Severance and unemployment, do they overlap? after 12 years as a graphic designer

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. The agreement mentions a release and a payment schedule. How did your state treat it?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 9 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.