Crisis resource guide
What changes today, and what help is available right now.
Start with what just happened to you. We’ll show you what programs exist and what to do first.
Job loss
-
He Had $9,400 Left on His 401(k) Loan When He Was Laid Off. Federal Tax Rules Gave Him Until Next April to Fix It.
Marcus had $9,400 left on his 401(k) loan the day his job was eliminated. Here’s the deadline the IRS actually gives you to fix it, and the math if you don’t.
-
His Exit Meeting Explained His Health Coverage in Detail. It Never Mentioned the 31 Days on His $170,000 Life Insurance.
Nate assumed COBRA was the deadline that mattered after his layoff. It was not: his $170,000 group life policy had 31 days to convert, and his disability claim needed proof his condition started before his last day.
-
Two 60-Day Clocks Start the Day You’re Laid Off, and Waiting Closes the Cheaper One
COBRA and the ACA Marketplace both give you 60 days after a layoff, running at the same time, not one after the other. Pricing them separately instead of together is the mistake that closes the cheaper door.
Medical crisis
-
Priya’s Diagnosis Gave Her 18 Months. A Clause Already in Her Life Insurance Policy Let Her Access $40,000 of It This Week.
Priya had 18 months and a $200,000 policy most people never reread. A clause already inside it let her request part of the death benefit in cash before she died.
-
26 Weeks of Short-Term Disability, a Five-Month Social Security Wait: File Both the Same Week
A stage 3 diagnosis means months out of work. Short-term disability and Social Security Disability Insurance run on two different clocks, and starting the second one late is what creates the gap.
-
The Hospital Bill’s 240-Day Clock: Financial Assistance Doesn’t Close When the Account Goes to Collections
Renata’s account had already gone to collections by the time she called about financial assistance, and she assumed that meant the door had closed. It hadn’t.
New baby
-
Her Job Was Protected for 12 Weeks. The Paycheck Covered Six of Them, and No One Filed It For Her.
Renata’s job was protected for 12 weeks under federal law. The paycheck only covered six of them, and it took a separate claim she had to file herself to get that.
-
The Election Window After a Birth Isn’t Just for Health Coverage. It’s Also the Only Chance at $7,500 Pre-Tax This Year.
Most parents hear about the 30-day health insurance window after a birth. Almost nobody mentions the other one: a mid-year chance to shelter up to $7,500 in child care costs from tax.
-
WIC’s Income Line Is $40,034 for Two: What to Bring to the First Appointment
Meera had no idea her household’s income put her under WIC’s cutoff, and no idea the first appointment would include a health screening, not just paperwork.
Divorce
-
Renata Filed for Divorce on Monday and Changed Her Life Insurance Beneficiary Four Days Later. The Restraining Order Was Already Binding Her, Not Just Her Husband.
Renata assumed the restrictions on her divorce summons applied to both spouses once her husband was served. California law says otherwise: she was bound from the moment she filed.
-
Filing for Divorce Just Froze Your Business, and the Valuator Hasn’t Even Called Yet
The petition freezes the business the moment it’s filed. What happens next depends on your state, your valuator, and whether you touch a dollar before you understand the restraint you’re under.
-
The Name Change After Divorce Has an Order: Social Security First, Everything Else After
Change your name at the motor vehicle office before Social Security updates its own record, and the electronic check can bounce your application. Here is the order that actually works.
Elder care
-
The Facility Doesn’t Have to Warn You Before Raising the Rate for a Higher Level of Care. It Has Two Business Days to Tell You After.
Denise assumed a 90-day notice covered every rate increase at her mother’s assisted living community. It doesn’t: reassessment-driven hikes only require notice two business days after the fact.
-
Your Mother’s Discharge Is Set for 11 A.M. Tomorrow: The Appeal That Buys You Time
The discharge planner names a time, not a plan. Here is the free appeal that keeps Medicare paying for the bed while an independent reviewer decides if she is really ready to go home.
-
Your Father Refuses Help, and a Judge Won’t Even Hear the Case for 15 Days
Your parent is unsafe and won’t accept help. What the law actually requires before anyone can step in isn’t a diagnosis. It’s a specific court process most families never learn about until they need it.
