Prompt details

Tested on

Claude Opus 5.5

Length

550 words · 3 fill-ins

Example input

[What happened]: About 3 months ago I had emergency abdominal surgery. Counting the 9 days in the hospital, I was off work for 8 weeks on my doctor's orders. My employer's short-term disability paid 60% of my salary for 6 of those weeks, and it has ended. I went back to work part time (24 hours a week) 5 weeks ago. My surgeon's note says I can return to full time in about 6 weeks. My job is safe; this is a temporary drop. I paid the mortgage on time for 7 years before this.

[Income, expenses and amounts owed]: Monthly take-home pay before: $5,200. Now (part time): $3,100. Back to about $5,200 when I'm full time again. Monthly essentials now: mortgage $1,850 (includes escrow), utilities $260, groceries $520, car payment $310, car insurance $120, phone and internet $140, hospital bill payment plan $150, gas $160. Total $3,510. I'm 2 mortgage payments behind: $3,700, plus $148 in late fees. The next payment is due in 10 days. I have $900 in savings. No other debts are behind.

[Lender and account]: Mortgage servicer: Keystone Home Loans. 30-year fixed loan on the house I live in. I'm in Pennsylvania. I'm single, no other adults in the household. Last week I got a letter from Keystone saying I'm behind and giving a phone number for "loss mitigation". I haven't called yet. No foreclosure notice so far.

Example output

1. Hardship timeline

About 3 months ago ([add date]): Emergency abdominal surgery; 9 days in hospital.
[add date] to [add date]: Off work 8 weeks on doctor's orders. Short-term disability paid 60% of salary for 6 of those weeks, then ended.
[add date] and [add date]: Two mortgage payments missed ($3,700) plus $148 in late fees.
5 weeks ago ([add date]): Returned to work part time, 24 hours a week. Job is secure.
Last week ([add date]): Keystone letter received: account behind, loss mitigation number given. No foreclosure notice.
In about 6 weeks ([add date]): Surgeon expects return to full time. The hardship is temporary, so short-term relief fits rather than a permanent loan change.

2. Monthly figures

*Assumption: your expenses before surgery were the same, except the hospital payment plan.*

Item	Before	Now
Take-home pay	$5,200	$3,100
Mortgage (incl. escrow)	$1,850	$1,850
Utilities	$260	$260
Groceries	$520	$520
Car payment	$310	$310
Car insurance	$120	$120
Phone and internet	$140	$140
Hospital bill payment plan	—	$150
Gas	$160	$160
Total essentials	$3,360	$3,510
Left over	+$1,840	−$410

Your non-mortgage essentials are $1,660, so right now you have at most $1,440 for the mortgage. Offer $1,300 a month, which leaves $140 of breathing room, and keep the $900 savings as an emergency reserve rather than putting it toward arrears. At full time ($5,200 take-home), you will have $1,690 left after all essentials, including the regular mortgage payment.

3. The request

Ask for: a 3-month forbearance with a reduced payment of $1,300 a month, starting with the payment due in 10 days.
Why it fits: Your hardship has a clear end date, and right now you cannot make even the regular $1,850 payment. That rules out a repayment plan today, since it would require more than $1,850 a month. A loan modification is meant for lasting income loss. Three months covers the 6 weeks to full time plus a margin in case your return slips.

Claude Opus 5.5

Write a Hardship Letter – Hardship letter prompt for ChatGPT and Claude

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Claude Opus 5.5

This prompt writes a financial hardship letter to a lender, servicer, landlord or creditor. Paste what happened, your figures and the account; you get the numbers, the relief to ask for, the letter and a call plan.

What you get

A short, dated hardship timeline and your monthly figures with the gap
The one relief option that fits your numbers, and others to mention
A one-page hardship letter and the documents to attach
A call script and a 30-day follow-up plan

How to use it

1
Get the numbers right
Use your pay stubs and statements for income and expenses, so every figure in the letter is one you can prove.
2
Check the request
Make sure the payment it asks for fits your budget for the whole plan, not only this month.
3
Call, send and follow up
Call the lender, ask which application they need, send the letter with it and follow the 30-day plan.

Better results

Call the lender before you send the letter and ask which application or form must go with it.
If your situation changes, such as a return-to-work date, paste the update and ask for a revised request.
For a mortgage, ask a HUD-approved housing counselor to look over the letter and the application; their help is free.

Questions

Can AI write a hardship letter?

Yes. ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini can write a clear hardship letter from what happened, your income and expenses and the account details. Keep every fact true and every figure documented, and ask only for a payment you can keep up. The lender decides, so no letter guarantees relief.

What should a hardship letter include?

A hardship letter should say what happened and when, how it changed your income, whether it is temporary, what you can pay now and the specific relief you want, such as forbearance or a repayment plan. Attach proof, such as pay stubs and a doctor's note.

Do I need a hardship letter for a loan modification?

Usually, yes. Most mortgage servicers ask for a hardship letter or statement with their loss mitigation application, along with income and expense documents. Call your servicer to ask what it needs, or ask a free HUD-approved housing counselor to help you apply.

How long before foreclosure starts if I miss mortgage payments?

Under federal rules, a mortgage servicer generally cannot start foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind, with a few exceptions. State foreclosure timelines differ, so call your servicer early and talk to a HUD-approved housing counselor at 800-569-4287.

Updated 8 Nov 2026