal weekly wage to determine how many weeks it covers. So if you got $8000 lump sum and normally made $1000/week, it covers 8 weeks.

That makes sense. Thanks for explaining it simply.

Definitely planning to be completely honest. Not worth the risk of getting in trouble.

Smart choice. I've seen people get hit with huge overpayment bills because they tried to game the system.

That's a really specific question. You'd probably need to talk to Washington ESD directly about that scenario.

Yeah, sounds like another reason to use that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier.

Perfect summary, thank you. I'll file my claim this weekend and report everything honestly.

Good luck! The whole process is stressful but you'll get through it.

I might have to try that. I've been calling for two weeks straight with no luck getting through to anyone.

Check out their demo video first - it shows exactly how the service works and what to expect.

I did get paid out for unused vacation too. Should I report that separately?

Yes, report all income from your former employer separately so they can determine how each type affects your benefits.

50 times?! That's exactly why services like Claimyr exist. Sometimes you need to pay a little to save your sanity.

Yep, learned that lesson the hard way.

Agreed! Real people sharing real experiences is so much better than trying to decode government websites.

That's what this community is for. We've all been through the unemployment maze at some point.