Will Government Shutdown Affect Social Security? What We Know

What's New

A looming government shutdown could force some government agency functions to temporarily cease until new funding has passed. The Social Security Administration (SSA) could be impacted.

Why It's Important

Congress has until midnight on Friday, December 20, to form a new budget for the 2025 federal fiscal year or pass a continuing resolution to temporarily maintain government funding at 2024 levels.

The House of Representatives voted against a funding measure backed by President-elect Donald Trump just a day before the deadline. It means some nonessential services could be halted for an indefinite amount of time until lawmakers come to an agreement.

A Social Security Administration office building in San Jose, California, in 2020. A looming government shutdown could force some government agency functions to temporarily cease. GETTY

What to Know

Regardless of whether the government shuts down or not, Social Security retirement, survivor and disability checks will continue to be paid. This is because they are considered mandatory spending and are not subject to appropriations bills. While discretionary spending requires annual appropriations, mandatory spending is approved for either multi-year periods or indefinitely. As a result, mandatory spending typically persists even during a shutdown.

However, some services offered by the SSA are likely to be impacted in the short term, including benefit verification as well as new card issuance.

A contingency plan set forward by the SSA in the event of a shutdown earlier this year, which was avoided by the passage of a continuing resolution, confirmed that the government agency will "continue activities critical to our direct-service operations and those needed to ensure accurate and timely payment of benefits .... (and) will cease activities not directly related to the accurate and timely payment of benefits or not critical to our direct-service operations."

If no solution is found before the deadline, SSA employees - who are paid by the federal government - may be either furloughed or will work without pay until bipartisan funding is agreed upon.

In the event of a shutdown, modeled on what would have happened in September, the SSA said more than 8,000 of its staff members would be furloughed. Newsweek has contacted the SSA for comment via email outside of regular working hours.

What People Are Saying

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters after the vote on Thursday: "We will regroup and we will come up with another solution. So stay tuned."

What's Next

Predicting the duration of a potential shutdown is impossible, but if it occurs, it could extend over the holiday period and into the new year.

Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the House, while Democrats control the Senate. This will change come January 3, when Republicans will assume control of both chambers, followed by Trump's inauguration on January 20.