Can you file for unemployment if you get severance in Washington ESD?
I just lost my job after 8 years and they're giving me a severance package that covers about 6 weeks of my salary. I'm wondering if I can still file for unemployment benefits with Washington ESD while I'm receiving this severance pay? I've heard conflicting information about whether severance affects your eligibility or if you have to wait until it runs out. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? I really need to know if I should file my claim now or wait.
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Owen Jenkins
You can file for unemployment immediately even with severance pay. Washington ESD treats severance differently than regular wages - it doesn't prevent you from filing a claim. However, depending on how your severance is structured, it might affect your weekly benefit amount or create a waiting period for certain weeks.
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Alice Coleman
•That's a relief to hear! Do you know if it matters whether they pay it as a lump sum or weekly payments?
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Owen Jenkins
•The payment structure can make a difference in how Washington ESD calculates your benefits. Lump sum payments are typically allocated differently than weekly payments.
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Lilah Brooks
I went through this exact situation last year. Filed my claim right away and Washington ESD approved it, but I had to report the severance on my weekly claims. They reduced my benefits for the weeks where the severance was allocated, but I still got something.
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Alice Coleman
•How did you figure out how much to report each week? Did they give you guidance on that?
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Lilah Brooks
•Washington ESD has a formula they use to spread out lump sum severance payments. You'll need to call them to get the exact calculation for your situation.
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Jackson Carter
•Good luck getting through to them on the phone though... I've been trying for weeks to get help with my claim adjudication.
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Kolton Murphy
Actually, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD when I couldn't reach them about my severance questions. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they even have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Jackson Carter
•Is this legit? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my claim issues.
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Kolton Murphy
•Yeah it's real. I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours trying to call myself.
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Alice Coleman
•Thanks for the tip! I might need this if I run into issues with reporting my severance.
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Evelyn Rivera
WAIT! Don't listen to that advice about filing right away. I made that mistake and it screwed up my whole claim. If you get severance you're supposed to wait until it's done or they'll deny your benefits!
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Owen Jenkins
•That's not accurate. Washington ESD doesn't require you to wait until severance ends to file. You might be thinking of a different situation or different state rules.
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Evelyn Rivera
•Well that's what happened to me! They said I wasn't eligible because I was still getting paid by my employer.
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Julia Hall
•Sounds like there might have been other factors in your case. Standard severance pay shouldn't prevent you from filing for unemployment in Washington.
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Arjun Patel
The key thing is HOW you report the severance on your weekly claims. Washington ESD has specific rules about how to allocate lump sum payments versus ongoing payments. Make sure you understand this before you start filing your weekly claims or you could end up with an overpayment situation.
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Alice Coleman
•What do you mean by overpayment situation? That sounds scary.
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Arjun Patel
•If you don't report your severance correctly, Washington ESD might pay you benefits you weren't entitled to, then demand the money back later. Always better to be accurate from the start.
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Lilah Brooks
Also worth mentioning - if your severance includes continuation of health benefits, that doesn't affect your unemployment eligibility at all. Only the actual cash payments matter for Washington ESD calculations.
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Alice Coleman
•Good to know! My package does include health insurance continuation for a few months.
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Jackson Carter
I'm still trying to get through to Washington ESD about my own claim issues. Has anyone else had success with that Claimyr service mentioned earlier? I'm willing to try anything at this point.
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Kolton Murphy
•Yeah like I said, it worked for me. Much better than spending my whole day redialing the Washington ESD number.
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Jade Lopez
•I used it too when I needed to resolve an adjudication issue. Definitely worth trying if you can't get through the normal way.
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Alice Coleman
Thanks everyone for all the advice! Sounds like I should file my claim now and just be really careful about how I report the severance payments on my weekly claims. I'll probably try that Claimyr service if I need to talk to someone at Washington ESD directly.
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Owen Jenkins
•That's the right approach. File now, report accurately, and don't hesitate to get help if you need clarification on the severance reporting.
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Tony Brooks
One more thing - make sure you keep all your severance documentation. Washington ESD might ask for proof of the amount and payment dates during the claim process.
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Alice Coleman
•Good point! I'll make copies of everything my employer gave me about the severance package.
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Evelyn Rivera
I still think this is bad advice but whatever. Just don't come crying when Washington ESD denies your claim like they did mine.
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Julia Hall
•There might have been other factors in your case that caused the denial. Standard severance pay alone shouldn't disqualify someone from unemployment benefits.
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Ella rollingthunder87
Quick question - does it matter if the severance is based on unused vacation time versus actual severance pay? Or does Washington ESD treat it all the same?
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Owen Jenkins
•Unused vacation pay is typically treated differently than severance pay. Vacation pay might be considered wages for the period it represents, while severance is usually allocated differently.
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Ella rollingthunder87
•Thanks! That's helpful to know. My package includes both so I'll need to separate them when reporting.
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Yara Campbell
I had a similar situation and Washington ESD told me to report the severance in the week I received it, not spread it out. But that was for a small lump sum payment. Might be different for larger amounts.
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Arjun Patel
•The allocation method can depend on the size of the severance payment. Larger amounts are often spread out over multiple weeks using a specific formula.
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Isaac Wright
Whatever you do, don't try to hide the severance from Washington ESD. They'll find out eventually and it's not worth the risk of fraud charges.
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Alice Coleman
•Definitely not planning to hide anything! I want to make sure I do this right from the start.
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Maya Diaz
The Claimyr thing actually sounds pretty useful. I've been putting off calling Washington ESD because I know it's going to be a nightmare trying to get through. Might give that a try instead.
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Kolton Murphy
•Yeah, it saves a lot of frustration. The video demo on their site shows exactly how it works too.
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Tami Morgan
Just to confirm - you can file for unemployment immediately even with severance, but you need to report it properly on your weekly claims. The severance might reduce your benefits for certain weeks but won't prevent you from getting approved initially.
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Alice Coleman
•Perfect summary! That's exactly what I needed to know. Filing my claim this week.
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Rami Samuels
Good luck with your claim! The process can be confusing but as long as you're honest about your severance and report everything correctly, you should be fine.
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Alice Coleman
•Thanks! I feel much more confident about moving forward now.
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Haley Bennett
Also remember that you need to be actively looking for work and reporting your job search activities even while receiving severance. That requirement doesn't change.
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Alice Coleman
•Right, I'll need to keep track of my job search activities for the weekly claims. Thanks for the reminder!
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Douglas Foster
Has anyone had issues with Washington ESD taking forever to process claims that involve severance? Mine has been in adjudication for weeks.
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Jade Lopez
•Mine took about 3 weeks to get through adjudication when I had severance involved. Might be worth using that Claimyr service to check on the status.
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Nina Chan
The important thing is getting your claim filed quickly. Even if the severance affects some weeks, you want to get your claim date established as soon as possible after job loss.
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Alice Coleman
•Makes sense! I'll file this week and deal with the severance reporting as I go.
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Ruby Knight
Best of luck with everything! Sounds like you got some solid advice here about handling the severance situation with Washington ESD.
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Alice Coleman
•Thanks! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I feel ready to move forward with filing my claim now.
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