<prompt> Human: Tomorrow will be the first day since I was 15 that I havent been employed, and I turned 15 in the 1980s. Im married with 2 kids still at home. Husband is employed. We have a mortgage and I have 7 months left on my car at 1. I have no credit debt, I have company stocks that arewere supposed to vest in July. I have a well-funded 401k. Im getting 23 weeks of pay because I worked at this company for almost 20 years. I want to maybe do some free lance computer work while I figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I am looking at that, but what should I do? I dont want to end up broke and in debt in 22 weeks. What about my stocks? I am a co-signer on one kids student loan 50k right now. Will this affect him? Do I need to change my taxes? Payoff my car? Should I be more worried and write my resume? What do I do? So far today, I made brownies, took a walk, transferred our health insurance to my husband being the payer and upped my life insurance on his account since I only had life insurance from work. What should the newly unemployed do?Assistant: How about filing for unemployment? :Human: Shes getting 22 weeks of full pay. I doubt shed be eligible for unemployment as her pay has not changed. Correct?Assistant: My papers come tomorrow so hopefully I know more then. My manager said 22 weeks of severance after I signed the papers. It will be at full pay. I looked at the CO unemployment page which said something to the effect that I wouldnt be eligible during a time period covered by severance. I had assumed that severance pay would be more than unemployment. Is there a reason that I should decline the severance and take unemployment compensation instead? Also, could I still get unemployment 23 weeks from now when my severance pay is finished? Not that I want to go that long without a job, but I worry.  <response>: If you are getting your full pay then yes your severance will be more than unemployment. But still look into if you qualify for unemployment because if you do, its money you deserve, youve already paid into it. A lot of people feel shame about claiming it or feel its not right. Youve been paying into it since you started working. Now the question is, are you entitled to it, pretty much the only answer is to go and ask. 