Almost 800,000 U.S. government workers are out of work due to the shutdown and high cost, short term lenders are becoming a vital option for families to make ends meet; banks have helped out some workers by allowing them to skip payments without penalties but they removed themselves from short term lending after the 2008 financial crisis; some lenders like World Acceptance are lending up to $1,250 for a 10 months with 0 percent interest and no fees, not a typical loan in this space; the payday lending industry has come under a lot of scrutiny in recent years as they are seen as being predatory; with no end in sight to the shutdown these lenders are playing as key role in helping families pay bills even if at a high cost. Source.