Information for furloughed 
To: "USGS Employees"<distribution>
Subject: ALL USGS EMPLOYEES DISTRIBUTION


	
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has developed information for furloughed 
employees who may need to contact creditors as a result of the financial hardship 
created by the furlough.  This information is being passed along to USGS employees.

OPM states that this material includes sample letters that can be used when working 
with your creditors, landlord, etc.  It is not recommended that you copy and use 
these letters but rather that you use them as a guide in working with your creditors.  The following are some tips on using letters:

	--  Speak with your landlord, mortgage company, or creditor first before 
you write a letter.  Just sending a letter will not be very effective as it will 
take a fair amount of time to get to the individual who needs to see it, if it even 
reaches that person.  In talking with your creditors, you can work out the details 
of any payment plan and build up some good will.

	--  Be sure to send the letter directly to the person you have spoken with 
so that they can act on your request for a reduced payment plan.

	--  Make sure that you have all the necessary information in your letter 
including account number, address of the property, and a telephone number where 
you can be reached.

	--  Be sure to keep a copy of the letter.  In some situations, you may 
want to send the letter by certified mail.  You may also want to FAX the letter 
to the company.

SAMPLE LETTER TO CREDITORS/LANDLORD


Dear:

This is to confirm our conversation of (date), in which we discussed a temporary 
reduction in my monthly payment (rent).

As we discussed, I am a Federal employee who has recently been furloughed due to 
a lack of funding of my agency.  Because of this, my income has been severely cut 
and I am unable to pay the entire cost of my monthly payment (rent), along with 
my other expenses.

As we agreed in our conversation, I will be able to make regular payments in the 
amount of $________.  I recognize that I will be responsible for paying the remainder 
of the payment (rent), and when I return to work, I will contact you immediately to 
work out a plan to take care of the reduced payments (rent).  I will also keep in 
touch with you to inform you about my income status.

I appreciate your willingness to work with me and your understanding during this 
difficult time.

                                    Sincerely,


                                    (Name)

Account Number
Address
Telephone Number
??