Info on Hardship Programs for Barclays, Chase, Synchrony, Capitol One & Discover?

[DollazSense]

Long story short: I lost my job and I need help. I am filing for unemployment but I don't know if I'm eligible. My mother will likely help me out and keep things afloat for me. 

Nonetheless, I still want to know about credit hardship programs for the following creditors and banks: Barclays, Chase, Synchrony, Capitol One, Discover.
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Some of the info I found online is outdated and I'm not sure if certain things still hold true in 2017. This MyFico thread was helpful, especially the last half of the discussion: http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Capital-One-won-t-agree-to-lower-payment-plan-what-woul...

I specifically want to know:

1. Which creditors have a reputation for closing your card simply because consumers inquired about a hardship programs, even if the account is current/ not past due and not on a hardship agreement?
2. Which creditors require you to close the account to do hardship?
3. Which creditors require automated payments?
4. What were the hardship terms? Reduced interest? Reduced minimum payment? Both? How long was the hardship term?
5. Did you have to furnish documents such as job termination papers? Unemployment benefits? Utility bills?
6. What did your credit report say after joining the hardship program

More than five years have passed since I was last on a hardship plan. I don't remember much but the following:
1. I didn't have to furnish documents

2. Citi Cards was the most professional, reasonable and accommodating. They reduced my interest to 3% down from something that was about 20% for a now-defunct MTVU Student Credit Card. They sent me a detailed letter confirming the agreement, which was for either 6 or 12 months. The card closed but Citi told me they'd consider allowing me to use the card again at the end of the hardship term. I think I was able to initiate the monthly payments rather than have payments automatically deducted from my bank account but I'm not 100% sure.

3. I had two hardship plans with Synchrony when it was GE for my GAP and AE visa cards. I had to close both cards as part of the agreement. It's possible I didn't receive written confirmation of the hardship agreement.  I also want to believe that the payments were automatically deducted from my account. And I don't think it was a reduced interest rate, just reduced minimum payments.
4. I had a hardship plan with Comentiy back when it was World Financial Bank WFNNB. I can't remember the plan details; I just know they had a program for the Express credit card I had at that time. 
5. The hardship programs that required me to close the accounts marked the credit line as “Closed by Customer,” thankfully. No other notations were made. I say this because one article I read said some creditors will notate that the consumer is participating in a hardship program and that’s a big NO-NO for me.

Some other notes:
1. I recall being told I couldn't be considered for the hardship program until my bill was considered late. Unfortunately, I can't remember what creditor told me this but I feel like it was Capital One? I never had a hardship program with them, though.

2. I don't recall how agreeing to close the card affected my credit score. By then, I didn't have a MyFico Score Watch membership (or an equivalent) and I wasn't obsessed with personal credit.

3. One thing people should know about payment plans: Making your first hardship payment may not bring your account to current and a 30-day late could appear on your credit report. I learned this with Synchrony when it was GE. The solution: make a double payment. Schedule first payment with the creditor when you agree to do hardship and make another payment on your own!

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to express my sympathy on your job loss......hopefully you will find something soon! Good luck! 

[Anonymous]

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Very sorry to hear about your job loss. I don't know about the lenders above in this type of situation; perhaps someone else will be able to help.

However, it is very possible that any lender will restrict or close your card to minimize their risk. There is no guarantee that a specific lender won't do this. Lenders are being increasingly watchful of their own risks. I hope it does not happen, but just wanted you to be aware of that.

Also, you mentioned above that you don't want the credit card to report that you as a consumer are on a hardship program. There is really no way you can prevent them from reporting that to the credit bureaus.

I hope you will be able to find a temporary or part time job, or even obtain a loan from a family member to get you through this so you won't have to go down the road of payment difficulties.

Try to do everything you can to keep up with payments ( which is difficult, I know), because it is difficult to say what will happen if you go down the road of missing payments and not being able to make payments. It's not a good road to go down if you can avoid it in any way.

You mentioned you were in a hardship situation previously with cards and payments, and I'd like to see you avoid in any way possible putting yourself back into the same situation.

If you are willing to share the amounts owed and payments required, others may be able to help you more specifically as well.