As the government shutdown drags on into the second week and new year, one of the questions our readers have been asking is whether social security checks will be affected by the shutdown. In this article, we will answer this question and also provide details about how the shutdown will affect the Social Security Administration, including disability payments and Social Security offices.
This Post Will Cover:
Details About the Government Shutdown
Will Social Security Checks be affected by Government Shutdown?
Will Medicare Be Affected by the Government Shutdown?
Will Disability Checks be affected by Government Shutdown?
Will Social Security Offices be Open During Government Shutdown?
Will Direct Express Operations Be Affected By Government Shutdown?
The Government Shutdown Explained
The government shutdown began on December 22, 2018, because Congress and President Trump could not come to an agreement regarding the funds the President was requesting to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico.
Now that the new Congress has been sworn in, and the Democrats taking control of the United States House of Representatives, there is no sign the two sides are close to an agreement.
Meanwhile, about 800,000 government employees are affected by the shutdown.
Half have been sent home on unpaid leave and the other half are working without pay.
Those who are working will be paid when the government reopens, however, there is no guarantee on what will happen to those who have been furloughed.
Will Social Security Checks be affected by Government Shutdown?
The question on the minds of most people receiving Social Security retirement benefits is whether the government shutdown will affect their checks and whether their Social Security checks will be deposited on time during the shutdown.
The answer, according to the Social Security administration is yes, all Social Security retirement benefit payments will be made and on time during the shutdown.
According to reporting by Business Insider, “Funding for the programs under Titles II, XVI, and XVIII of the Social Security Act will continue, even in the event of a lapse in appropriations,”
In addition, the Social Security Administration already received funding for the 2019 fiscal year in September 2018.
As a result, Social Security benefit funding is not part of the current dispute that caused the shutdown. Therefore all Social Security retirement benefit payments will be made on time during the shutdown.
Also, the Post Office will remain funded so all checks will arrive on time if your benefits are still being mailed by check.
Usually, when a government agency is affected by the government shutdown, you will see a notice on their website telling you that. We visited the Social Security website and everything was running as normal.
For comparison, we also visited the website of the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, which has been impacted by the shutdown, and you can see the difference below:
Social Security Website on January 4, 2018
USDA Website on January 4, 2018
Will Medicare Be Affected by the Government Shutdown?
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the shutdown will not affect both Medicare and Medicaid programs.
The tweet below from CMS on December 22, 2018, confirms this.
Will Disability Checks be affected by Government Shutdown?
If you are currently on Social Security Disability and are wondering what will happen to your benefit payments during the government shutdown, we have an answer for you.
According to the Social Security Administration, Disability checks will also be paid on time during the government shutdown. This is also backed by reporting from Business Insider and Newsweek.
Will Social Security Offices be Open During Government Shutdown?
Another question we have been receiving from our readers is whether Social Security office locations will remain open during the shutdown.
According to the Social Security Administration, almost all Social Security Administration offices are open, except select offices that are closed. For a list of the closed locations, click here.
Will Direct Express Operations Be Affected By Government Shutdown?
The Direct Express Card operations are managed by Comerica Bank, under a contract with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service.
Since Comerica Bank is a private business, it’s operation will not be impacted by the federal government shutdown. Therefore expect normal operations for services provided by Direct Express, including Direct Express Customer Service Center operations.
We hope this article was helpful in explaining what is happening to Social Security benefits during the shutdown. If you have additional questions about the topic, feel free to ask us in the comments section below.