Does severance delay my unemployment claim? - 5 months and counting

I was offered severance of 9 weeks after being let go as a barista and I am unsure how it affects benefits. I also wonder about the job-search requirement. Who should I ask before signing?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 5 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

I filed on day one anyway and reported the severance honestly. The agency decided what to do about the timing.