Will SSDI be Affected by a Government Shutdown?

Government shutdown updates for February 2026: As of Jan. 31, the federal government has partially shut down due to lawmakers failing to finalize all funding bills. However, this shutdown is not expected to last as long as the last government shutdown this past fall.

Congress has already passed half of the federal funding bills for 2026, covering most federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (SSA). As a result, the SSA is funded through September, and current Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits will not be affected. If you are receiving SSDI, you will continue to receive your monthly payments on time.

Local SSA offices will remain open to the public (with reduced services), and they will still be able to help you with the following: 

• Apply for benefits
• Request an appeal
• Change in address or direct deposit information
• Report a death
• Verify or change your citizenship status
• Replace a lost or missing Social Security payment
• Obtain a critical payment
• Change a representative payee
• Obtain a new or replacement Social Security card

Unfortunately, the SSA cannot assist with certain in-person services at this time, such as providing proof of benefit letters or updating and correcting earnings records. These services will resume once the government is fully open and operating normally.

This funding lapse will affect several major agencies, including the Pentagon, the Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). However, leaders in Washington say they expect the partial shutdown to end as early as February 2 or 3.

What happens to my SSDI benefits if the government shuts down? 

According to a blog post from the SSA, published on Feb. 2, SSDI payments will continue despite the government shutdown. Medicare and Medicaid will also operate normally during the shutdown.

Congress funds Social Security benefits through mandatory spending, approving the funding in advance without an expiration date.

The SSA has a contingency plan in place to continue essential activities and services during a partial or full government shutdown that could result in a lapse in federal funding. Under this plan, funding for programs under Titles II¹, XVI², and XVIII³ of the Social Security Act will continue even if appropriations lapse.

What services will stop during the government shutdown?

During the government shutdown, the SSA will pause certain services, including:

• Processing overpayments
• Providing benefit verifications
• Correcting earnings records
• Issuing replacement Medicare cards
• Handling bias complaints from claimants and representatives
• Conducting quality assurance reviews (other than those related to allowances)
• Processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests
• Responding to third-party information requests

For the complete list of paused services, refer to the SSA’s contingency plan.

Essential services will continue, including processing benefit applications, handling appeals, and issuing original or replacement Social Security cards, according to the SSA.

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1. Title II of the Social Security Act established the federal Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI) program. Funded by Social Security taxes, it provides cash benefits to workers and their families, including retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. ↩︎
2. Title XVI of the Social Security Act created the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, a federal needs-based program that provides monthly payments to low-income individuals who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled. ↩︎
3. Title XVIII of the Social Security Act is the section that created Medicare. It was enacted in 1965 as part of the Social Security Amendments of 1965. ↩︎