Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Hope you had a nice day off today, but if you’re a federal worker maybe you had to work today not knowing when or if you’ll be paid.
It’s a situation we wouldn’t be in with even a moderately competent president. Not sure how accommodating landlords will be, but perhaps PayPal can help a little.
According to an announcement on the PayPal website,
We understand that the current U.S. federal government shutdown is impacting many of our fellow citizens. To assist during this time of uncertainty, we are offering an interest-free one-time cash advance, up to your available credit line for a maximum of $500 (with a minimum amount of $250) to existing or new* PayPal Credit customers who are U.S. federal government employees impacted by the shutdown.
…
After you call into Customer Service and upon validation of proof of federal government employment, you’ll receive a cash advance from your PayPal Credit account, ... This one-time cash advance will be interest-free with a 0% Annual Percentage Rate (APR)* until the cash advance amount is paid in full. Your PayPal and PayPal Credit accounts must be in good standing to be eligible.
... Once the amount is in your PayPal account balance, you can use it to make purchases, send money or transfer it to a bank account.
…
PayPal is committed to funding a total of $25 million in interest-free cash advances for this program. The program will end when (1) the government reopens and federal government employees receive their first paycheck or (2) the program funds have been fully utilized, whichever is sooner.
Could the $25 million be depleted before the federal government reopens? That’s a scary thought.