New mom, furloughed federal worker, frustrated as the government shutdown drags on
During what is now the longest government shutdown in American history, some furloughed federal workers have been without a paycheck for over a month, and things are getting tight.
WTOP spoke with one woman, who had a baby two months ago, and spoke to us anonymously. She said she’s been confused trying to get any deferment or assistance from her electricity provider.
“For example, call BG&E for government shutdown assistance … and there’s no direct number or key code to press on the phone to get government assistance,” she said. “You just have to continuously be put on hold, ask for customer service and be very specific on what your ask is.”
Approximately 330,000 federal employees in the D.C. area, including Maryland and Virginia, are currently furloughed. The Bipartisan Policy Center reports, at their latest count, that 670,000 federal employees are currently furloughed nationwide.
“With the retail season coming up, I’m hopeful things will turn around,” the woman said. “Outside of that I guess I’m just going to reach out to my parents and ask for help.”
Furloughed federal workers have access to a range of support options. Unemployment benefits are available through the D.C., Maryland and Virginia Department of Employment Services.
“Some don’t even offer assistance,” the woman said.
“There’s one particular biller that the only offer of assistance was to break your bills down into two consecutive payments instead of pushing your bill to the next month. … It wasn’t really helpful to me.”
For urgent needs such as food and utility support, organizations like the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and the Capital Area Food Bank are offering help. Many financial institutions may also provide hardship loans or allow payment deferrals during this time.