When to file for ESD benefits with 8 week severance package - before or after payments end?

File your initial application right after your last day of work (so early February), but be sure to report your severance pay when you file your weekly claims. ESD considers severance as income that needs to be reported, and it will reduce or eliminate your weekly benefit amount while you're receiving it. The important thing is establishing your claim early because your benefit year starts when you file, not when you start receiving benefits. If you wait until March, you could potentially lose weeks of eligibility.

omg DO NOT WAIT!!! i made that mistake last yr. filed 2 months after layoff bcuz i had severance and it compeltely messed up my base year calculation. ended up w/ lower weekly benefit than i shouldve gotten. wish someone had told me b4!!!

When I got laid off from Boeing last spring, my severance was way more than unemployment would pay too. I filed my initial claim the day after my final day - had to deal with those stupid job search requirements even though I knew I wouldn't get a penny until my severance ran out. BUT the ESD agent said it was smart because 1) my benefit year started on time and 2) my base year included all my higher-earning quarters. You'll report your severance each week when filing claims, and you'll get denial notices with $0 payment while receiving severance, but then it automatically starts paying once your severance stops. No need to file a new claim.

The ESD system is such a mess around severance. I got completely contradictory information from two different ESD agents about this exact situation. One told me to wait until severance ended, the other said file immediately. When I tried calling back for clarification, I spent HOURS on hold and got disconnected four times. Completely infuriating.

To clarify a few points: 1. Yes, file immediately after your last day of work to establish your claim and benefit year 2. You must report severance pay when filing weekly claims 3. You will receive determination letters showing $0 payment during weeks with severance 4. You MUST continue filing weekly claims even during weeks you receive severance 5. You MUST complete 3 job search activities each week and document them 6. Benefits will automatically begin once your severance income no longer exceeds your weekly benefit amount If you fail to file weekly claims during your severance period, you'll have to reopen your claim when severance ends, which can cause delays.

My company was bought out in 2024 and I got 12 weeks severance. I waited until it was done to file for unemployment and it was a HUGE mistake. They calculated my base year from when I filed, not when I was laid off, so I lost a whole quarter of my highest earnings in the calculation. Plus they said I'd "voluntarily removed myself from the workforce" for those 3 months. So many headaches I could have avoided!

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - if your severance is paid out biweekly, you might actually qualify for partial UI benefits in some weeks depending on the amount. When you file your weekly claim, the system calculates if your earnings (including severance) exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $5. If your earnings are less than that threshold, you could receive a partial payment for that week.

Don't forget that in addition to your regular unemployment benefits, you might also qualify for the extra $25 per dependent per week if you have kids. Doesn't change the advice about filing immediately, but worth knowing when budgeting for after your severance ends!