Can you apply for unemployment if you get a severance package in Washington?

Do I report it as wages or something else when filing? I don't want to mess up the application.

Report it exactly as severance pay, not regular wages. Washington ESD has specific fields for this on the application. Be completely honest about the amount and timeline.

Six weeks?? That's longer than I expected. How did they calculate that exactly?

They divided my severance amount by my average weekly wage from the base period. So if you made $800/week and got $8000 severance, you'd wait 10 weeks.

Wait that doesn't sound right to me... I thought it was based on your benefit amount not your previous wage?

20 weeks sounds devastating. Is there any way around this or exceptions?

Unfortunately no exceptions for regular severance. The only workaround some people use is services like Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to Washington ESD agents quickly to make sure their severance is calculated correctly. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Tell me about it! The phone system is impossible. I finally got through after like 200 calls.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. Got through to an actual Washington ESD agent in like 15 minutes. Saved me so much stress.

Is that legit? I'm desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.

Mine is a lump sum payment. Does that make it worse?

Lump sum is actually more straightforward - they'll calculate the total delay period upfront rather than deducting week by week.

4 months is terrifying. Did you have any issues when benefits finally started?

nah once they started it was fine, just took forever to get thru the waiting period

Really? I was thinking about waiting until my severance period ended before filing.

Big mistake! File right away. Washington ESD will handle the severance calculation, but your benefit year starts from when you file, not when payments begin.

This is correct. I made the mistake of waiting and it screwed up my benefit year timing.

Vacation pay is usually treated differently than severance - it might be considered wages for the period it represents rather than deductible income. Check with Washington ESD directly.

I had both vacation payout and severance. The vacation pay didn't delay my benefits but the severance did.

I feel you on this. It's like being penalized for the company trying to do right by you.

The policy exists to prevent people from double-dipping benefits and severance at the same time. I get it but it still sucks when you're living through it.

How much did that cost? I'm already stressed about money.

It was worth it for me to get accurate information instead of stressing for weeks. Check out their site at claimyr.com - they explain the process pretty clearly.

Good point, my company is covering COBRA for 3 months. That won't count against me?

Nope, COBRA coverage is not income and doesn't affect your claim.

The non-compete doesn't change how Washington ESD treats the severance pay itself, but it might affect your job search requirements during the benefit period.

Yeah I had this situation. You still have to do job searches but they understand if you can't apply to certain companies due to the non-compete.

Thanks everyone. This has been really helpful. I'll file right after my last day and just plan for the waiting period.

Smart move. Better to know what you're dealing with upfront than be surprised later.

Mine is definitely lump sum, all at once on my last day.

True, I'm grateful for the severance even if it complicates things. Thanks for all the advice everyone!