Hi, I worked for (large company) for 30 yrs. Last year, I was laid off permently and was given my severence pay. While applying for unemployment benefits, I told the unemployment person on the phone about my severence pay coming. He told me "WE do not not need to know anything about your severence pay ". Well yesturday, about a little over a year later, I get this package from Labor and Industry that I had failed to report or underreport earnings, holiday pay, vacation pay and you maybe overpaid for the week ending,,,,," for 22 weeks!!! What is going on here??? I looked through my initial book on how to apply for unemployment and can't find anything on "permantly laid off" and "severence pay".

Have you called L & I to ask? I certainly would.

I can't say much about unemployment, but I do know that the UI folks want info about anything paid, aside from wages, such as accrued vacation, bonuses, or severance pay.

I guess they take the payments into account when figuring weekly UI benefits.

They should have gotten this information from your employer, but you, too, had an obligation to report, I would think.

I used to work for UC Board at the Dept. of L&I. You can check their website for UC regs at http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=185&q=170005.

According to Section 65.102(k), "The Department will not deduct periodic payments which are made under severance agreements..." which should include lump-sum severance payments.

However, Section 61.3(a) covers calculation of wages for your weekly benefit rate based on wages received. Severence pay should be included in that, which may raise your weekly benefit rate and all wages should be reported, which may be why you got the notice about underreporting.