Katie BaileyThe federal government shutdown is affecting federal employees and contractors, who may face furloughs or delayed pay until funding is restored. Credit unions across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Virginia are stepping in with member-assistance programs to provide short-term relief and financial stability.
Assistance may include:
- Emergency loan options
- Reduced-rate credit cards
- Payment deferrals and loan forbearance
- Waived fees and penalties
- Financial guidance and counseling
Members should contact their credit union directly for program details and eligibility. This list is not exhaustive and will be updated weekly on Tuesdays as new programs are announced. Programs and terms are set by each credit union and may change.
Alabama
- Government Shutdown Assistance Loan for impacted members.
- Borrow up to $5,000 with no payments for the first 90 days.
- Low interest rate; available online or in-branch.
- Additional payment relief options offered.
- Skip-a-Pay: Eligible members may temporarily pause a loan payment to ease financial pressure
- Payment Assistance: Short-term relief options are available for members whose income has been impacted.
- Overdraft Protection and Lines of Credit: Flexible solutions designed to help bridge gaps caused by delayed paychecks.
- Financial Counseling: Free, confidential guidance available to assist with budgeting and financial management during challenging times.
Florida
- Offers Federal Government Shutdown Consumer Loan and hardship tools (deferments, Skip-A-Pay, due-date change, mortgage help).
- Loan modifications, hardship deferments, and mortgage assistance available.
- Loan up to $15,000; no payments first 90 days. Skip-A-Pay fee applies; limits and eligibility rules apply.
- Must be impacted; product-specific rules apply; interest accrues during deferrals.
- Government Shutdown Assistance Loan for government employees impacted by the shutdown.
- 0% APR and no payment for the first 90 days.
- Borrow up to $5,000 on a 12-month term.
Members First Credit Union of Florida
- Offers “Paycheck Protection” loan and Skip-A-Payment program; some fees waived.
- Counseling available for impacted members.
- Loan up to $5,000, up to 36 months at 5.99% APR (OAC); Skip-A-Pay request due by payment date.
- Skip-A-Pay (no fee) for impacted members plus Emergency Relief Loan.
- Loan amounts range from $300–$2,500 with 4.99% APR for up to 12 months.
- Early payoff allowed; funds typically disbursed within one business day.
- Skip-A-Pay requires proof of government employment.
- Government Shutdown Assistance Loan: Borrow up to one month’s net pay or $5,000 (whichever is lower) at 0.00% APR for 90 days. If the loan is not paid in full within 90 days, the rate will increase to the qualifying loan interest rate. The loan will be amortized on a repayment period of up to 36 months.
- Loan Payment Deferment: Skip a payment on an existing loan for no additional fee.
- Share Certificate Withdrawal: Withdraw funds from an existing share certificate without penalty.
- No Payment for 90 days: Your first payment will not be due for 90 days from your loan closing.
- Free Balance Transfers: Lower your monthly payments by transferring your high-rate credit card balances to a Keys Federal Credit Union Visa Credit Card without a fee.
- Free Cash Advances: Withdraw cash from your credit cards at any Keys Federal Credit Union Teller Line at no additional fee.
City-County Employees Credit Union
- “Shutdown Assistance” Loan and Skip-A-Pay program; no processing fees.
- Loan up to $6,000, based on most recent direct deposit; 0% interest for 60 days.
- Repayment plan required if balance not paid within 60 days.
Georgia
Support Options for Members with Direct Deposit:
- Furlough Loan: Up to two weeks of net pay
- 0% APR for the first 60 days
- After 60 days, the rate will adjust to our current shared secured loan rate (currently 4.1% APR)
- Flexible repayment terms up to 12 months
Additional Support for All Affected Members:
- Apply for a personal loan
- Penalty-free withdrawals on certificates
- Request loan payment extensions
- Paycheck Replacement Program – 0% interest loan equal to the last direct deposit amount for members with direct deposit to a Robins Financial Credit Union checking account.
- Furlough Loan – Low-interest loan at 4.99% APR* for 6 months for members without direct deposit to Robins Financial Credit Union.
- Furlough Skip-a-Pay – One-month skip-a-payment available on qualifying loans for members impacted by a furlough.
Virginia
- 0% APR Government Shutdown Assistance Loan available for eligible members.
- Eligibility requires pay impacted by the shutdown and direct deposit with Navy Federal.
- Applies to federal employees, Active Duty servicemembers, and federal government contractors paid directly by the government.
- Loan amounts up to $6,000 with no fees, no credit check, and automatic repayment once pay resumes.
- Enrollment required by the day before the scheduled pay date; registration accepted up to three days after.
- Loans are disbursed only if government pay is interrupted.
- Encourages impacted members to contact directly for relief options.
- Case-by-case assistance.
- Up to one month of net pay for eligible members in good standing. Minimum loan amount $500; 5.99% APR over 12 months. First payment may be deferred up to 60 days; interest accrues during deferral.
- Consumer loan or credit card payments may be deferred up to 30 days, with additional deferments available depending on the length of the shutdown.
- Free, confidential counseling provided through GreenPath Financial Wellness.
- Support available to new and existing members impacted by the federal government shutdown.
Northwest Federal Credit Union
- Offering a Relief Line of Credit available for up to $10,000 at introductory 0.00% APR* for 90 days. After 90 days, it will convert to 8.99% APR* for the remainder of the 24-month term.
Arlington Community Federal Credit Union
- Offering a one-month extension on all loan types for members with existing loans who need help
- Granting personal loans to compensate missing payroll income for members requesting new loan funds for living expenses
- Loan Details:
- Interest Rate of 4.99%
- Max loan amount is one month’s payroll that is deposited to Arlington Community Federal Credit Union
- First payment can be deferred up to 60 days
- No prepayment penalty
- Open Arlington Community Federal Credit Union installment loans must be paid current
- 12 months: Loan amounts up to $2500
- 24 months: Loan amounts from $2501 to $5000
Peoples Advantage Federal Credit Union
- Payment relief for existing loans
- 0% interest short-term loans (for those who qualify) to bridge income gaps until pay resumes
- Government Shutdown Loan: If you are a federal government employee, have a current direct deposit with Apple Federal Credit Union and are not being paid during the shutdown, we may be able to provide you with a 0% APR* interest loan up to a maximum of $5,000.
- Skip-A-Loan Payment: You may be eligible to skip your auto or personal loan payment. Visit AppleFCU.org and log in, view your eligible loan and click on Skip-a-Pay.
- Penalty-Free Certificate Withdrawal: All fees will be waived should you elect to close a Certificate early.
- FREE BALANCE Financial Counseling: Talk with a financial counselor for confidential guidance on how to handle your finances. Access FREE BALANCE Financial Counseling online at or toll-free at 888-456-2227.
- Personal Loans, Lines of Credit and Credit Cards: We offer various loan types to help ease your financial hardship.
- Short Term Loans: For members with existing U.S. Government direct deposit payroll to a Topside Federal Credit Union account, an automatic approval is available for a 12-month loan equal to the amount of the last payroll direct deposit to Topside Federal Credit Union, or $5,000 – whichever is less. No interest will be charged on the loan* if it is paid in full within 30 days of the President’s signature ending the shutdown. Credit inquiries will not be required for this loan.
- Hardship Extension for Existing Loans: One-Month Extension – Available for existing Topside Federal Credit Union loans, lines of credit, and credit cards. Three-Month Extension – Available for existing Topside loans, lines of credit, and credit cards with interest-only payments.
(Additional links will be added as updates come in.)
If you have questions, or if you would like to share how your credit union is assisting members during the shutdown, please contact Ibby Dickson at Ibby.Dickson@the-league.coop.
