Severance and unemployment, do they overlap? (update)

I signed a severance agreement and I am worried about how to report it. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I also wonder about the job-search requirement. Who should I ask before signing?

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.

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