(Radio Iowa) — Some Iowa credit unions and banks are offering special loans and payments plans to help those affected by the partial federal government shutdown. About 27-hundred Iowans work for departments that have lost their funding. First Federal Credit Union C-E-O Tom Chalstrom says the program is aimed at them. “Anybody impacted by the furlough can obtain up to a five-thousand dollar ($5,000) unsecured loan, that’s interest free, no interest, during the course of the furlough. And no one knows how long that is,” Chalstrom says.

He says the loan provisions are linked to the shutdown. “We won’t start applying interest to the loan until the day they get paid,” he explains.  First Federal operates in the Cedar Rapids area and Chalstrom says they will also work with farmers on an individual basis, if they’re missing out on farm loan or tariff relief payments. “We’ll work with anybody that’s impacted by the furlough on an individual basis,” according toe Chalstrom. “It is targeted towards government employees per se, but somebody that would come to us in that situation, absolutely we would look at it.”

The University of Iowa Community Credit Union and Veridian are also offering special loans or grace periods. Bank Iowa, the People’s Bank and First Citizens Bank also say they’ll work out individualized plans for federal employees.