With a federal government shutdown appearing ever more likely at the end of the month, many services are in danger of going away temporarily, with no indication of how long that period will last. Many residents may be wondering if they will still receive their benefits from Social Security.
Because Social Security is considered a mandatory program, recipients will still get their checks if the government shuts down.
According to the Social Security Administration, close to 67 million people receive checks from the program each month, totaling about $1.4 trillion per year. The average monthly benefit payment is $1,837 for retired workers and $1,486 for disabled workers.
Medicare and Veterans Affairs benefits will also continue in the event of a government shutdown.
Federal lawmakers have until midnight on Sept. 30 to reach a deal for a short-term spending plan and avert a shutdown. However, disagreements within the Republican party have led many to predict the shutdown will occur.
If the shutdown happens, services like food assistance will be suspended, parks will be shuttered and thousands of federal employees would be furloughed.
The longest government shutdown lasted from from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019, and directly cost the national economy an estimated $11 billion, according to NBC.
