Social Security: What Will Happen to Your October Check if the Government Shuts Down?

Unless Congress acts soon, funding for the federal government is set to run out at midnight on Sept. 30, 2024, when the fiscal year ends. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives failed to pass a short-term funding bill that would have kept the government running till March 2025.

Congress often struggles to approve the federal government's annual budget, which is made up of 12 spending bills that need to get through the House and Senate before being signed into law by the president. To buy itself time to agree on the annual budget, Congress frequently passes short-term spending bills called continuing resolutions that allow the government to continue running while the House and Senate work out the details of the longer-term budget. Congress passed four short-term spending bills before it agreed on this year's budget. But if Congress goes past the Oct. 1 deadline without approving some sort of funding, the government will shut down.

If a shutdown does happen and you normally receive Social Security or other government benefits, you may be wondering if you'll still get your October check in the event of the Social Security Administration and IRS closing down. 

We'll explain below what could happen to Social Security benefits if there's a government shutdown. For more, here are four ways you could lose your Social Security benefits and here's what experts predict COLA will be in 2025.

Will I get my Social Security check if there's a government shutdown?

In a shutdown of the federal government, each agency identifies which services are essential and need to continue during the funding gap.

In 2023 while anticipating a shutdown, Chad M. Poist, the Social Security Administration's deputy commissioner of budget, finance and management, set out the agency's contingency plan (PDF). Though he anticipated the administration would furlough 53,000 of its 60,000 employees and cease activities not directly related to the payment of benefits, he said the agency would "continue activities critical to our direct-service operations and those needed to ensure accurate and timely payment of benefits." 

What does that mean for you? 

Social Security benefits come from a different funding source than the annual budget -- the dedicated payroll tax employers and employees pay -- and benefits are paid from these Social Security trust funds. If you're one of the nearly 72 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits or are enrolled in other programs (see below), you'll still get your monthly check.

This includes Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Be aware that if you have any issues with your payments, it may be a while before you receive a response from the Social Security Administration.

See below for government benefits that could be affected by a shutdown.

Which other federal programs won't be affected by a government shutdown?

If you receive Medicaid or Medicare, you can also expect to receive those benefits on time. If you have any issues, you may have to wait a bit to hear back if there's a shutdown.

You could lose WIC and SNAP benefits

If you receive the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, you could be at risk of losing assistance immediately if the government shuts down. 

If you're one of the 40 million Americans who receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, your benefits would still be available, but only for a limited time because the USDA can only send out benefits for 30 days after a shutdown begins.

Your student aid and student loans could be delayed

In preparation for a possible 2023 shutdown, the Department of Education said student aid and loan programs could be disrupted, including processing Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications, disbursing Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student Loans and servicing Federal student loans.

To make sure your benefits arrive on time, here's the Social Security payment schedule, here's when SSDI checks go out and here's when you can expect your SSI payment to arrive.