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- Overview - 401(k) and 457 Hardship Withdrawals
Introduction
Sometimes, no matter how much we plan, an unforeseen emergency or unexpected large expense can arise.
Hardship withdrawals can be made for “immediate and heavy” financial need, according to the Internal Revenue Service,to pay for things like medical bills, a down payment for a new home, college tuition, rent or mortgage to prevent eviction or foreclosure, funeral expenses and certain home repairs.
Hardship withdrawals can be taken against the 401(k) plan and the 457 plan. See specific information for each plan below.
Hardship Withdrawal from the 401(k) Plan
Effective 1/1/2024, the hardship applications for the 401(k) plan have been combined into one singular application.
**Please note, having loans out against your 401(k) does NOT preclude you from taking a hardship withdrawal. You can take a hardship withdrawal even if you have a loan balance, however, you cannot take a hardship withdrawal to pay off your 401(k) loan.
The Deferred Compensation Committee has voted to adopt the self-certification process, allowed per the Federal SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. By signing and submitting the new consolidated application, you are self-certifying that you have an immediate and heavy financial need and that the amount you are requesting does not exceed the amount required to satisfy your need.
Although we no longer require documentation to be submitted for a hardship withdrawal from the 401(k), by signing the application you are attesting that you have documentation available to support your claims.
The link to the 401(k) hardship withdrawal self-certify application is available below. Please fully complete the application and the tax withholding form (if necessary). We except either a verified Adobe digital signature or a wet signature.
Completed applications (saved as a pdf) can be emailed to: [email protected].
Unforeseeable Emergency Withdrawal from the 457 Plan
An unforeseeable emergency application for withdrawing funds from the 457 plan include the following:
- A narrative explaining the circ*mstances, supporting documentation, and an expense/income report are all required for this application to be reviewed. This application will be submitted to County Counsel for final approval.
Completed hardship applications and supporting documentation (saved as a pdf) should be submitted by email to [email protected].
For questions regarding Hardship Withdrawals, contact Deferred Compensation at 805/654-2620 or by email at [email protected].
Hardship Withdrawal Applications and Tutorials
Did You Know?
Although a hardship withdrawal may seem like a financial lifeline, it can come with some consequences.
- Hardship withdrawals are treated as taxable income so it will impact your tax situation for that tax year.
- If you are under 59 1/2, there will be an additional 10% penalty for a withdrawal from your 401(k) plan.
- When you take hardship withdrawal from your 457 plan, you will be prohibited from contributing to that plan for 6 months following the withdrawal.
