I got laid off from my last job, and for the first time ever in my career I got paid a severance. As it turned out, however, the total amount of the severance was about $100 less than the total amount I could have gotten from unemployment. I say "could have" because any amount you get as a severance is deducted from the amount of unemployment you're eligible for, so had I applied for unemployment I would have been eligible for the grand total of $100 - definitely not worth the hassle.

I can't really complain, I guess. I got the whole amount up front instead of in dribs and drabs for six months, and I didn't have to pretend to be looking for work at any point.