Does the government shutdown affect Social Security? The U.S. answer
Does the government shutdown affect Social Security payments? No. Retirement, survivor, disability (SSDI) and SSI payments keep arriving on their usual dates, because they do not depend on the yearly funding that lapses. What slows down is service: some Social Security office tasks pause and waits get longer. Right now there is no shutdown, and payments are going out on schedule. The government is funded through December 11, 2026.
Social Security: Normal Government: OPEN Live status
Does the government shutdown affect Social Security payments?
No. Social Security benefits are paid from trust funds built up from payroll taxes, and the law already allows those payments. They do not need a new vote from Congress each year, so a shutdown does not stop them. Payments have gone out on schedule in past shutdowns, including the record 43-day shutdown in 2025.
Your payment date does not change, and nothing needs to be done to keep receiving it.
Which Social Security services slow down or stop
The staff who run the Social Security Administration are paid from yearly funding. In a shutdown most keep working, but some are furloughed: about 6,200 of roughly 52,000 employees in the agency's 2025 plan. Its plan for that shutdown kept core work going and paused the rest:
| Keeps going | Pauses |
|---|---|
| Monthly retirement, survivor and disability (SSDI) payments | Benefit verification letters from an office (you can still get one online) |
| Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments | Corrections to your earnings record not tied to a benefit claim |
| New applications for benefits | Replacement Medicare cards |
| Appeals of decisions | Overpayment processing |
| Changes of address and direct deposit | Payee accountings and Freedom of Information Act requests |
Field offices stay open, but with fewer staff, so expect longer waits in person and on the phone.
SSI, SSDI and Medicare
- SSDI (disability insurance) is paid from a Social Security trust fund, like retirement benefits, so it continues.
- SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is paid from yearly funding, but Congress approves the money for the first three months of each budget year in advance. That protects payments at the start of a budget year, and SSI kept being paid throughout the 2025 shutdown.
- Medicare keeps covering care, because most of its money does not depend on yearly funding. Getting a replacement Medicare card from Social Security can take longer.
Other monthly payments follow their own rules. Military retirement pay also continues, while SNAP food benefits can be at risk in a long shutdown.
The cost-of-living increase
Each October, Social Security announces the next year's cost-of-living increase, based on inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2025 the shutdown delayed that data, so the 2.8% increase for 2026 was announced on October 24 instead of October 15. The raise itself was not affected and started with January 2026 payments.
If a shutdown started after the next deadline
The next funding deadline is December 11, 2026. If funding ran out without a new law, Social Security payments would keep going on schedule, while some office services would slow down or pause as described above.
What beneficiaries can do
- Use my Social Security online for benefit letters, payment history and direct deposit changes, instead of visiting an office.
- Book an appointment if you must go in person, rather than walking in.
- Keep reporting changes such as a new address or income, as usual.
- Watch for scams. Social Security will never ask you to pay to keep your benefits or threaten to stop them over the phone. A shutdown does not change that.
Social Security is one of the programs least touched by a government shutdown. Our U.S. government shutdown tracker shows the live status.
Frequently asked questions
Will Social Security checks be delayed by a government shutdown?
No. Social Security payments have kept going on schedule in past shutdowns, including the 43-day shutdown of 2025. Your payment date stays the same.
Is SSI affected by a government shutdown?
No. SSI is paid from yearly funding, but Congress approves SSI money for the first three months of each budget year in advance, and SSI payments continued in the 2025 shutdown.
Are Social Security offices open during a government shutdown?
Yes, field offices stay open, but with fewer staff and a shorter list of services. Expect longer waits, and use my Social Security online where you can.
Can I still apply for Social Security during a shutdown?
Yes. In the 2025 shutdown, the Social Security Administration kept taking applications and handling appeals.
Does a shutdown affect the Social Security cost-of-living increase?
It can delay the announcement, but not the increase. In 2025 the inflation data was late, so the 2.8% raise for 2026 was announced on October 24 instead of October 15. It still started with January payments.
Is Medicare affected by a government shutdown?
Medicare keeps paying for care, because most of its money does not depend on yearly funding. Some related services, such as replacement Medicare cards from Social Security, can pause.