Does severance delay my unemployment claim? after 7 years as a mechanic

My employer is paying severance in instalments and I am not sure whether to file now. I do not usually post, so bear with me. I also wonder about the job-search requirement. Who should I ask before signing?

Before signing, I asked a friend who is a lawyer to look at the agreement. It was a short conversation and worth it.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It made the follow-up calls so much easier.