Does severance delay my unemployment claim? after 11 years as a dental hygienist

My employer is paying severance in instalments and I am not sure whether to file now. It has been weighing on me all week. 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 6 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.