As the United States faces a government shutdown beginning Wednesday, October 1, 2025, millions of Americans who rely on Social Security can breathe a sigh of relief: their monthly benefit payments will continue without interruption. However, while the core function of distributing Social Security checks remains secure, some related services provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) may experience disruptions due to the shutdown.
Social Security benefits are funded through mandatory spending, a category of government expenditure that has already been approved by Congress without an expiration date. This means that the 74 million Americans who receive Social Security—including retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors of deceased workers—will continue to receive their monthly payments despite a lapse in federal funding. This funding structure protects beneficiaries from payment delays even when other government operations come to a halt.
Despite the assured continuity of benefit payments, other parts of the Social Security program could be affected by the shutdown. The SSA’s operational budget, which covers day-to-day services such as benefit verifications, earnings record updates, and issuing new Medicare cards, requires congressional approval and could be impacted by the funding gap. The Senate recently voted down competing Democratic and Republican proposals aimed at keeping the government funded beyond the fiscal year ending September 30, leading to an impasse.
According to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, some Social Security services might be temporarily suspended until Congress resolves the funding issue. Max Richtman, CEO of the committee, emphasized the reliability of the program, noting that Social Security has never missed a payment in its 90-year history and does not intend to start now. Nonetheless, he warned that customer service functions such as processing overpayments, correcting earnings records, and replacing Medicare cards may face delays or interruptions.
To prepare for these scenarios, the SSA has developed contingency plans to guide its operations during funding lapses. These plans designate which employees are “essential” and must continue working without immediate pay to ensure critical functions persist. According to a contingency plan published by the SSA on September 24, about 45,000 employees—nearly 90% of the agency’s workforce—would remain on duty during a shutdown, while roughly 6,200 employees would be furloughed.
The SSA has communicated that it will prioritize activities critical to ensuring the accurate and timely payment of benefits and maintaining direct service operations. Non-essential services, however, will be suspended. This means that while beneficiaries will receive their Social Security, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments without disruption, some administrative and customer service functions will be scaled back or paused.
One significant area that could be affected by the shutdown is the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) announcement. Each October, the SSA announces a COLA to Social Security benefits to help recipients keep pace with inflation, based on data from the Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI data, which is usually released in mid-October, serves as the basis for determining the increase in benefits.
However, the Labor Department has indicated that its CPI release could be delayed due to the shutdown, potentially impacting the timing of the COLA announcement. In its contingency plan, the Labor Department acknowledged that any delay in the CPI data release might affect the SSA’s ability to announce the COLA on schedule. This could create uncertainty for beneficiaries awaiting confirmation of their benefit increases.
Despite this potential delay in the COLA announcement, the distribution of Social Security payments themselves will continue on the usual schedule. Payments for October will be sent out according to recipients’ birth dates: those born between the 1st and 10th of the month will receive their checks on October 8, those born between the 11th and 20th on October 15, and those born between the 21st and the end of the month will be paid on October 22. Beneficiaries of Supplemental Security Income, a program for low-income and disabled individuals, will also receive their payments as scheduled on October 1.
Experts have expressed reassurance about the continuity of Social Security payments amidst the shutdown. Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in business and economics at the Pacific Research Institute, highlighted the importance of uninterrupted benefit payments for recipients. “If you’re a Social Security recipient, you’re going to get your check, and that’s obviously a good thing,” Winegarden told CBS News.
In summary, while the looming government shutdown poses challenges to many federal services, Social Security payments remain protected due to