Government Shutdown FAQs

Will I continue to receive my Social Security and SSI checks?

Recipients will continue to receive their Social Security and SSI checks. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will provide limited services like issuing Social Security cards and holding appointments for benefit applications. However, SSA will stop services like benefit verifications and processing overpayments. Customer service wait times will dramatically increase.

Will Medicare and Medicaid benefits be affected?

Current Medicare, Medicaid, and disability insurance beneficiaries will continue to receive their benefits assuming a shutdown lasts less than three months.

What happens to veterans' services?

All Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities and clinics will remain operational. The VA will continue to process veterans’ benefits.

However, veterans will be affected by the shutdown of other services that they count on, including education and job training, support for veteran-owned businesses, and even assistance for homeless veterans.

Will military and federal retiree benefits be suspended?

Military and federal retirees will continue to receive their retirement benefits. Processing new applications or other requested changes will be delayed.

Which federal employees keep working during a government shutdown?

When the government shuts down, federal agencies are required to classify their employees whose salaries have lapsed as either "excepted" or "not excepted." The employees classified as "excepted" work without pay during the shutdown. The employees classified as "not excepted" are put on unpaid furlough.

What is the impact on U.S. military personnel and federal law enforcement?

All active-duty and Guard and Reservists on active-duty orders are excepted and therefore are required to work without pay. On-base non-acute health care will cease, although off-base care provided through Tricare will not be affected. On-base child care will be open on a case-by-case basis.

Federal law enforcement—including Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation—will also be required to work without pay for the duration of a shutdown.

Will air travel be affected?

Air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents will remain on the job without pay. If some do not report to work, as has happened in prior shutdowns, there will be significant delays and longer wait times across the country.

Will my mail still arrive?

Yes. The U.S. Postal Service is not affected by a shutdown.

Will I still be able to visit National Parks and monuments?

Across the country, services that require National Park Service staff — including trash removal and operating campgrounds and concessions — may be stopped. Closures will be determined on a location-by-location basis; open-air parks and monuments in Washington, D.C. will likely remain accessible. Smithsonian museums may also be impacted by a lengthy shutdown.

How does this affect passports and help for Americans overseas?

Consular services, passport services, and visa services are expected to continue in the immediate aftermath of a government shutdown. In a prolonged shutdown, passport and visa issuance could be slowed. Access to passport agencies located in some government buildings may be limited.

What is the impact on state and local services?

The federal government shutdown will not immediately affect any state or local services. However, with federal funding cut off, some state or local governments may have to change their operations. Check with state and local agencies for specific questions.

What is the impact on food assistance?

Nationwide, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will quickly run out of funding. The Arizona Department of Health Services will continue to provide WIC services to the nearly 140,000 Arizona women and children who rely on it. WIC participants can contact their local WIC clinic, visit azwic.gov or call 1-800-252-5942 if they have any questions. 

In the case of a prolonged shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits may also be affected.

What is the impact on food safety activities?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food safety activities — such as routine inspections of facilities — will be delayed across the country.

What is the impact on housing?

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will stop insuring some new mortgages and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will stop processing some new loans. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will stop new loan and loan guarantee activity. The VA will continue to guarantee home loans. Funding for federal housing assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, may be jeopardized in a prolonged shutdown.

How will this affect small businesses?

The Small Business Administration (SBA) will stop processing new business loans, such as
through the 7(a) and 504 programs. However, SBA’s Disaster Loan Program will continue regular operations.

What would happen if a natural disaster occurs during the shutdown? How would the shutdown affect FEMA’s natural disaster recovery efforts?

FEMA staff would respond to emergencies and provide critical life and safety disaster assistance, but long-term projects will continue to be delayed due to a lack of funding in the Disaster Relief Fund.

How will this affect environmental protection and cleanup?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will stop inspecting most hazardous waste sites, as well as drinking water and chemical facilities. Efforts to address dangerous contaminants like PFAS — which are linked to severe health effects, including cancer — will be delayed, and cleanup activities at Superfund sites will slow or cease.

What does this mean for medical research?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be forced to delay new clinical trials. New patients
who are waiting for a chance at new treatment through a clinical trial will be turned away.

How would a shutdown affect Federal Student Aid? 

We anticipate that key activities, including loan servicing, would continue for a couple of weeks if shutdown happens on October 1. However, a prolonged shutdown could lead to disruption.

The Department of Education would do the best it can with the resources available and within the bounds of the law to support the return to repayment effort. 

How would a shutdown impact student loan repayment?

If a shutdown occurs on October 1, we anticipate that key activities, including loan servicing, would continue for a couple of weeks. However, a prolonged shutdown could substantially disrupt the return to repayment effort and long-term servicing support for borrowers.

The Department of Education would do the best it can with the resources available and within the bounds of the law to support borrowers as they return to repayment. 

Would Federal wildland firefighters be called to respond to wildfire incidents during a government shutdown?

Thousands of Federal wildland firefighters would continue to respond to wildfire incidents during a government shutdown, potentially with delayed compensation.

Beyond impacts to immediate response needs, a shutdown would result in lost opportunities to complete hazardous fuel treatments, including projects in high-risk firesheds. 

What would be the impact on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? 

CDC's immediate response to urgent disease outbreaks and critical investigation needs would continue, though CDC would have a reduced response capacity and would be unable to fully interface with their public health partners at the State and local levels and support grantee work. 

Under a shutdown, CDC’s Bridge Access Program would continue to provide no-cost COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. 

CDC would maintain laboratory functions, operate the agency’s 24/7 emergency operations center, and collect and report critical information needed for state and local health authorities and providers to track, prevent, and treat diseases. 

How would a shutdown impact the implementation of programs associated with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)? Would funding associated with recently approved grants be delayed for the duration of a shutdown? 

Because IIJA and IRA, are funded outside of annual appropriations, activities associated with their implementation would generally continue. However, a shutdown may impact administrative functions for a wide range of public services and ongoing investments. As is the case with any program, agencies would have to make determinations about the extent of administrative activities possible on a case-by-case basis. 

Grant funding associated with IIJA and IRA may still be provided during a shutdown. Grants.gov would remain operational during a lapse, but with reduced Federal support staff. The Grants.gov Contact Center would remain open and could provide assistance to callers. 

What would be the impact on immigration services provided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including citizenship applications and green cards? 

USCIS is largely funded outside of the annual appropriations process, so citizenship and immigration services would continue during a shutdown.