OPM tweets help for furloughed federal employees dealing with creditors

The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday tweeted a link to sample letters that federal employees who are furloughed as a result of the partial government shutdown can reference to help deal with creditors, mortgage companies and landlords.

“Feds, here are sample letters you may use as a guide when working with your creditors during this furlough,” the agency tweeted. “If you need legal advice please consult with your personal attorney.”

{mosads}Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed or working without pay as a result of the shutdown, which started Saturday. The shutdown appears likely to continue into next week.

Federal workers are expected to receive their paychecks for the Dec. 9 to Dec. 22 pay period on time, but those paychecks may be smaller than normal because the shutdown started on Dec. 22. If the shutdown lasts for a while, employees may not get their paychecks for the Dec. 23 to Jan. 5 period, which they’d receive starting Jan. 11, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

OPM recommended that employees needing to work with creditors should talk to the companies first so that they can negotiate a payment plan they can confirm in a subsequent letter.