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How to write a financial hardship letter

A hardship letter says what happened, what you can pay now and what you're asking for, on one page. Fill in the form and you'll have a letter ready to print or email.

Checked 2026-09-27 · All guides

Write your letter

Choose who it's for; the letter changes to fit (rent, a utility bill, a hospital bill, a card, a car loan or a phone bill). Add a sentence about what happened if you want to.

Who are you asking?My landlordMy electric, gas or water companyA hospital or medical billMy credit card companyMy car lenderMy phone or internet companyThe IRSMy boss or employerFamily or a friend (I'm asking)Someone asking me to lend (I'm the lender)Someone who owes me money What are you asking for?More time to payPay part now, the rest laterWaive a late feeWrite a hardship letter Tone

Brief Warm Formal

Your name

Landlord's or property manager's name

Unit or apartment

Amount due

What you can pay each month for now

Reason (optional)Prefer not to sayHours were cutUnexpected medical billUrgent car repairLost my jobPaycheck comes after the due datePay was lateFamily emergencySomething else (type it)

What happened, in a sentence or two (optional)

When you expect things to improve (optional)

What you type stays in this browser. Nothing is sent to us or saved. You send the message yourself; we never contact anyone.

What a hardship letter needs

1. What happened, and when. One or two sentences: "My employer moved me from full-time to part-time on October 1."
2. The numbers. What's due, and what you can really pay each month for now.
3. One clear request. A payment plan, a few extra weeks, a lower payment for a few months, a waived fee or financial assistance. One ask is easier to approve than a list.
4. When you expect things to improve, if you know. "By January, when my new job starts" helps them say yes.
5. Copies of proof, never originals: a layoff letter, reduced pay stubs, a medical bill.

What to leave out

• Medical details beyond what they need. "A hospital stay in September" is enough.
• Promises you can't keep. A plan you break makes the next request harder.
• Blame or pressure. The person reading it usually has a checklist; make it easy for them to tick.
• Your full Social Security number or bank details. If they need them, give them by phone to a number you looked up yourself.

A worked example

Maria rents unit 4B for $1,250 a month. On October 1 her hours were cut, and she can pay $600 a month until her new job starts in January. Her letter asks for "a short payment plan for the rent I'm behind on, or a few extra weeks to pay", says she can pay $600 a month for now, and that she expects things to improve by January. It fits on half a page.

Where it goes, by who you owe

• Landlord: email it, or hand it over and keep a copy. Ask for the reply in writing.
• Utility: most want a call first; send the letter if they ask for it in writing, or to confirm an arrangement. Ask about energy help too (call 211).
• Hospital: ask for the hospital's financial assistance policy and application first. Nonprofit hospitals must have a written policy (IRS section 501(r)(4)); the letter goes with the application.
• Card company or car lender: ask for the hardship department. Before you agree to a plan, ask whether it closes the card, whether interest keeps adding up, and whether it's reported to the credit bureaus.
• Mortgage: your servicer will usually have its own hardship application; the letter goes with it. A HUD-approved housing counselor can help for free.

Related

• What to say to a landlord
• What to say to a hospital about a bill
• What to say to a card company

Sources

• IRS: nonprofit hospitals' financial assistance policies, section 501(r)(4)

Sources checked 2026-09-27.

General information, not legal or financial advice. You send every message yourself; we never contact anyone on your behalf.