Can you collect unemployment if you receive severance from Washington ESD?

Thanks! So I should still file my initial claim right away even though I'm getting severance?

Absolutely file right away. There's a waiting period anyway, and you want to get your claim established. Just report the severance accurately when you file your weekly claims.

Did you have to keep filing weekly claims during the severance period even though you weren't getting paid?

Yes, you have to keep filing weekly claims and reporting the severance income. It's annoying but necessary to keep your claim active.

This is why I used Claimyr when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my severance questions. The service at claimyr.com got me connected to an actual agent who explained exactly how to report it. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Your friend is thinking of some other states or maybe older rules. In Washington, severance is just treated as deductible income, not a disqualifier.

Ok good to know. I was worried I'd have to wait until my severance completely ran out before even applying.

That makes sense. So basically I'm not losing out on benefits, just delaying when I receive them?

Exactly. Your benefit year still starts when you file, and you'll still be eligible for the same total amount of benefits.

One thing to watch out for though - make sure you're still doing your required job search activities even during the severance period. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week.

I get the frustration but they have to prevent people from double-dipping. Getting full severance AND full unemployment would be unfair to everyone else paying into the system.

i guess that makes sense when you put it that way

Good point! My severance letter should specify which weeks it covers, right?

It should, but if it doesn't, you'll need to ask your HR department for clarification. Washington ESD is very specific about this.

How long did it take for your claim to get approved?

About 2 weeks for approval, but again I didn't see any money until after my severance ended.

Yes, you still get your full entitlement period. The severance weeks count toward your benefit year but not toward your maximum benefit amount since you didn't receive payments those weeks.

Perfect, that's what I was hoping to hear.

Good thinking. I'll scan everything and keep copies.

Yeah, definitely keep records. I had to provide my severance agreement when they were processing my claim.

How much does something like that cost?

I'm not sure about exact pricing, but it was worth it for me to get my questions answered quickly instead of spending days trying to call.

I might look into that if I run into issues. The phone system is always so jammed.

Vacation payout is usually treated differently - it's often considered wages for past work periods rather than future coverage like severance. You'll want to clarify this with Washington ESD.

Thanks, I'll make sure to ask about both when I file my claim.

Tell me about it. Took me forever to understand the difference between adjudication and an appeal process.

exactly! and dont even get me started on trying to figure out the job search requirements

Absolutely agree. I'd rather wait a few extra weeks than deal with an overpayment situation later.

Smart thinking. I've seen people get hit with overpayment notices months later because they didn't report severance properly.

As long as you've been filing your weekly claims and meeting job search requirements, benefits should resume automatically once the severance period ends.

Great, that's one less thing to worry about.

You're welcome! Just remember to file as soon as possible and be accurate with your reporting. You'll be fine.

Good luck with your job search too! The market is pretty good right now in most industries.

Good point! I'll make sure to keep up with all the weekly requirements even during the severance weeks.

Yes, and don't forget about WorkSourceWA registration if you haven't done that already. It's required for maintaining your claim.

Your unemployment benefit amount is calculated solely based on your previous wages, not on the severance amount. Washington ESD looks at your earnings from your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters) to determine your weekly benefit amount. The severance just affects the timing of when you receive payments, but it doesn't change the actual benefit calculation at all. So once your 10 weeks of severance end, you'll get the full weekly amount you're entitled to based on your tech job wages.