<prompt> Human: Apologies for any formatting issues. Im brand new to reddit. So, I am in dire straits. Im wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar and has had some success with appealing a 1-year waiting period on cash withdrawaldistribution of a 401k. Ill try and keep this as brief as possible. Im giving you the background so that youre aware that I have no other options. Here are the specifics of my situation:SUMMER 2013: I sold my car and use the proceeds to pay off my student loan balance. My car also happened to be the only thing of any value that I own outright. Later that summer I got a notification from the employment development department that I had been overpaid unemployment benefits when I had been laid off from my prior job job 1 in 2011. So, I set up a monthly repayment plan with EDD that would last 24 months. And continued to make those monthly payments to them until July of this year. I also made a 5k personal loan to my best friend who had gotten into a car accident and had no insurance. My friend is paying me back, slowly, every month. I have not rebuilt these savings yet. JUNE-JULY 2014: I quit the job Ive had in advertising for the past 2 12 years job 2 for a new opportunity job 3. One month later my new employer job 3 goes through a massive restructuring and my position is eliminated after just 6 weeks of employment. And, no, my old job at my prior employer is no longer available. JULY 2014-PRESENT: I apply for unemployment benefits, but am told I am not eligible to receive any benefits until my overpayment balance has been settled. However, I no longer have an income to make those payments. What a fun catch 22, right? I apply for a personal loan with my bank and a few others and am turned down. I have sold practically all of the furnishings in my apartment even my air conditioner during a horrible heat wave, but that only gets me through August. I wont have enough to cover September rent. I dont have family in the US, so no, I cant move in with my parents. THE 401K STUFF: But, then, I get a notification from the financial institution which managed my 401k with job 2. The notification says that my employment status has changed in their system and I may now contact them to either roll over my 401k savings to a new employers 401k, rollover my 401k into an IRA or to take a full cash withdrawal minus taxes and early penalty fee. Im 27, so there will be the 10 penalty in addition to the regular taxes. The financial institution rep informs me that Im eligible to make a full withdrawal of my account and sends me the paperwork to fill out. A week later Im informed that on my particular plan there is a 1-year waiting period from the date of your termination on any withdrawal if your account is valued over 15k. The rules of the plan are created by your employer, not by the financial institution. SO MY QUESTION IS: Has anyone successfully appealed a similar 1-year waiting period for a withdrawal with their former employer? Im speaking with the benefits rep at my former employer job 2 on Friday and will be detailing for him how without an immediate cash infusion I am not going to be able to afford food, let alone a roof over my head and find if there is any way the company can make an exception and waive the 1 year waiting period for me. My 401ks valuation is just a few hundred dollars over 15k the limit that sets off this 1 year waiting period. Do I have a chance at making this happen or are these things set in stone? Thanks for listening and for any advice you might have. And, yes, of course I am on the job hunt right now sending out 100 applications a week.  <response>: Not that its ideal to be withdrawing from your retirement at all. But, I would expect that if you roll over your 401k to an IRA you can then take an early withdrawal from that and the 401k companys rules will no longer matter. 