Got severance, how does it affect benefits? - any advice?

I was offered severance of 10 weeks after being let go as an accounts payable clerk and I am unsure how it affects benefits. There are 10 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. The agreement mentions a release and a payment schedule. Did you file straight away?

Rules differ by state. I called the claims line and asked directly, then wrote down the answer and the date.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 10 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.