The federal government is shut down, but many government services are not. Social Security, Medicare and certain nutrition assistance programs will continue for a while.

Washington

A US government shutdown does not immediately halt all federal services, but it can create significant uncertainty for millions of Americans. Essential benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare continue to operate, and most recipients should not see disruptions in the short term. However, if the shutdown extends, some services like benefit verifications and replacement Medicare cards may be delayed. Programs such as WIC could lose funding if the shutdown lasts more than a week or two, and SNAP benefits may be delayed if the situation continues into the following month. Federal employees considered essential, such as TSA workers and air traffic controllers, are required to work without pay, which could lead to staffing shortages and service delays if the shutdown is prolonged. National parks remain open, but with reduced staff, raising concerns about maintenance and security.

How government shutdown will impact federal benefit programs

Maura, let's lay it out for folks watching. Where are the biggest impacts going to be felt? Well, while Nate's tracking the political movement, it's important to note that millions of Americans are employed by the federal government. When we talk about a shutdown, it gets really scary for people across the country to think, I'm not getting a paycheck, do I have to go to work? And it's pretty complicated because a government shutdown doesn't mean that everything stops immediately. The initial days can impact some areas that receive federal funding more than others. So for now, that's good news for anyone who counts on federally funded benefit services because that's something that millions of Americans tap into as well, separate from those that are employed by the government. But if this shutdown drags on, even programs with additional funding could end up facing disruptions. The federal government is shut down, but many government services are not. Social security payments will still go out because the program is considered mandatory, and seniors relying on Medicare coverage can receive benefits. The government has enough money to fund Medicare and Medicaid services through the end of this year. For the vast majority of people who are receiving benefits, they will not be impacted by the shutdown. Their benefits should not be impacted by the shutdown. Maria Freese is with the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. She says that some services could lapse. Things like benefit verifications, if you need a replacement Medicare card because you've lost one, the Medicare cards are the ones that are on the list of things that would not happen during a lapse. Other benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, could run out of funding if the shutdown lasts more than a week or two. Sharon Bostic relied on the program as a first mom and says now her grandchildren depend on WIC. It's going to affect a lot of people, not just my family members, but just people in general because they're already struggling. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP food stamps, will continue during the shutdown through October. But if the shutdown drags on, benefits could be delayed or disrupted beginning next month. SNAP recipient Lucy Estrella says she's already preparing for that. I'm learning to cut it down some, eat little, or just a handful like they always said, and save it for the next meal because you don't know where your next meal is coming. So with that vote this afternoon failing in the Senate, it's still really uncertain for how long this is going to last. Remember the last government shutdown nearly seven years ago was 35 days. Yeah, that's right. And like you said, we just don't know. It's all up to people. Looks like the soonest we'll know is on Friday afternoon when the Senate reconvenes for a vote. Maura, where else will people see the impacts of the shutdown? How else will they be impacted? So some of it's going to depend on how long it lasts. As we laid out in the piece, a lot of that funding existing through the end of the month. But remember, people who are employed by the government are working right now, a lot of them without pay. So TSA workers, air traffic controllers, some of those that are considered essential workers. So they're continuing to work without pay for now. But if it drags on, we could see employees start to call out sick really frequently. And that's what happened back in 2019. So that could slow down any travel getting through the airport. And then national parks are set to stay open for now, even though they furloughed about two-thirds of the park service employees. But that is a little bit better than what we saw last shutdown, when several parks experienced vandalism and other disturbances because there were fewer staff on site. And unfortunately, people took advantage of that in the wrong way, Marissa. Yeah, don't do that. Please don't do that. Thank you so much. Scripps News business and tech correspondent Maura Barrett in Denver for us. Thank you so much, Maura.

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Breakdown