Recently, the government shutdown has catapulted onto the national stage. Citizens across the nation have been left wondering how the shutdown will affect them and how it will impact the stability of the government services they rely on. One of the most common questions levied onto the government is: What happens to Social Security payments if the government shuts down?
Fortunately, according to a statement from the US Social Security Administration (SSA), recipients of Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will still receive the same benefits they normally do, even during a government shutdown. This is because Social Security benefits are considered to be an “entitlement,” which are exempt from the budgetary constraints of the government. This exemption allows Social Security benefits to continue uninterrupted, regardless of the government shutdown, and are funded by multiple other sources.
However, there are some aspects of Social Security payments affected by the shutdown. One of the most significant ways the shutdown could detrimentally effect recipients is in the form of processing delays. The internal systems of the SSA may be impeded by the large amount of government workers who must take time off from work, slowing down the rate of processing applications and claims.
Additionally, even though claimant’s will still receive their benefits, those expecting to be reimbursed for a disability review or to receive other paperwork from the SSA could experience a longer delay than expected. This is due to the fact that fewer SSA workers are able to handle the influx of paperwork due to the government shutdown.
The good news is that the government shutdown won’t immediately impair the flow of Social Security payments. Those already receiving benefits should see no change to the amount of money they receive from the government. However, those expecting new paperwork or connections with the SSA should expect the process to take longer than usual due to the current government shutdown.