Does severance delay my unemployment claim? - 18 weeks in

My employer is paying severance in instalments and I am not sure whether to file now. There are 14 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. The agreement mentions a release and a payment schedule. How did your state treat it?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.