Federal officials are warning that the ongoing government shutdown – already at day 14 – could be the longest in U.S. history. The lack of appropriations has halted routine government operations and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers either working without a paycheck or waiting at home to see if Congress will eventually approve back pay.
The shutdown also has implications for beneficiaries of federal programs, such as Social Security.
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Social Security benefits are considered mandatory spending, and Congress has approved spending for the program without an expiration date. That means Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive their benefits no matter how long the government shutdown lasts.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be ramifications for the agency and beneficiaries.
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Roughly 12% of Social Security’s workforce of 51,825 employees have been furloughed. Despite the furloughs, the Social Security Administration said the following services will continue:
- 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
- Having a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge
Social Security offices remain open, but services may be limited, especially when it comes to in-person assistance. For example, Social Security said it cannot provide proof of benefits letters, or update or correct earnings records until the government reopens.
The agency’s social media accounts, often used to provide the latest information, will not be updated.
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