18. Will severance pay affect my ability to collect UI?

It depends. Under ordinary circumstances, severance payments are treated as continuing wages, so your UI checks don’t start until the number of weeks representing the severance have elapsed. For example, if you got a one month severance package, your UI checks would start after 5 weeks (1 week waiting period, and 4 weeks of severance). However, if your severance pay is in exchange for a “release of all claims,” i.e., you agree not to sue your employer, then your UI payments can start after the one week waiting period.