Sign up and manage your deferred compensation retirement account. Use this form if you want to: • request a distribution for a financial hardship due to an unforeseeable emergency.To initiate a hardship withdrawal, participants complete a Hardship Distribution Request form and submit to Empower. Distribution Reasons. The University will provide you. Early distribution penalties do not apply to 457(b) deferred compensation plans for eligible withdrawals of 457 pre-tax money.