Social Security, airports, food stamps: How are you affected during a government shutdown?

The federal government formally entered a shutdown at midnight on Wednesday after Senate Democrats bucked a GOP-led short-term federal funding bill just hours before.

While President Donald Trump and his administration have some level of discretion over what is affected during a shutdown, federal agencies must largely make their own decisions dictated by guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Thousands of federal workers could be furloughed and others forced to work without pay until the shutdown is resolved. Many could also lose their jobs altogether, per a memo issued by OMB earlier this month.

Below is a breakdown of how the federal funding lapse will — and will not — affect everyday Americans.

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Social Security

Social security benefits are considered mandatory spending by the federal government, and so Americans are expected to keep getting those checks through a shutdown.

That means retirees, Americans with disabilities, and others who already receive social security checks will continue to get them.

Day-to-day operations at the Social Security Administration (SSA) are likely to be affected, however. That means services like “benefit verifications, earnings record corrections and updates, overpayments processing, and replacing Medicare cards” could face disruptions, according to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

Roughly 6,000 SSA employees are expected to be furloughed out of nearly 52,000, according to a shutdown planning document released by the agency.

Air travel

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to see some 11,300 employees furloughed out of nearly 45,000, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT)

Air traffic controllers at airports are deemed essential and therefore must come to work, but will do so with their paychecks deferred until the shutdown is resolved.

Aviation rule-making, routine personnel security background investigations, and air traffic performance analyses will stop, however.

More than 2,350 workers, including aircraft certification engineers and aerospace engineers, will be furloughed, however, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).

The NATCA said the previous shutdown saw immense added strain on air traffic controllers, with many being forced to work second jobs to get paychecks for their families in addition to an already-gruelling schedule.

That all means Americans could face flight disruptions, particularly if airport workers like TSA agents call out sick, as significant numbers did during the 35-day shutdown in early 2019.

Military and veterans

Roughly 45% of the military’s civilian personnel are set to be furloughed during the shutdown, according to the Federal News Network.

A planning document by the Defense Department said it “will continue to defend the nation and conduct ongoing military operations” during a shutdown, however.

Military personnel on active duty must continue to report to work, but will do so without getting paid until after the shutdown is over.

Healthcare for veterans will largely continue to operate, with VA clinics and medical centers remaining open.

VA benefits like compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits will continue to be delivered to those who served, the Department of Veterans Affairs has said.

VA benefits regional offices will be closed and the department will stop providing transition program assistance and career counseling.

The VA Central Office will also pause outreach to state, county, tribal, municipal, faith-based, and community-based partners.

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Infrastructure projects

OMB Director Russ Vought announced on Wednesday morning that about $18 billion in New York City-based infrastructure projects will be paused during the shutdown.

That includes the construction of a new subway line as well as new tunnel and rail infrastructure under the Hudson River.

It’s worth noting that the top Democrats in the House and Senate are both from New York City.

Healthcare

The Medicare program will continue to operate during the shutdown, good news for American seniors.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has said it also has enough funding for Medicaid through the end of the 2025 calendar year.

“CMS will maintain the staff necessary to make payments to eligible states for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS will continue Federal Marketplace activities, such as eligibility verification, using Federal Marketplace user fee carryover,” the CMS website said.

CMS policy and rulemaking, oversight of major contractors, and beneficiary casework would largely pause, however.

That means it will likely be tougher for Americans who rely on Medicare and Medicaid to resolve billing disputes and other issues with insurers during a shutdown.

Some telehealth services, particularly those put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, are also expected to see disruptions. 

Food stamps and other nutritional benefits

Federal food benefits for the most needy are expected to continue at least temporarily, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called food stamps, and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will continue “subject to the availability of funding,” USDA said.

SNAP is expected to stay funded through at least the month of October, but a shutdown lasting longer could force USDA to tap into any available reserve funding.

WIC must rely on “the ability to recover and reallocate unused grant award funds from the previous fiscal year” during a shutdown.

That means both timelines are not immediately clear and could be subject to change.

The vast majority of employees at the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which oversees those programs, are expected to be furloughed, which could lead to disruptions and delays.

Out of some 1,237 employees, the department said 1,135 FNS employees could be furloughed, according to USDA’s shutdown plan.