On October 1st, the U.S. federal government went into a shutdown following a deadlock between the Democratic and Republican parties regarding the healthcare spending bill. The news of a government shutdown naturally struck fear in many, including those who rely on their benefit checks from federal agencies.
While Social Security field offices may be functioning at a limited capacity for the duration of this shutdown, beneficiaries can rest assured knowing that their benefits will be paid to them as per the official schedule regardless of the shutdown. As such, all benefit payments for November will be rolled out in a timeous manner with no delays or date changes. Here is everything you need to know.
How does Social Security work during a government shutdown?
When there is a government shutdown, some federal agencies will cease operations altogether while others may continue to operate (often at a limited capacity). The determining factor between whether or not the federal agency will be continue to operate during a shutdown is the manner in which the agency is funded.
There are two types of federal funding: mandatory spending and discretionary spending. Federal agencies with discretionary spending require Congressional approve for their annual budgets. Agencies with mandatory spending are funded through existing legislature as such, do not require Congressional approval on a yearly basis.
The Social Security program is funded through mandatory spending and as a result, benefits will continue to be paid out regardless of the government shutdown. The SSA has also confirmed that payments will be paid as per the schedule.
SSA field offices will also be operational during this time, however, they will be running at a limited capacity and as such, not all services may be available for customers who visit in person. According to the SSA’s October 1st blog post outlining the impact of the shutdown on Social Security, field offices will only be offering the following services at this time:
- Apply for benefits
- Request an appeal
- Change your address or direct deposit information
- Report a death
- Verify or change your citizenship status
- Replace a lost or missing Social Security payment
- Obtain a critical payment
- Change a representative payee
- Make a change in your living arrangement or income (SSI recipients only)
- Obtain a new or replacement Social Security card
The agency further noted that it “cannot provide proof of benefits letters, or update or correct earnings records,” adding that “these in-person services will resume when the federal government is operating normally.”
November payment schedule
Despite the ongoing government shutdown, the benefit payments for the month of November are on track to be disbursed as per the schedule. Benefits are paid to recipients on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of each month relative to the beneficiary’s date of birth.
The Supplemental Security Income is paid on the first of the month, however, if the first falls on a weekend or holiday, it will be paid on the last working day of the previous month. Since November 1st falls on a weekend, the November SSI will be paid to recipients today on October 31st, and this has been marked as such on the official schedule.
The regular Social Security benefit will also be rolled out as per the schedule as follows:
- Wednesday, November 12th — recipients with birth dates between the 1st and 10th of their birth month.
- Wednesday, November 19th — recipients with birth dates between the 11th and 20th of their birth month.
- Wednesday, November 26th — recipients with birth dates between the 21st and 31st of their birth month.
If you are a recipient of both the Social Security benefit, as well as the SSI benefit, or if you have been receiving Social Security since before May 1997, it is important to note that the Social Security benefit will then be paid on the 3rd, and the SSI benefit will be paid on the 1st.