Kat McAdaragh

How to Navigate Life During the Shutdown

You planned for emergencies. You had savings— maybe not much, but enough. You paid your bills on time, kept good credit, and did everything the “responsible adult” handbook told you to do. And then the government shut down, and suddenly all those careful plans felt like building sandcastles at high tide. This is about everything the personal finance blogs don’t prepare you for—how to keep your life running when the paychecks stop, but everything else keeps demanding payment.

There’s a scene I can’t stop thinking about: federal workers—people with master’s degrees, security clearances, middle-class salaries—lining up at food banks for the first time in their lives. Not because they made poor choices. Not because they were irresponsible. But because the government they work for decided to use their livelihoods as bargaining chips.

If that’s you right now, I need you to hear this: seeking help isn’t failure. It’s survival. And survival, in these circumstances, requires letting go of every myth about self-sufficiency we’ve been sold and getting ruthlessly practical about what needs to happen next.

The Bills That Won’t Wait

The cruelest part of the shutdown isn’t just the missing paychecks—it’s that mortgages, rent, car payments, and utilities don’t care about political gridlock. They come due whether you’ve been paid or not. So let’s talk strategy.

Contact Your Creditors Immediately

I know this feels humiliating. The idea of calling your mortgage company or landlord to explain that you can’t pay feels like admitting defeat. But here’s what I’ve learned from people who’ve survived previous shutdowns: most creditors would rather work with you than against you.

Call your mortgage lender and ask about forbearance options. Many lenders have specific programs for federal employees during shutdowns. The keyword is “forbearance”—it means they temporarily pause or reduce your payments without reporting you as delinquent. Get everything in writing.

For rent, talk to your landlord before the payment is late. Many will work with you, especially if you have a history of on-time payments. Some many allow partial payment or defer the rest until you receive back pay. Document everything.

Credit card companies often have hardship programs that can temporarily lower your interest rate or minimum payment. You have to ask, and yes, it’s uncomfortable, but the alternative—missed payments destroying your credit—is worse.

Utility Companies Have Rules They Don’t Advertise

Most utility companies cannot shut off services during certain months, or if you have young children or elderly residents in the home. Call them. Ask about payment plans, hardship programs, or crisis assistance funds. Many states have programs specifically to help people keep their heat and electricity on during emergencies.

Don’t wait until you get a disconnect notice. Call now, explain the situation, and get a plan in place.

The Healthcare Crisis No One’s Talking About Enough

If you get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace with subsidies, you’re about to face a financial catastrophe if Congress doesn’t act. Some families are looking at premium increases of $25,000 annually—not a typo, twenty-five thousand dollars—if the subsidies disappear.

What You Can Do Now:

Monitor your state’s health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment began on November 1st, and states are required to notify you of premium changes. When those notices arrive, don’t panic—but do pay attention.

If your premiums become unaffordable, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to change plans. Look for catastrophic coverage options if you’re under 30 or qualify for a hardship exemption. These plans have high deductibles but protect you from complete financial ruin if something serious happens.

Community health centers provide care on a sliding fee scale based on your ability to pay. If you lose insurance, find your nearest federally qualified health center. They cannot turn you away due to an inability to pay.

Prescription Medications

If you take regular medications, talk to your pharmacist now—before you run out. Many pharmacies have programs that provide short-term supplies during emergencies. Drug manufacturers often have patient assistance programs for people without insurance. The website NeedyMeds.org can help you find programs for your specific medications.

Also, ask your doctor about generic alternatives or therapeutic substitutes that might be less expensive. Pride doesn’t keep you healthy—pragmatism does.

When SNAP and WIC Run Out

If you’re one of the 42 million people who rely on SNAP benefits, you’re looking at benefits potentially ending on November 1st. WIC has even less runway. This isn’t your fault, and it’s not your problem to solve alone, but you do need a plan.

Food Banks Aren’t Just for “Other People”

Food banks exist for moments like this. They’re not charity in the condescending sense—they’re community infrastructure, designed to catch people when the system fails. You’ve probably paid taxes that funded food assistance programs for years. Now it’s your turn to receive that support.

Find your local food bank through FeedingAmerica.org. Many have special distributions specifically for federal workers. Go early if you can—supplies run out. Bring bags or boxes to carry things home. Bring your family if you need help carrying everything. There’s no shame in any of this.

Community Fridges and Mutual Aid Networks

Many communities now have community fridges—literally refrigerators in public spaces where anyone can take food without questions or paperwork. Search social media for “community fridge” plus your city name.

Mutual aid groups organize on Facebook, Instagram, and through local organizations. These are neighbors helping neighbors—no bureaucracy, no judgment. Search “mutual aid” plus your city or neighborhood name. These groups often coordinate food sharing, bill assistance, and other practical support.

Buy Nothing Groups

The Buy Nothing Project has local groups where people give away items they no longer need—including food, household supplies, and children’s items. Join your local group on Facebook. It’s not just about receiving; when things stabilize, you can give back.

Keeping Kids Cared For When Childcare Becomes Unaffordable

Many federal programs that provide childcare assistance are frozen during shutdowns. If you can’t afford childcare, you can’t work—and if you’re already not getting paid, paying for childcare with savings or credit cards isn’t sustainable.

Emergency Options:

Ask your employer about telework options if you’ve been called back to work without pay. Many agencies are more flexible during shutdowns than usual.

Reach out to family, friends, or neighbors about childcare swaps. Can you trade babysitting duties with another parent? Can a trusted neighbor watch kids for a few hours in exchange for help with something else later?

Local churches and community centers sometimes offer emergency childcare during crisis situations. Call around. The worst they can say is no.

School-age children may be able to attend after-school programs through Boys & Girls Clubs or YMCA facilities, many of which offer sliding scale fees or scholarships during emergencies.

The Mental Health Toll

Let’s acknowledge what’s happening psychologically. The stress of financial uncertainty doesn’t just make you anxious—it physically affects your body and brain. Your executive function diminishes. Making decisions becomes harder. Sleep suffers. You snap at people you love.

This isn’t weakness. This is your nervous system responding appropriately to threat. You’re not being dramatic; you’re being human.

Free Mental Health Support

The Federal Occupational Health Employee Assistance Program provides free counseling to federal employees and their families. Call 1-800-222-0364.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) provides free, confidential support 24/7 and can connect you to local resources.

Crisis Text Line is available by texting HOME to 741741. Sometimes typing feels easier than talking.

Online support groups for federal employees and affected families are organizing on Reddit (r/fednews) and Facebook. Knowing you’re not alone helps.

Low-Cost Coping Strategies:

Exercise, even just walking, reduces stress hormones. It’s free. It works.

Breathing exercises sound silly until you try them when you’re panicking about bills. Four counts in, hold for four, four counts out, hold for four. Repeat until your heart rate slows.

Limit news consumption. You need to stay informed, but doom-scrolling for hours doesn’t help and significantly increases anxiety. Set specific times to check news, then step away.

The Contractor Reality

If you’re a federal contractor, your situation is even more precarious because you won’t get back pay when this ends. The money you’re losing is just gone. This is perhaps the most unjust aspect of the entire situation.

Immediate Steps:

File for unemployment immediately if you’re not working. Every state is different, but most allow contractors to file. Do it anyway. The worst they can say is no, and you might be surprised.

Document everything related to your lost work and income. Save emails, timesheets, contract details. If there’s ever compensation or legal action later, you’ll need this documentation.

Contact your state representatives. Contractors have been compensated after past shutdowns when enough pressure was applied to Congress. Your voice matters.

Look into emergency assistance programs through organizations like Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, or United Way’s 211 service. These organizations help with rent, utilities, and other emergency expenses regardless of your religious affiliation.

Small Business Owners in Limbo

If you’re a small business owner waiting on SBA loans or dealing with contracts that can’t be processed during the shutdown, you’re watching your business suffer through no fault of your own.

The Small Business Administration processes about $860 million in loans weekly during normal operations. All of that is frozen. If your business depends on those funds, you need alternative plans immediately.

Talk to your bank about bridge loans or lines of credit. Explain the situation—they’re aware of the shutdown’s impact on small business.

Contact your suppliers and explain the situation. Many will work with you on extended payment terms if you’ve been a reliable customer.

Consider whether you can temporarily pivot your business model. Can you offer different services that don’t require federal approval? Can you delay expansions until the shutdown ends?

What About That “Back Pay”?

By law, federal employees are supposed to receive back pay when the shutdown ends. But “supposed to” isn’t the same as “guaranteed,” and even if it comes, bills don’t wait for Congress to function.

The 2019 shutdown lasted 35 days. Some workers didn’t see back pay for weeks after that. Budget accordingly. Don’t make financial decisions based on money you don’t have yet.

Contractors typically do not receive back pay. If you’re a contractor, plan as if that money is permanently lost, and be pleasantly surprised if anything changes.

Building a Network When Everything Feels Uncertain

This shutdown is revealing something important: the systems we believed were stable aren’t. The supposed safety nets have holes. But what’s also becoming visible is the strength of actual community—people help people because it’s the right thing to do.

Join or create networks of support. Start a group chat with other affected workers. Share information about resources, food distributions, and assistance programs. Someone always knows something useful.

Offer what you can, even when you’re struggling. If you have skills—financial planning, legal knowledge, childcare experience, whatever—offer them to others who need them. This isn’t about martyrdom; it’s about building the mutual support systems that governments apparently won’t guarantee.

The Long View

I don’t want to end with toxic positivity about silver linings. This situation is unjust, stressful, and shouldn’t be happening. But it is happening, so what do we do with that?

We learn that our individual financial planning, no matter how careful, cannot protect us from systemic failures. We learn that community matters more than we thought. We learn which organizations and people show up when things get hard.

We also learn that maybe we need to rethink the entire approach to personal finance that tells us individual responsibility is enough. When hundreds of thousands of people do everything “right” and still end up in crisis because of political dysfunction, the problem isn’t individual failure. It’s systemic fragility.

For now, though, we focus on getting through. One bill at a time. One meal at a time. One day at a time.

You’re not alone in this. You didn’t cause this. And you’re going to make it through—not because everything will magically be okay, but because you’re more resourceful than you give yourself credit for, and because when you reach out, you’ll find hands reaching back.

Essential Resources for Federal Workers and Families During the Shut Down

Food Assistance:

• Feeding America Food Bank Locator – Find your nearest food bank
• 211 Services – Dial 211 or visit website for local emergency food, rent, and utility assistance
• WIC State Agency Directory – Contact your state WIC office for updates
• SNAP State Directory – Find your state SNAP information
• Buy Nothing Project – Find your local gift economy group

Financial Assistance:

• Federal Worker Solidarity Fund – Emergency financial support for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia federal workers (Community Services Agency)
• National Association of Federal Credit Unions – Many credit unions offer interest-free loans to federal employees during shutdowns
• USDA Rural Development – Information on mortgage forbearance for USDA-backed loans
• FHA Connection – FHA mortgage relief options
• Making Home Affordable – Mortgage assistance programs

Unemployment Benefits:

• CareerOneStop Unemployment Benefits Finder – File for unemployment by state
• Department of Labor – Unemployment Compensation – Federal guidelines and state contacts

Healthcare Resources:

• Healthcare.gov – ACA marketplace for insurance options
• Find a Health Center – Locate federally qualified health centers offering sliding-scale fees
• NeedyMeds – Find prescription assistance programs
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance – Medication assistance programs
• RxAssist – Patient assistance program directory
• GoodRx – Compare prescription drug prices and find coupons

Mental Health Support:

• Federal Occupational Health EAP – 1-800-222-0364 (Free counseling for federal employees)
• SAMHSA National Helpline – 1-800-662-4357 (Free, confidential, 24/7)
• Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call or text 988
• BetterHelp – Online therapy with financial assistance available
• Open Path Collective – Affordable therapy ($30-$80 per session)

Childcare Resources:

• Child Care Aware – 1-800-424-2246 – Find childcare options and financial assistance
• YMCA Child Care – Many locations offer sliding-scale fees
• Boys & Girls Clubs – After-school programs with financial assistance

Utility Assistance:

• LIHEAP Clearinghouse – Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program by state
• State Utility Commission Directory – Contact your state’s utility regulator about shutoff protections
• Salvation Army – Emergency utility assistance

Legal Resources:

• Legal Services Corporation – Find free legal aid in your area
• American Bar Association Free Legal Answers – Online legal advice
• National Employment Law Project – Worker rights information

Federal Employee-Specific:

• r/fednews on Reddit – Active community of federal workers sharing information and support
• Federal News Network – Latest shutdown updates and resources
• Government Executive – Federal workplace news and shutdown information
• National Treasury Employees Union – Union resources and advocacy
• American Federation of Government Employees – Union support and legal resources

Small Business Resources:

• Small Business Administration – Check for updates on loan processing
• SCORE – Free business mentoring and advice
• Small Business Development Centers – Local business assistance

General Assistance:

• Benefits.gov – Search for federal, state, and local benefits you may qualify for
• Aunt Bertha (now findhelp.org) – Search for free or reduced-cost services near you
• Catholic Charities USA – Emergency assistance (no religious affiliation required)
• United Way 211 – Comprehensive directory of local health and human services
• Modest Needs – Emergency grants for working people in temporary crisis

Stay Informed:

• Partnership for Public Service – Shutdown Tracker – Daily updates on shutdown impacts
• Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget – Nonpartisan analysis of shutdown effects

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What resources have helped you during the shutdown? What questions do you still have? Share in the comments—your experience might help someone else navigate this crisis.