The Office of Personnel Management released draft letters Thursday for federal employees to hold off creditors during the government shutdown.

Nearly 800,000 federal employees have either been furloughed or will be working without pay as the government shutdown enters its sixth day. That means households with federal workers are trying to figure out how to get by without their usual paycheck as the holiday season comes to a close.

OPM’s guidance suggests that workers call their landlord, mortgage company, or creditor to speak with them about their situation, even before sending a letter.

“Speaking with your creditors will enable you to work out the details of any payment plan that you can later confirm with your letter,” says the memo from OPM.

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