How long after severance can you apply for unemployment Washington ESD?

That makes sense! So I should file now even though I won't get payments right away? Will that affect my total benefit duration?

Exactly, file now. Your benefit year starts when you file, not when you start receiving payments. You'll preserve your full 26 weeks of eligibility this way.

It's weekly payments, same as my regular paycheck was. Does that change anything?

Weekly severance payments are treated as wages by Washington ESD, so they'll reduce your UI benefits dollar for dollar until they stop.

Never heard of that service but sounds useful. Was it worth it for getting answers about severance stuff?

Totally worth it. The agent confirmed I could file right away and explained exactly how the severance offset worked. Much better than sitting on hold for hours.

Interesting, I might need to try that. Been trying to reach Washington ESD for two weeks about my adjudication issue.

Good question! You still need to file weekly claims during the severance period and report the severance income. This keeps your claim active and maintains your eligibility.

Ah ok that makes more sense. So you're basically in the system and ready to go when severance ends.

They do have information in their handbook, but it's pretty buried. The key thing is severance is considered 'wages' so it affects your weekly benefit calculation.

yeah the handbook is like 200 pages long, who has time to read all that when you just got laid off

Good point about the work search requirement! Do I need to start doing those activities right away even if I'm not getting paid yet?

Yes, you need to do the work search activities for any week you file a claim, even if you don't receive payment due to severance.

Vacation payout is also treated as wages and will offset your UI benefits. It's all lumped together as compensation from your previous employer.

Same with sick leave payout if you got that too. Any compensation from the employer counts.

That's odd - usually they want you to file for the first week you're unemployed, even if you're receiving severance. Maybe there was confusion about your effective separation date?

Could be. The agent I eventually talked to through Claimyr helped clarify that my separation date was correct and the issue was something else entirely.

No cutoff that I'm aware of. The severance just offsets your weekly benefits until it ends, regardless of how long that takes. Your benefit year is still 12 months from when you file.

That's crazy, so you could theoretically have a claim open for months without getting any payments? Seems like a waste of everyone's time.

Salary continuation is still treated as wages for UI purposes. The key is whether you're receiving compensation from your former employer, not how it's structured.

Makes sense. They don't want people double-dipping on benefits while still getting paid by their old job.

Good advice! I should probably call HR and get the exact payment schedule in writing.

Yes definitely get it in writing. Washington ESD may ask for documentation about your severance when you file.

Oh good point. I was thinking about doing some consulting work while job hunting. How does that interact with severance and UI?

You'd need to report all income sources on your weekly claims. The total income (severance + consulting) would be offset against your UI benefits.

Easier said than done when you can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to confirm you're doing it right!

True, the phone system is terrible. That's why services like Claimyr are helpful - they cut through the hold times and get you actual answers.

What's the deadline? I've been unemployed for 4 weeks now but still getting severance.

You should file within a few weeks of your separation date. Four weeks might still be okay but don't wait any longer.

That's reassuring. I think I'll file this week and figure out any complications as they come up.

Smart move. Better to be in the system and working through any issues than missing out on benefits altogether.