Can you receive severance pay and unemployment benefits at the same time in Washington?

You can receive both, but there are specific rules about timing. Washington ESD treats severance pay as deductible income during the period it covers. So if your severance equals 4 weeks of your regular pay, you'd typically have to wait 4 weeks before your UI benefits start. The key is how the severance is structured - lump sum vs. periodic payments matters.

Thanks! My severance was a lump sum payment. How do I figure out how many weeks it covers? Do I divide the total by my weekly wage?

Exactly right. Divide your severance amount by your average weekly wage. That gives you the number of weeks you'll need to wait before UI benefits can start.

I dealt with this last year. Washington ESD will ask about any severance when you file your initial claim. Be completely honest about the amount and when you received it. They'll calculate the waiting period for you. Don't try to hide it because they'll find out eventually and that could cause overpayment issues.

What happens if you already filed your claim before getting the severance? Do you have to report it on your weekly claims?

Yes, you report it as soon as you receive it. Washington ESD will adjust your benefits accordingly. Better to report it late than not at all.

honestly trying to get through to washington esd to ask about severance rules has been impossible for me. spent 3 hours on hold yesterday just to get disconnected. anyone know a better way to reach them about this stuff??

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an actual Washington ESD agent within 30 minutes. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me from going crazy trying to call over and over.

never heard of that but at this point ill try anything. the phone system is broken

Claimyr actually works? Sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate to talk to someone about my claim status.

The severance rules can be confusing because it depends on whether it's considered wages in lieu of notice or just a goodbye gift from your employer. If it's in lieu of notice, it definitely affects your UI start date. If it's discretionary, the rules might be different. You really need to speak with Washington ESD directly to clarify your specific situation.

How can I tell which type my severance is? My termination letter just says 'severance payment' without specifying.

Check your employment contract or ask HR. Sometimes it's also based on company policy. The distinction matters for Washington ESD calculations.

ugh i hate how complicated this all is. why cant they just make it simple - you get laid off you get benefits period

I get the frustration, but the rules exist to prevent people from double-dipping. If you're getting paid severance for time periods, you're technically still being compensated by your employer for those weeks.

i guess that makes sense when you put it that way. still annoying tho

Just to add some detail about the calculation - Washington ESD divides your severance by your weekly benefit amount, not your actual weekly wage. So if your severance is $8,500 and your weekly UI benefit would be $650, you'd wait about 13 weeks. This is different from what someone mentioned earlier about using your actual wage.

Are you sure about that? I thought it was based on actual weekly wage, not the UI benefit amount. That would make a big difference in the calculation.

You might be right actually. I may be confusing Washington rules with another state. This is exactly why talking to Washington ESD directly is so important.

Great, now I'm more confused than before! Definitely need to get clarification from an actual agent.

Can confirm that I received severance and UI benefits but had to wait. The waiting period was exactly equal to what my severance covered in terms of weekly pay. Filed my claim immediately but benefits didn't start until after the severance period ended. Washington ESD was actually pretty clear about this when I finally got through to them.

How long did it take you to get through to someone at Washington ESD? I've been trying for days.

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Worked like a charm - got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending hours on hold.

Important thing to remember is that you should file your UI claim right away even if you received severance. Don't wait until your severance runs out because there might be other processing delays. File now and let Washington ESD calculate when your benefits should start.

That's good advice. I was thinking about waiting but you're right - better to get the process started.

Absolutely agree. I made the mistake of waiting and it added weeks to my overall process because of adjudication delays.

does anyone know if vacation payout is treated the same as severance? i got both when i was laid off

Vacation payout is usually treated differently than severance. It's considered wages for time already worked, so it might not delay your UI benefits the same way.

ok good because my vacation payout was almost as much as my severance

For what it's worth, I tried to navigate this whole severance/UI thing on my own and made a mess of it. Ended up with an overpayment notice because I misunderstood the reporting requirements. Don't be like me - get clear guidance from Washington ESD before you start filing your weekly claims.

Oh no! How much was the overpayment? Did you have to pay it all back?

It was about $2,800. I'm working on an appeal but it's been a nightmare. Just be super careful with how you report everything.

This is exactly why the system is so frustrating. One small mistake and they come after you for thousands.

The key thing is timing your initial claim right. I filed the day after I was laid off, reported my severance amount, and Washington ESD automatically calculated my waiting period. My benefits started exactly when they said they would. The system actually works when you follow the rules correctly.

That gives me hope! I'll file my claim today and make sure to report everything accurately.

Same experience here. Washington ESD handled the severance calculation automatically once I reported it properly.

One more thing - make sure you understand whether your severance affects your job search requirements. During the severance waiting period, you might still need to be actively looking for work and reporting your job search activities on your weekly claims.

Wait, I have to do job searches even during the waiting period when I'm not getting benefits?

That's what I was told, but honestly the rules are complex enough that you should verify this with Washington ESD directly.

I'm in a similar boat - got laid off with severance but my situation is a bit different because I'm over 50 and my severance includes extended health benefits. Anyone know if that changes how Washington ESD calculates things?

Health benefit continuation usually isn't counted as income for UI purposes, but the cash portion of your severance still counts. The health benefits are separate.

Thanks, that's what I was hoping to hear. The health benefits are worth a lot but they're not cash in my pocket.

Just wanted to say thanks to whoever mentioned Claimyr earlier. I was skeptical but tried it this morning and actually got through to a Washington ESD agent who explained my whole severance situation clearly. Worth every penny to avoid the phone runaround.

That's great to hear! I'm definitely going to try it. What did the agent tell you about your situation?

Basically confirmed what others said here - my severance creates a 6-week waiting period, but I can file my claim now and benefits will start automatically after that.

Final thought - document everything related to your severance (payment stub, termination letter, any correspondence with your employer) because Washington ESD might ask for proof later during adjudication or if there are any questions about your claim.

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

Yes! I learned this the hard way when they asked for severance documentation months later and I had to scramble to find it.