Will Social Security checks stop during a government shutdown?

Scheduled Social Security and SSI payments generally continue because benefit authority does not depend on the annual appropriations that lapse. Some support services can be reduced or delayed.

Does Medicare stop during a shutdown?

Medicare coverage and claims payment generally continue. Administrative tasks and customer assistance may operate with fewer staff depending on the contingency plan.

Should I still attend a Social Security appointment?

Keep the appointment unless SSA tells you it is canceled. Check SSA.gov or contact the office before traveling because in-person service can change.

Were Social Security payments made during the 2025 shutdown?

Yes. Social Security payments continued during the October 1 – November 12, 2025 shutdown. SSA’s plan furloughed about 12% of its 51,825 employees and suspended benefit verifications, replacement Medicare cards, and overpayment work.

Did Medicare telehealth stop during the 2025 shutdown?

Medicare telehealth flexibilities lapsed on October 1, 2025. The law that ended the shutdown, P.L. 119-37, restored them retroactively and extended them through January 30, 2026.

Social Security, SSI, Medicare, and Medicaid During a Shutdown

Short answer: Scheduled Social Security and Supplemental Security Income payments generally continue during a shutdown. Medicare and Medicaid benefits also generally continue. Applications, replacement documents, appeals, verification, and phone support can face delays.

What continues and what may slow

Program or service	Typical shutdown effect
Social Security retirement, disability, and survivor payments	Scheduled payments continue
SSI payments	Scheduled payments continue
Medicare coverage and claims	Continue
Medicaid coverage and payments	Generally continue through federal-state administration
New benefit applications	May continue with slower processing
Replacement Social Security cards	May be limited or delayed under the current plan
Benefit verification, corrections, and hearings	Some work may be delayed

These are general patterns, not a promise about every office function. SSA and the Department of Health and Human Services issue contingency plans for a specific lapse.

Why checks can continue

Social Security benefits are supported by permanent legal authority rather than only by annual discretionary appropriations. That allows benefit payments to continue even when funding lapses elsewhere. Annual funding still supports employees and administrative systems, so service levels can be affected.

The same distinction matters for Medicare and Medicaid. Benefit authority continues, while some employees who administer policy, oversight, enrollment, or customer service may be furloughed depending on the plan.

What happened in the 2025 shutdown

The October 1 – November 12, 2025 shutdown followed the general pattern above, with a few specifics worth knowing.

Program or service	What happened in 2025
Social Security and SSI payments	Continued
SSA staffing	About 12% of 51,825 employees furloughed under SSA’s plan
Benefit verifications, replacement Medicare cards, overpayment work	Suspended under SSA’s plan
Medicare and Medicaid payments	Continued; Medicaid’s first quarter of fiscal 2026 had been funded in advance
Medicare telehealth flexibilities	Lapsed October 1; restored retroactively by P.L. 119-37 and extended through January 30, 2026

The telehealth item shows a different kind of risk. It was not caused by furloughs. A separate Medicare authority with its own expiration date ran out at the same time as annual funding, and the bill that reopened the government also extended it. If your care depends on a time-limited Medicare provision, check whether it has its own deadline.

The Medicaid detail also matters: advance funding covered the first quarter of fiscal 2026. A lapse that ran past that point could raise different questions. Each lapse can differ. See the 2025 government shutdown for the full timeline.

What beneficiaries should do

Do not change direct deposit or reapply because of a shutdown headline.
Keep filing and appeal deadlines unless an agency formally extends them.
Keep medical appointments and present your usual insurance information.
Check your online account before calling; hold times may increase.
Confirm an in-person office is open before traveling.
Treat messages asking for a fee to “protect” benefits as suspicious.

New applications and urgent problems

Apply when you become eligible rather than waiting for a shutdown to end. A submission date can matter. Online services may remain available even when an office has fewer employees.

For a missing or incorrect payment, use the official contact method on SSA.gov or Medicare.gov. Banks, local offices, and state Medicaid agencies can have different operating schedules, so identify where the problem actually occurred.

Sources

For nutrition assistance, see the separate guide to SNAP and WIC during a shutdown.