Leada Gore
al.com
(TNS)
The clock is ticking on yet another government shutdown.
Congress has until midnight tonight to agree on either a funding measure or – more likely – a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government operating. If it fails to do so, the government will “shut down” and most agencies will stop or reduce services and all but essential employees will be furloughed. Government employees won’t be paid during the shutdown, but they traditionally receive their paychecks once operations reopen.
The Social Security Administration which oversees benefits for millions of Americans is not immune to the furloughs but beneficiaries will continue to be paid on time.
READ MORE: Social Security issuing 2 payments to some people in October: Complete payment schedule
Social Security benefits are considered mandatory spending and funding for the program has been approved by Congress without an expiration date, CBS News reported. That means Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients will receive their benefits even if the government shuts down.
Some services could be impacted by a shutdown, however.
The Social Security Administration’s contingency plan shows of the agency’s 51,825 employees, roughly 12% would be furloughed in the event of a shutdown. Among the activities that would be discontinued, according to the plan, would be benefits verification, Freedom of Information requests, replacement of Medicare cards and processing of overpayments.
Benefit applications, appeals, payee changes, issuance of original or replacement Social Security cards and initial Social Security claims would all continue, according to the plan.
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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