Does severance delay my unemployment claim? after 18 years as a software tester

I was offered severance of 18 weeks after being let go as a software tester and I am unsure how it affects benefits. It has been weighing on me all week. The agreement mentions a release and a payment schedule. Did you file straight away?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 8 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.