Does severance delay my unemployment claim?

My employer is paying severance in instalments and I am not sure whether to file now. It has been a long 9 weeks. I also wonder about the job-search requirement. Who should I ask before signing?

Some states only count certain kinds of severance. A local workforce centre could tell me which.

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