Boiler Bay Beacon
NEWPORT, Ore. — As the federal government shutdown stretches into its third week, Oregon’s Division of Financial Regulation is calling on insurance companies, banks and other financial providers to ease the financial strain on affected workers — a group that includes more than 300 federal employees in Lincoln County alone.
The shutdown, triggered by stalled congressional funding talks on Oct. 1, has furloughed or left unpaid thousands of federal workers nationwide. In Oregon, the Employment Department estimates about 10,000 of the state’s roughly 30,000 federal payroll jobs have been disrupted. Locally, Lincoln County’s 313 federal workers, many tied to agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture or NOAA’s coastal research operations in Newport, face similar hardships, from delayed paychecks to mounting bills.
DFR Administrator and Acting Insurance Commissioner TK Keen emphasized the need for compassion in a pair of bulletins issued this week, directing state-regulated entities to offer flexible accommodations. “We encourage entities regulated under our jurisdiction to take active measures to provide help to their customers and policyholders that are directly affected by the federal government shutdown,” Keen said. “All accommodations provided should comply with all applicable state and federal statutes and regulations.”
Suggested relief includes grace periods for insurance premium payments, extended deadlines for filing claims, deferred debt repayments, waived late fees, paused foreclosures and evictions, and personalized negotiations with consumers. The guidance aims to shield Oregonians, including Central Coast families in places like Lincoln City and Waldport, from unnecessary penalties during what Keen called a “temporary financial hardship through no fault of their own.”
“We know the shutdown has affected thousands of families in Oregon and we are asking our regulated entities to give some grace to those who have no control over the situation they are currently in,” Keen added.
The bulletins are available on DFR’s website at dfr.oregon.gov. Affected residents can reach consumer advocates at 1-888-877-4894, or via email at [email protected] for insurance issues or [email protected] for financial services.
The Division of Financial Regulation, part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, oversees insurance, banks, securities and consumer finance to protect Oregonians. More at dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.
