On October 16, 2025, the United States federal government shutdown due to a funding gap affecting millions of Americans. However, despite the government shutdown, the approximately 68 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits will continue to receive their payments on time.
This is because Social Security benefits provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) fall under “mandatory spending,” meaning that the issuance of checks does not rely on the annual congressional budget. Therefore, payments such as retirement benefits, disability assistance, and survivor benefits will still be disbursed as usual. The SSA’s funds primarily come from payroll taxes, which are deposited into the Social Security Trust Funds to ensure that beneficiaries do not experience interruptions due to the government shutdown.
However, this does not mean there will be no impact at all. While the cash flow remains stable, administrative operations will be affected. According to the SSA’s contingency plan, approximately sixty percent of staff will be placed on unpaid furlough, with only essential positions responsible for payments, data security, and system maintenance remaining operational.
During the shutdown period, individuals will continue to receive their payments but may experience delays in services. For example, new Social Security number applications, card replacements, disability benefit appeals, and some eligibility reviews will be temporarily postponed. Customer service center hours may be reduced, and the processing speed at regional offices will significantly slow down. Nonetheless, core functions like fraud prevention operations, payment corrections, and death registrations will continue to operate normally.
So, during the government shutdown, which SSA services will continue to operate, and which ones will be temporarily suspended? Based on the SSA’s past contingency plans during government shutdowns, the following services will continue:
1) Regular disbursement of various benefits:
– Retirement benefits
– Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
– Survivor benefits
– Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
2) Maintenance of core services and data processing:
– Sending out checks and direct deposits
– Correcting erroneous payments
– Preventing fraud and identity theft
– Handling death and birth records
3) Limited customer support:
– National service phone centers will still handle some emergency calls
– Online accounts (MySSA) will remain accessible, but manual reviews may experience delays
Services categorized as “non-essential” will be frozen or postponed during the government shutdown:
1) Not processing new applications (unless urgent):
– Issuance of new Social Security numbers (SSN) or cards will be paused
– Processing of new retirement, disability, or survivor benefit applications may be delayed
2) Not conducting reviews or appeals:
– Appeals cases for disability benefits will be put on hold
– Some benefit eligibility reviews or reassessments will be delayed
3) Staff reductions and office closures:
– Around sixty percent of staff will be on furlough
– Only key positions responsible for payments, data security, IT system maintenance, etc., will be retained
Government services affected by the shutdown are those that fall under discretionary spending. The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate must annually enact budgets to fund these federal agencies and programs, accounting for about one-third of the annual budget.
Social Security benefits are mandatory expenditure items, as is Medicare, a federal healthcare program for individuals aged 65 and older and long-term disabled individuals. These programs are not subject to annual appropriations and have funds mandated by law.
Both Social Security and Medicare have dedicated sources of income: payroll taxes, which account for 7.65% of most employees’ wages, with employers required to match this tax contribution. The funds you contribute to these programs are held in trust funds separate from the federal government’s general fund.
Therefore, even if Congress fails to reach a spending agreement, Social Security checks and Medicare benefits can still be distributed during the government shutdown.