The Government Won't Pay Me, But the Government's Loan Company is Threatening to Ruin My Credit

I'm a furloughed scientist at the EPA. The bill I'm most terrified of isn't my rent; it's my "Federal" Student Loan. I owe $80,000. I called my loan servicer (think Navient/Nelnet) and said, "Hey, my employer—the Federal Government—has stopped paying me. Can I get a forbearance?" They informed me in a cold, robotic voice: "We are a private company. The shutdown is irrelevant to us. Your $600 payment for November is still due." My employer is preventing me from earning a living, but the company collecting debt on behalf of my employer is threatening to destroy my credit. This is a scam. #StudentLoans #Furloughed #FederalLoan