Can you collect unemployment while receiving severance pay from Washington ESD?

So I should file now even though I'm getting severance? I don't want to mess up my claim by filing too early.

Yes, file now. The sooner you file, the sooner your benefit year starts. Just be honest about the severance on every weekly claim.

That makes sense. Did you have any issues with adjudication because of the severance?

Nope, as long as you report it correctly each week you shouldn't have problems. Just don't try to hide it.

How much does that cost? I'm already worried about money with the job loss.

It's worth checking out - they focus on just getting you connected rather than charging tons upfront. Way better than trying to call Washington ESD directly.

That's a common misconception. Severance doesn't disqualify you from unemployment, it just reduces your weekly benefit amount while you're receiving it.

Ugh, I could have really used that severance money. Wish I had known this before.

What exactly did you do wrong? I want to make sure I don't make the same mistake.

I reported it as 'other income' instead of severance pay. Apparently they're handled differently in the system.

Did you have to appeal the overpayment or just pay it back?

My severance is definitely weekly payments, same as my regular paycheck was. Does that make it easier to handle?

Yes, weekly severance is more straightforward to report than lump sums. Just treat each payment like regular wages when reporting.

Only the cash portion counts as income for UI purposes. Health insurance benefits don't affect your weekly claim calculations.

That's a relief. The health insurance is worth like $400/month so I was worried about that too.

Good point. I'll make sure to save all my pay stubs and the severance agreement.

Exactly. Having everything documented upfront saves headaches later if they need to verify anything.

Vacation payout is handled differently than severance. It's usually considered wages from your last week of work, not ongoing payments.

So I report the vacation pay for the week I actually stopped working, not spread out over multiple weeks?

Correct. Vacation payout gets reported for the specific week it represents, not when you actually receive the check.

How long did it take them to connect you? I'm starting to think I need help navigating this.

Way faster than trying to call myself. The agent was able to look at my specific situation and explain exactly how to report the severance.

I'll have to read through my agreement again. I don't remember seeing anything like that but I'll double check.

Even if there is a clause like that, Washington state law generally allows you to file for UI regardless of what your severance agreement says.

That's right. If your severance exceeds your weekly benefit amount, your UI payment for that week would be zero.

That seems unfair. I'm still unemployed even if I'm getting severance.

The logic is that unemployment benefits are meant to replace lost wages, and severance is technically still wages from your former employer.

Good reminder. How many job contacts do I need per week currently?

It's 3 job search activities per week in Washington. You'll need to log them in WorkSource WA even if you're not getting benefits that week due to severance.

I know right? Every situation seems to have different rules and exceptions. Makes it really hard to do things correctly.

At least this thread is helping me understand what I need to do. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

My company mentioned COBRA but I haven't looked into it yet. How does that affect unemployment?

COBRA is just health insurance continuation - it doesn't count as income at all for Washington ESD purposes. Totally separate from your severance payments.

You should start your job search immediately when you file your claim. Washington ESD doesn't care if you're getting severance - you still need to be available and actively seeking work.

Makes sense. I guess severance just gives you a little breathing room while you look, but you can't just sit back and wait for it to run out.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to file my claim today and make sure I report the severance correctly each week.

Smart move. And if you run into any issues or need to talk to someone at Washington ESD, that Claimyr service really does help cut through the phone hassles.

I'll keep that in mind if I need to call them. Hopefully the online filing goes smoothly though.