Help for AFT members affected by government shutdown

Read Randi Weingarten's statement on the deal to end the government shutdown

The Trump shutdown hurt hundreds of thousands of federal workers and the millions of people we serve.

Thanks to your work—including phone calls, emails and rallies—we were able to put enough pressure on Congress and Trump to reopen the government. But some AFT members and their families may still need help coping with the day-to-day financial hardships resulting from the shutdown.

FAQs

Special assistance for FISE members

The AFT is offering our members a special one-year, interest-free, no-credit-check loan of up to $1,500. No payments will be due on these loans until after the shutdown has ended. Borrowers can take up to 12 months to repay the loans.

If you are interested in accessing this special member benefit, please fill out this short form. The AFT will verify your membership, and you will then be contacted by the AFL-CIO credit union, which will be administering the loan, to complete the process.

Federal government resources

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) furlough guidance

U.S. Department of the Interior contingency plans for operations in the absence of appropriations, including

Federal Student Loan Debt

If you have federal student loan debt and are currently not receiving a paycheck, you should know that income-driven repayment plans are an option for your student loans. IDR plans are repayment plans where your monthly payment is based on your adjusted gross income and family size, rather than how much you owe. When your income is low or zero, your payments through these plans can be as low as $0 a month, and you will continue making progress toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and other loan forgiveness even while making $0 payments. You can recertify your income on the basis of an income decrease at any time. For more information, click here.

IMPORTANT: This website recommends action in support of or against certain legislation being contemplated by Congress. Please do not download, read or forward information accessible on this website using government equipment, resources, email addresses or official or duty time. Furthermore, do not use government resources—including government computers, email addresses and phones—to coordinate or participate in rallies, union activities, or other group activities before Congress or to otherwise contact your Congressional representative regarding the furloughs, budgetary process, etc.