Can I get unemployment benefits if I received severance pay in Washington?

You can absolutely file for unemployment even with severance pay! Washington ESD treats severance differently than regular wages. The key is HOW the severance is paid out. If it's a lump sum, it typically won't delay your benefits. If it's paid out over time like regular paychecks, that's when it might affect your weekly benefit amount.

I got severance last year and had no issues getting UI benefits. The important thing is to be honest about everything when you file. Washington ESD will figure out how it affects your claim during the adjudication process.

Just went through this exact situation! I couldn't get through to Washington ESD on the phone for weeks to ask about my severance. Finally found claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual agent in like 20 minutes. The agent explained everything about how severance works with UI benefits. Totally worth it if you need to talk to someone quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The timing of your severance matters too. If you received it before your last day of work, it might be considered wages and could delay your benefits. If you got it after your employment ended, it's typically treated as severance and won't affect your weekly claim.

ugh the whole severance thing is so confusing!! I'm dealing with this right now too and can't figure out what to put on my weekly claims. Do I report the severance every week or just once?

I had a similar situation but my severance was paid out over 6 months like regular paychecks. That DID affect my unemployment because Washington ESD counted it as ongoing wages. You're lucky yours was a lump sum!

File ASAP even with the severance! There's a waiting period anyway and you want to get the process started. The worst thing that happens is they adjust your benefits if needed, but you won't lose anything by filing early.

Washington ESD has gotten better about severance issues lately. Used to be they'd hold up claims for weeks trying to figure out how to handle it. Now they usually process them pretty quickly as long as you're upfront about everything.

just remember to keep looking for work even with the severance money! The job search requirements don't change just because you got severance. You still need to log your work search activities.

I'm dealing with something similar but my company is calling it a 'retention bonus' instead of severance even though I was laid off. Anyone know if that matters for unemployment purposes?

The Washington ESD handbook says severance payments 'generally do not affect eligibility for unemployment benefits' but they might affect the timing of when benefits start. It's all about whether it's considered deferred compensation or not.

Washington ESD is SO much better than other states with this stuff. My friend in California had to wait 3 months because of severance issues. Here they just ask a few questions and move on.

Pro tip: if your severance came with a non-compete agreement, that might affect your job search requirements. Make sure to mention that to Washington ESD if it limits what jobs you can apply for.

I used Claimyr when I had questions about my severance and vacation payout. Really helped to talk to an actual person instead of trying to figure it out from the website. The agent walked me through exactly what to report and what not to worry about.

Filed my claim with severance last month and got approved within a week. The key is being completely honest about everything. Don't try to hide the severance or downplay it - just report it accurately and let Washington ESD sort it out.

One thing to watch out for - if you're getting COBRA or health insurance continuation through your severance package, make sure you understand how that affects your benefits. It usually doesn't matter for UI but it's good to know.

update us on how it goes! I'm sure there are other people in similar situations who would benefit from hearing about your experience with Washington ESD and severance.

Just wanted to add that vacation payout is treated the same as severance usually. If you got both, report both but don't stress about it. Washington ESD handles this stuff all the time.

Last thought - if you end up needing to talk to Washington ESD about your severance and can't get through on the phone, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier actually works. I was skeptical at first but they got me through to an agent when I'd been trying for days on my own.