The federal authorities shutdown has now reached its twenty fourth day, making it the second-longest shutdown in U.S. historical past.
Surpassing the three-week mark signifies that federal workers will miss their first full paycheck on Friday, leaving some questioning methods to make ends meet till federal businesses are funded as soon as once more.
The Senate on Thursday didn’t advance laws from Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin that may have supplied pay to some federal staff through the shutdown.
The “Shutdown Fairness Act” — put ahead by Johnson — failed by a vote of 55-45, falling wanting the required 60-vote threshold.
The Capitol is seen at dusk on day 22 of a authorities shutdown in Washington, Oct. 22, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Johnson, in the meantime, objected to unanimous consent requests from each Van Hollen and Peters to advance their laws.
Learn on for a whole information on all the help obtainable for furloughed federal staff.
What does it imply to be furloughed?
When a worker of a authorities company is furloughed throughout a shutdown, it sometimes means the company using the employee has skilled a lapse in appropriations and now not has the required funds to function, in accordance with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Because of the lack of appropriated funding, all non-essential actions are placed on pause throughout this time and a few workers are positioned on “nonduty, nonpay” go away standing.
“Excepted” workers, or these deemed “important,” are anticipated to proceed working through the shutdown with out pay, in accordance with OPM.
“After the lapse in appropriations has ended, workers who have been required to carry out excepted work through the lapse will obtain retroactive pay for these work intervals,” the company states.
Roughly 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed through the present authorities shutdown.
Will furloughed staff get backpay?
Typically, all workers furloughed throughout a authorities shutdown are paid on the conclusion of the shutdown. In a letter last month detailing the potential results of a shutdown, the Congressional Price range Workplace estimated the backpay of all federal staff may complete round $400 million for every day of the shutdown.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump indicated a chance that the federal authorities might deny again pay to some workers furloughed amid the shutdown.
When requested earlier this month if authorities staff would obtain again pay, Trump told reporters, “It relies upon who we’re speaking about.”
“There are some folks that do not should be taken care of, and we’ll deal with them differently,” Trump added.
Inside hours, members of Congress from each main events said they supported again pay for furloughed staff.
What kinds of furlough help applications exist for affected federal workers?
Sure, states which have a big inhabitants of federal workers, like Maryland, Virginia and New York, have arrange help applications to assist federal workers pay for issues like housing and meals.
In the beginning of the shutdown, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore introduced plenty of housing protections obtainable to furloughed federal workers including mortgage assist, vitality help, eviction assets and extra.
An indication that reads “Closed as a consequence of federal authorities shutdown,” is seen exterior of the Nationwide Gallery of Artwork in Washington, Oct. 6, 2025.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Arlington County, Virginia — which is positioned simply throughout the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., and is house to round 25,000 federal workers, in accordance with the county’s website — is providing furloughed staff a swath of vital assets, together with job placement companies, well being care and meals help, housing assets and even help for his or her pets.
The county has cautioned landlords towards eviction through the shutdown, stating on its federal worker help web site that “landlords and rental property homeowners [should] train flexibility to not displace or adversely have an effect on households throughout this troublesome interval.”
Different states throughout the nation are providing unemployment insurance coverage applications which may be useful in preserving furloughed staff afloat till the shutdown has ended.
Furloughed staff can verify the CareerOneStop website, which is sponsored by the U.S. Division of Labor’s Employment and Coaching Administration, to higher perceive their unemployment funding alternatives amid the shutdown.
Different teams are additionally working to assist furloughed federal workers.
Feeding America, a nonprofit community of 200 meals banks throughout the nation, has pledged to feed staff affected by the shutdown, however warned in regards to the pressure it’s going to place on meals banks.
“A chronic shutdown will deepen the pressure, and extra households will search assist at a time when meals banks are already stretched as a consequence of sustained excessive want,” the group wrote on its website.
My Fed Benefits, which isn’t sponsored by the federal authorities or any of its businesses, has compiled a map itemizing eateries in a number of American cities which can be supporting federal staff with meals.
AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of unions, has compiled a whole state-by-state listing of advantages for federal staff here.
Are any furlough help loans obtainable to affected federal workers?
A number of monetary establishments throughout the nation are providing furlough help loans particularly designed to help federal staff affected by the continued authorities shutdown.
Navy Federal Credit Union has arrange a mortgage program providing a 0% APR mortgage through the shutdown for members who’re federal staff affected by the shutdown.
USAA is also offering a 0% APR mortgage program as much as the quantity of your pay from $500 to $6,000. Eligibility standards embody proudly owning an account with USAA and a direct-deposited authorities paycheck.
These with a Thrift Savings Plan — a retirement plan for federal workers and members of the uniformed companies — who’ve borrowed cash from their account within the type of a TSP mortgage will stay in good standing, even with out funds, all through the length of the shutdown, in accordance with the Federal Retirement Thrift Funding Board, the unbiased company that administers this system.
“When you’ve got a TSP mortgage and are an lively participant (not separated from federal service or in a nonpay standing for an additional cause), we are going to routinely replace your standing to maintain your mortgage in good standing, even when we don’t obtain repayments through the shutdown,” the TSP web site states.
Furloughed workers must be vigilant when making use of for help to keep away from turning into victims of scams or fraud. The Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Corp., or FDIC, and the Federal Commerce Fee’s Bureau of Shopper Safety supply suggestions for safeguarding your self here and here.
ABC Information’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this story.
