Does severance delay my unemployment claim? - first time posting

I was offered severance of 18 weeks after being let go as a medical assistant and I am unsure how it affects benefits. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I also wonder about the job-search requirement. How did your state treat it?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.