ESD claim timing dilemma: Can I really 'reopen' after severance instead of filing weekly claims?

Yes, the term you're looking for is 'reopen' your claim. I went through this exact situation last year. What the agent told you is correct - you can wait to start filing weekly claims until after your severance period ends. Since you're receiving regular wages until 8/30 and then severance on 9/15, you wouldn't be eligible for benefits during that time anyway. The reopening process is pretty straightforward - you just log back into your eServices account after your severance period and select the option to reopen your claim. The system will ask a few questions about why you haven't been filing, and you just explain about the severance situation.

Thank you! That's super helpful. Did reopening delay your payments at all? I'm a bit concerned about having a gap between when my severance runs out and when benefits would actually start.

wait im confused why cant u just file now? i got laid off too and started filing right away even tho i got severence

You can file now to establish your claim, but the key distinction is that while receiving regular wages or severance pay, you're technically not considered unemployed according to ESD guidelines. You would need to report those earnings during your weekly claims, which would likely make you ineligible for benefits during that period. Also, filing weekly claims means you must complete and document at least 3 qualifying job search activities each week, even during weeks you know you won't receive benefits due to your severance pay.

DON'T DO WEEKLY CLAIMS IF YOU'RE GETTING PAID!! The system will mark you as having earnings and you'll waste time doing job search activities for NOTHING! When I got laid off last year from Boeing with a severance package, I tried filing weekly and it was a complete headache. ESD kept putting my payments on hold because they were confused about my severance vs. regular pay. Just wait until all your money from the employer stops, THEN reopen your claim (it's under the quick links section when you log in). Trust me, it's WAY easier!!!

totally agree! i made the mistake of trying to file weekly while getting severance and ended up with an overpayment notice six months later. such a nightmare to fix.

have you checked if your claim is valid yet? sometime u need to do the waiting week even if ur not getting paid yet

You're thinking of the waiting week, which is different from this situation. The waiting week is the first week you're eligible for benefits, but you don't get paid for it. In this case, the person wouldn't even be eligible yet because they're still receiving regular wages followed by severance pay, so the waiting week wouldn't start until after all that ends.

last month i had a similar situaton but with vacation payout instead of severance. I waited untill all my employer payments stopped and then reopened my claim. it was pretty simple process tbh but took a couple days to process after reopening. not a big deal. I think you can

That's reassuring! So after reopening, did you have to wait long for your first payment or did it process normally?

To clarify some confusion in this thread: \

One thing to add - when I reopened my claim after severance, ESD asked for documentation about the severance payment. So keep those paystubs or whatever paperwork shows your severance amount and date!

is ur severance a lump sum or paid out over time? makes a big difference! esd treats them differently

It's a lump sum on 9/15. So after my regular pay ends on 8/30, I'll have that one-time payment on 9/15 and that's it.

If you're struggling to reach ESD to get a clearer answer, I highly recommend using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation with severance pay confusion and couldn't get through on the phones for days. I used claimyr.com and they connected me to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. The agent I spoke with gave me specific instructions about reopening my claim after severance that were super helpful for my situation.

Thanks for the tip! If I have more questions about the reopening process when the time comes, I might try that service. The wait times when I called before were ridiculous.

my brother had to reopen his claim and he said there was a question about why he stopped filing weekly and he just explained about the severance and it was fine

That's correct. When reopening, there's a section where you explain why you stopped filing weekly claims. Being honest about receiving severance is the right approach and doesn't negatively impact the claim.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to skip filing weekly claims until after my severance payment on 9/15, then reopen my claim around 9/16. Sounds like this is the simplest approach and will save me from doing unnecessary job search activities. I'll make sure to keep documentation of my final regular pay and severance payment in case ESD asks for it during the reopening process.

That's a good plan. Just remember that if your financial situation changes or you have questions during this waiting period, you can always contact ESD for clarification. Good luck with your job search when you begin that process!