Can you get severance pay and unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

Thanks! How do I know which type of severance I have? My HR department just said it was standard severance.

Check your severance agreement carefully. If it says the payment is for a specific number of weeks 'in lieu of notice' or covers specific dates, that's different than a general severance payment.

Did you have any issues with your claim because of the severance?

No issues at all. I reported it every week until it ran out, then continued with regular UI benefits. Just make sure you're accurate with the amounts.

How long did it take for your claim to get approved? I'm worried about delays if I mention severance.

Should I wait until my severance runs out before filing, or file right away?

File right away! There's a one-week waiting period anyway, and you want to get your claim established. Washington ESD will determine how your severance affects your benefits.

Never heard of that before. Did it actually work for you?

Yeah, got through in about 15 minutes instead of calling for days. The agent was able to look at my specific situation and confirm I could collect both.

Interesting, I've been trying to reach them for weeks about my adjudication. Might have to try this.

Yikes, that sounds scary. How much trouble did your friend get in?

Had to pay back like $2800 plus penalties. Not worth trying to hide it.

Can you explain that more? I'm getting 12 weeks severance but as a lump sum.

If it's truly a lump sum with no specific time period attached, it might not affect your weekly benefits at all. But if your employer says it's for 12 specific weeks, Washington ESD might spread it out.

This is exactly why the wording in your severance agreement matters so much. The intent makes a big difference.

Yes, mention it when you file. Washington ESD needs to know about any expected income. They'll ask about it on your weekly claims when you actually receive it.

Thanks, I was worried about that. Better to be upfront about everything.

Glad Claimyr worked for you too! Way better than sitting on hold forever.

Okay you've convinced me to try it. I've been calling Washington ESD for three weeks about my adjudication with no luck.

Good to hear you got answers. That's the most important thing - getting accurate info for your specific situation.

Mine includes COBRA continuation but I have to pay for it myself. Does that matter?

If you're paying for it yourself, probably not an issue. It's when the employer continues paying benefits that Washington ESD might consider it additional compensation.

That's reassuring. I was stressed about losing my benefits because of the severance.

The goal is to help people transition between jobs. Severance is meant to help with that too, so they work together most of the time.

Good point. I hadn't thought about the tax implications of getting both.

Yeah, unemployment benefits are taxable too, so you might want to have taxes withheld from your UI payments.

That changes things because you're receiving ongoing payments. Washington ESD will likely treat each monthly payment as income and it might reduce your weekly benefit amount.

That's what I was afraid of. Wish they had given me the option of a lump sum.

You might still qualify for some benefits depending on the weekly amount. Don't assume you're disqualified - file the claim and let Washington ESD make the determination.

How much does that service cost? I'm trying to decide if it's worth it.

I don't want to get into pricing here, but for me it was totally worth it to avoid mistakes that could cost way more in overpayments later.

Exactly. I'm glad I asked instead of just assuming I couldn't get both.

Same here. I was ready to wait until my severance ended before filing, but now I know I can file right away.

Good advice. I'll make copies of everything before I file my claim.

Also keep records of exactly when you receive each payment if it's spread out over time. Makes the weekly claim reporting much easier.