Furloughed but Not Forgotten

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether you blame the government shutdown on Congress or the President, Democrats or Republicans, there's one group no one can blame –federal workers who just want do their jobs and raise their families.

Congress and the President are still receiving paychecks as the shutdown drags on. But more than 350,000 federal workers have been furloughed.

If the shutdown lasts much longer, these workers face an uncertain future. The last shutdown in 1995-96 lasted 21 days, and President Clinton and Congress agreed to retroactively pay furloughed workers.

This shutdown seems to have no end in sight, and there's no guarantee lawmakers will approve retroactive pay again. Making matters worse, the economy is much worse off today than it was in the mid-'90s, according to CNN.

"Whatever your opinion or political affiliation, you have to sympathize with Americans who want to work and can't," says Howard Dvorkin, CPA founder of Consolidated Credit. "Families are being hurt while politicians grandstand."

Consolidated Credit is offering services to furloughed federal employee who would benefit from advice from certified credit counselors. Those in need of help should call Consolidated Credit's counseling hotline at 1-888-835-0506. Credit counselors can offer free financial advice to those living on the financial edge and will help people gain clarity about what steps should be taken next.

"Many of these furloughed employees will be forced to live on their savings or take on more debt – maxing out their credit cards, for example," Dvorkin says. "The damage to their financial health can last longer after the shutdown ends. We want to ensure when the government gets back to work, its employees get back their financial security."

This isn't the first time Consolidated Credit has offered its services to those in dire need. During Hurricane Sandy last year, the company helped Northeasterners who resided in FEMA-declared disaster areas.

About: ConsolidatedCredit.org was founded in 1993 and is now one of the nation's largest credit counseling organizations, helping more than 5 million people. Its mission: Help families solve their money management problems through education and professional counseling.

Media Contact: April Lewis-Parks / 954-377-9344/ [email protected]

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Howard S. Dvorkin
http://www.profnetconnect.com/howard_s._dvorkin

SOURCE ConsolidatedCredit.org