Government shutdown: How it’s affecting Social Security, payments, services

Week two of the government shutdown has ended, and officials warn the closure may be the longest in history.”

The shutdown began Oct. 1, halting government services including those offered by the Federal Trade Commission and Social Security.

With upwards of 750,000 government employees furloughed, the impacts of the closure are adding up as agencies offer limited services, and public requests typically handled daily have become backlogged.

• Read more: Social Security COLA 2026: These 10 states will get the largest raises

Fortunately for Social Security recipients, payments to anyone relying on a Social Security check or Supplemental Security Income will continue being paid on time with no change in payment dates.

However, if beneficiaries need in-person assistance, whether they receive the help they’re looking for depends.

Services Social Security will continue offering amid the government shutdown include:

• Helping people apply for benefits
• Request an appeal
• Change an address or direct deposit information
• Report a death
• Verify or change citizenship status
• Replace a lost or missing Social Security payment
• Obtain critical payment
• Change a representative payee
• Make a change in living arrangements or income (SSI recipients only)
• Obtain a new or replacement Social Security card

The Social Security Administration announced it will update its social media accounts and online platforms once the shutdown is over.

As the shutdown continues, the Social Security Administration cannot help with:

• Replacing a Medicare card
• Issuing proof of income letters
• Updating or correcting earnings records

Will SSA announce COLA updates?

Usually, SSA announces the Cost of Living Adjustment increases for Social Security beneficiaries in mid-October.

This adjustment informs recipients how inflation and cost-of-living adjustments will be accounted for in their payments for the upcoming year.

The official COLA increase for 2026 was slated to be announced on Oct. 15, but due to the government shutdown, that announcement may be delayed — leaving millions questioning when that announcement will come and how to budget for the year ahead.

• Read more: When will Social Security announce 2026 COLA increases?

According to the Social Security Administration, the actual COLA increase is determined by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from July to September of the calendar year.

While it is unknown when those numbers will be officially announced, there is a reasonable estimate of what they might be based on the Social Security Administration’s calculation method.

Using this calculation, the bipartisan group The Senior Citizens League, predicts the increase will be about 2.7%, which is slightly up from 2025’s increase of 2.5%.

A 2.7% COLA would result in about an extra $54 per month for the average retired worker, increasing the monthly benefit from $2,008 to $2,062.

• Read more: Will I get Social Security during government shutdown? Here’s what to know

While the COLA increase is semi-predictable, the government shutdown complicates other moving parts essential to keeping the Social Security Administration running smoothly and serving beneficiaries.

Prior to the shutdown, the Social Security Administration created a contingency plan indicating it would retain approximately 45,000 (90%) of its workforce during the shutdown, while furloughing roughly 6,200 employees.

This staffing reduction is expected to halt a variety of services, including:

• Benefit verifications
• Earnings record corrections and updates unrelated to the adjudication of benefits
• Payee accountings
• Prisoner activities-suspension
• Requests from third parties for queries
• Freedom of Information Act requests
• IT enhancement activities, public relations and training
• Replacement Medicare cards
• Overpayments processing