Can you get unemployment if you get a severance package in Washington?

They haven't told us yet how it would be paid out. What's the difference between lump sum vs weekly payments for unemployment eligibility?

Lump sum severance doesn't affect your weekly unemployment benefits at all. But if they pay it out weekly like regular wages, Washington ESD will deduct those amounts from your UI benefits during those weeks.

What kind of documentation did they want? I want to be prepared if I need to file.

They wanted the severance agreement showing the amount and payment schedule, plus a letter from my employer explaining the terms. It was a nightmare trying to get through to someone at Washington ESD to clarify what they needed.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I used claimyr.com recently and it actually worked. They have this system that keeps calling until you get through to an agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

Wait so you have to report it even though it doesn't affect your benefits? That seems confusing.

Yeah you report all income when filing weekly claims, but Washington ESD won't reduce your UI benefits because of true severance pay. It's just for their records and to make sure everything is documented properly.

Good point, I'll definitely ask for written details about how and when the severance gets paid.

Exactly! Always verify with Washington ESD directly or check their website. HR departments sometimes mix up federal and state rules.

So true. My old job told people they couldn't get unemployment if they took severance which was completely wrong.

You should try that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier. I was stuck in adjudication for similar severance documentation issues and couldn't reach anyone at Washington ESD for weeks. Claimyr got me through to an agent who walked me through exactly what documents they needed.

I'll check that out, thanks. This is so stressful not knowing if my claim will get approved.

What do you mean by that? If my last day of work is January 31st but I get severance paid in February, when can I file?

You can file for unemployment starting from your actual separation date (January 31st in your example). The severance payment date doesn't change when you're eligible to file.

That's reassuring! Did you have to wait longer than usual for approval because of the severance?

Nope, my claim was processed in the normal timeframe. I think because the severance paperwork was clear and I reported it properly on my weekly claims.

That's awful. Did they eventually approve it though?

yeah they approved it but by then i was almost out of money... wish i had known about ways to actually reach them by phone

Thanks for the heads up! I'll make sure to have all my severance paperwork ready when I file.

How can you tell the difference? My severance letter just says 'separation pay'.

Look at whether you're still considered employed during the severance period and whether they're taking out payroll taxes. True severance usually doesn't have you on payroll.

That's exactly what I'm worried about! Good to hear it worked out for you.

I'll look for that, thanks. Sometimes their website is hard to navigate but good to know the info is there.

Good to know! My package includes COBRA coverage so I was wondering about that too.

Definitely will do that. Sounds like documentation is key to avoiding problems.

Thanks for the HR perspective! That's reassuring to hear from someone who dealt with this from the employer side.

Agree about being honest. I tried to hide my severance thinking it would help and it just made things worse when Washington ESD found out during their audit.

That's a really good point I hadn't considered. I'll make sure to think through all the implications before choosing.