Does severance delay my unemployment claim? - 11 months and counting

I was offered severance of 8 weeks after being let go as an electrician's helper and I am unsure how it affects benefits. I am in Columbus, in case local advice matters. I also wonder about the job-search requirement.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 11 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Rules differ by state. I called the claims line and asked directly, then wrote down the answer and the date.