View Full Version : Q: Unemployment & Severance in Massachusetts
sunny02339
Aug 6, 2011, 11:46 AM
How do you get a "release of claims" form?
sunny02339
Aug 6, 2011, 11:47 AM
How do you get a "release of claims" form so that you can receive unemployment and severance pay
ScottGem
Aug 6, 2011, 03:55 PM
Severance and unemployment are two different things. Severance is paid by your former company if eligible. Unemployment is paid by the government if eligible.
I'm not sure what claims you need to release. You need to explain your situation in more details for us to help.
sunny02339
Aug 6, 2011, 04:59 PM
Hi Scott, Sorry I was kind of just going off other questions guess I should have been more detailed. New at this :) OK here is my story, I got fired on wendsday my former employer is giving me a severence of 4 weeks pay. What I really believe it to be is one of my earned time off and three weeks vacation owed me but he didn't want to put it that way. In anycase I have applied already for unemployment not knowing that this was what he was going to do but in reading some of the questions on here it looks like there is something that can be signed and you can collect both?? All in all I was fired wrongly anyway but that's another story, our bookkeeper assaulted me on Friday and the boss and I had words on Monday ( he saw the incident but would not accept it as assault but as a touch on the face, yea right, that's considered assault and battery) I came into work Tuesday and he was very quiet but did speak a couple times, then wend. I came in and I could'nt even put my stuff down and he said he had to let me go but it had nothing to do with the incident Friday hahah yea right. So there's my story
ScottGem
Aug 6, 2011, 05:20 PM
OK, As I said, severance and unemployment are different. A company is not required to pay any severance unless called for by union contract or company policy. It really doesn't matter what he calls, it therefore. What DOES matter is your official date of termination. If he's calling it severance he may be doing you a favor. If it is vacation and earned time off, he could say you have to use it and that your actual last day is 4 weeks hence. Which means you wouldn't be able to start collecting until then.
By referring to it as severance and making your termination date on Tuesday, you become entitled to collect unemployment as soon as possible. So you need to file according to your state's rules. Most states have an online claims system. So you just go online and apply. If asked if you are getting severance you say yes. You ARE entitled to collect unemployment while you collect severance. So there is no conflict there.
There is no release of claim form to fill in. Just go wherever you have to go and apply for UI.
sunny02339
Aug 6, 2011, 06:32 PM
OK so I have already applied by phone before I knew anything about severance do I do anything now and what if it is the same as my pay amount and he takes out taxes just like a pay check should I tell them to make sure to put on the check severance pay? It is a very small company sooo
ScottGem
Aug 6, 2011, 08:10 PM
Taxes can can should come out of severance. So basically there is nothing more to do but report each week.