Can you collect unemployment and severance pay at the same time in Washington?

It's definitely classified as severance pay, not vacation payout. They said it covers 8 weeks but paying it all at once. Does that mean Washington ESD will count it as income for 8 weeks?

Yes, exactly. Washington ESD will likely spread that lump sum over the 8 week period it's meant to cover. So if you got $8000 severance for 8 weeks, they'd count $1000 per week as income when calculating your weekly benefit.

That's helpful! What kind of documentation did they want for the severance?

They wanted a copy of my severance agreement that showed the dates it covered and the total amount. Pretty straightforward process once I submitted it through the SecureAccess Washington portal.

Did you have any trouble getting through to Washington ESD to explain your situation? I've been trying to call for weeks about my claim.

So if my severance is $8,500 over 3 months, that's about $708 per week. Will that completely eliminate my unemployment benefits?

Not necessarily eliminated, but it will likely reduce them significantly. Washington ESD has a formula where earnings over $5 reduce your benefits dollar for dollar.

Wait, what is Claimyr? Is it like a calling service?

Yeah, they basically handle the calling and waiting for you. You give them your info and they call Washington ESD until they get through, then connect you to the agent. Saved me hours of redialing busy signals.

How much does something like that cost? Seems too good to be true.

It's worth it when you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. I was getting nowhere with the automated system for my severance questions.

Good point about the waiting week. I forgot Washington still has that requirement.

Actually I think Washington eliminated the waiting week during COVID. Is it back now?

The waiting week is still eliminated in Washington as of 2025. But still better to file right away to establish your claim date.

Don't worry about that! Washington ESD deals with severance situations all the time. Just be honest about what you received and when. $1200 is a pretty small amount that won't impact your benefits much.

Should I call them to ask about it first or just file online?

File online first, then call if you have specific questions. The online system will walk you through reporting any severance income.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr. Their whole thing is dealing with Washington ESD's impossible phone system. I was in the same boat - calling dozens of times with no luck.

I'm getting desperate enough to try anything at this point. Thanks for the suggestion.

Try calling right at 8am when they open. Sometimes you can get through in the first few minutes.

Oh no! How much did you have to pay back? I want to make sure I do this right from the start.

About $2,800 plus penalties. It was a nightmare trying to get through to someone at Washington ESD to explain the situation.

Never heard of Claimyr before but anything that helps get through to Washington ESD sounds worth trying.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll check it out if I can't get through the normal way.

That's a really important distinction. Mine is definitely severance pay, not vacation time.

What about unused PTO that they pay out? Is that considered vacation time?

PTO payout is usually treated like vacation time - doesn't count as income for unemployment purposes. But check your pay stub to see how it's classified.

What if you get severance as a lump sum? Does that affect things differently?

With lump sum severance, Washington ESD typically allocates it over the period it's meant to cover, so it still affects your weekly benefits but the calculation is different.

What do you mean you lost out on benefits the first time?

Well, I thought I couldn't get any unemployment while getting severance, so I waited 8 weeks to file. Turns out I could have gotten partial benefits for some of those weeks since my severance amount was less than the full weekly benefit.

This is exactly what I'm worried about. The rules seem so complicated.

I know it's frustrating, but it's really important to report it correctly. The penalties for not reporting can be severe.

yeah i guess i better figure it out before i file my first claim

Good point! I should ask HR for a letter detailing the payment schedule.

Exactly. Having proper documentation makes the whole process much smoother with Washington ESD.

Union vs non-union doesn't matter for how Washington ESD treats severance. It's still about what the money is for and what period it covers.

Good to know, thanks. I'll file my claim this week then.

That's encouraging! Did you have any trouble with Washington ESD understanding the situation?

Not really, once I got through to someone who could explain how the calculations worked. That was the hard part though - getting through to an actual person.

Thanks for the tip! I couldn't find that information anywhere obvious on their site.

Totally agree. The website has like 50 different PDFs about different situations but none of them clearly answer basic questions.

At least we have forums like this to help each other figure it out. Better than the official Washington ESD help.

This is super helpful! So if my severance works out to $600/week over 8 weeks, and my UI benefit would be $500/week, I'd get $0 for those 8 weeks?

Exactly right. Your severance amount exceeds your weekly benefit, so you'd get $0 for those weeks. But you'd still want to file weekly claims to keep your claim active.

Wait, you still have to file weekly claims even if you're getting $0? That seems pointless.

Yes, definitely contact them ASAP. It's better to correct it yourself than have them find out later. They might adjust your past benefits but it's better than potential fraud accusations.

Ugh, I was afraid of that. Time to join the crowd trying to get through on their phone lines.

Seriously consider using Claimyr for this. When you need to explain a complex situation like unreported severance, you really need to talk to an actual human, not deal with the automated system.

How much does something like that cost? Seems like it might be worth it if it actually works.

It's really reasonable considering how much time and frustration it saves. Check out their site for current info.

That's encouraging! I'm going to file my claim today.

You're lucky you didn't have to call them. I've been trying for a month to get a simple question answered.

Good tip. I'll scan everything and keep digital copies too.

Always keep copies when dealing with any government agency. They lose stuff all the time.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'm filing my claim today and will report the severance when I receive it next week.

Good luck! Hope it goes smoothly for you.

Definitely not worth the risk! I'll make sure to report everything accurately.

Yeah, they cross-reference with employer wage reports so they'll find out eventually anyway.

Good to know! The weekly claim form can be pretty confusing about where different types of income go.

Right? They really could make the interface more user-friendly.

Keep me posted on how it goes! It sounds like we're in similar situations.

Will do! Hopefully the process goes smoothly for both of us.

Interesting point. My severance agreement says I'm terminated immediately but getting payments over 3 months. So I should be available for work right away.

That's a good situation for unemployment eligibility. Just make sure Washington ESD understands that distinction.

8 months? That's a long time. Hope things work out for you soon.

Thanks! It's been a journey but I'm finally getting some good job prospects.

I've tried that multiple times and still can't get through. The phone system is just overwhelmed.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. Saved me hours of redialing.

Mine is just straight severance pay, no vacation or bonuses included. Good point though for others reading this.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much more confident about filing my claim now.

Good luck with everything! Hope the process goes smoothly for you.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with severance from my marketing job. One thing I'm still unclear on - when exactly should I start filing weekly claims? Right away when I file the initial claim, or wait until after I receive the first severance payment?

You should start filing weekly claims immediately after you submit your initial unemployment application, even before you receive your first severance payment. Washington ESD requires you to file weekly claims to maintain your eligibility and keep your claim active. When you do receive the severance payments, just report them accurately on the weekly claim for the week you received them. Don't wait - the sooner you get your claim established, the better!