Military - Government Shutdown Assistance

One Defense Community. One Mission. One Team.

 

The Montgomery Chamber stands united with our federal workforce during the government shutdown. This resource page is a central hub to help connect you with support, services, and local programs during this challenging time. We are one defense community -- and no one faces this alone.

Here are some resources for you during this time:

Food: Your community food bank is here to support - please call 211 and you will be connected with a local food pantry in your area. You can also check out the Heart of Alabama Food Bank website (https://hafb.org/find-help/)  for a pantry locator.

Your School District: To save on food and ensure your children eat breakfast and/or lunch for free, notify the district of your furlough. No income is an emergency and normally qualifies you for the free meal program.

Alfa Insurance is offering to temporarily suspend policy cancellations due to non-payment of premium and waive late fees for affected customers. Those facing financial difficulty should contact their local Alfa service center or our Customer Resource Center at 1-800-964-2532

Bank of America announced assistance available to furloughed Federal employees. Call the priority assistance line 844.219.0690.

Chase Bank announced efforts to help its customers who are U.S. government employees affected by the U.S. government shutdown. Here’s the special line they set up 1-888-356-0023.

Congressional Federal Credit Union: For more information on our Relief Line of Credit or any of our assistance programs, contact our Member Service Representatives at 800-491-2328 or stop by one of our branch locations.

Fed Choice: They’re offering quite a few different options to assist – for existing and new members.

Interior Federal Credit Union is offering a special loan for both member and non-member furloughed Federal workers. Net paycheck up to $15,000, interest free up to 30 days. Members may apply for a limit up to the equivalent of 2 net paychecks. More offers are available on the site or call 800-914-8619

Navy Federal Credit Union is offering a special loan program. To see if you qualify call 1-888-842-6328

PayPal has made a very generous offer. They’ve allocated $25 million to fund interest-free cash advances to our furloughed Federal workers that need assistance right now. This is for both new and existing PayPal Credit customers. Minimum loan is $250 with a maximum cash advance of $500. Your account does need to be in good standing if you’re an existing PayPal Credit customer. Existing customers call 1-877-689-1975. For new accounts, apply here first, then after approval call 1-877-689-1975.

U.S. Bank will waive all late fees if you miss a mortgage payment due to the shutdown. Also mentioned they will defer first payment dates for new mortgages.

U.S. Employees Credit Union (USECU) is offering shutdown loans. Deadline is Tuesday, January 15th. Call (312) 922.5310 to get help.

USAA is offering deferments for all loans and credit card payments.

Synchrony Bank handles store cards for Amazon, Lowes, Walmart, JCPenney, Chevron/Texaco, and many other large nationwide companies you may do business with on a day-to-day basis. They are allowing affected customers to defer payments until after the shutdown. Contact them for more information.

Union Plus: For union members, there are a great number of options available if you’re with Union Plus. Call them at 800-472-2005 to ask about these offers: $300 Furlough Grant for eligible Union Plus credit card holders, Mortgage Assistance Loan & $300 Grant: payment grace period for your Union Plus Life and Accident Insurance, payment grace period for Union Plus Auto Insurance, and payment grace period for Union Plus Life and Accident Insurance.

FEEA-NARFE: This is an awesome offer that every furloughed Federal worker needs to take advantage of. FEEA-NARFE fund is offering $100 grants to active federal employee members who are not receiving a paycheck during the current shutdown due to being furloughed or working in excepted status. To apply, visit the FEEA website.

Thrift Savings Plan: TSP allows for the suspension of loan payments when you go into non-pay status. They do not require documentation about your furlough currently. Missing one or two payments will not cause your loan to go into default. Log in to your account to check your status or simply call the Thrift Line at 1-877-968-3778.

Toyota Financial Services & Lexus Financial Services: Affected lease and finance customers in good standing with their accounts may be eligible to take advantage of up to two months of finance contract payment extensions or lease deferred payments. Toyota Financial Services call 800-874-8822 and Lexus Financial Services call 800-874-7050.

Hyundai Capital: Hyundai will extend all Hyundai Capital auto loans and lease payments for 30 days for current Hyundai owners who are federal government employees furloughed during the shutdown. Impacted consumers should contact Hyundai Motor Finance at 1-800-523-4030 to take advantage of this offer.

Kia Motors Finance: Kia has announced they’re offering deferred payments of 30 days. If you’ve been affected by the current Government Shutdown and need assistance from Kia Finance, please contact them at 1-866-331-5632.

Ford Credit, GM Financial, & Mercedes-Benz Financial Services: It has been reported that these companies are among those providing qualified customers options such as payment deferrals, late fee waivers, and special care lines to address their individual problems, though official announcements from these companies have not been released online.

AT&T: Will assist with adjusting late fees, providing extensions, and revising payment schedules.

Sprint: Will provide short-term payment solutions. Call 1-888-211-4747

T-Mobile: Offering short-term assistance and can spread service payments over time. Call 1-877-746-0909 or 611 from a T-Mobile device.

Verizon: Offering flexible payment options and has a Promise to Pay program to set payments for a future date. Call 1-866-266-1445.

National Rental Home Council: Represents many of the nation’s largest operators of single-family rental homes. They’re offering deferred rent payment options with no late fees to any renter who has been furloughed.

OPM Sample Letters for Creditors and Mortgage Companies: OPM created sample letters for Federal workers to contact their landlords, mortgage lenders, and utilities, to request help during the shutdown.

MetLife: For those not receiving a paycheck from the federal government because of the current shutdown, MetLife Auto & Home may grant a one-time, 30-day grace period on your payment of premium on a MetLife Auto & Home policy. Members must request this one-time allowance by calling 1-800-GET-MET8. Certain restrictions apply, and premium remains due after delay expires.

Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company: To help the nearly 27,000 AFGE members who currently have a policy with the company during this government shutdown, the company “will keep the policy-in-force by waving the cost of insurance charges for the next 30 days.”. Policies beginning with the letter "Y" call: 844-800-9146, all other policies call: 888-513-8797