Will January Social Security Payments Be Late if Government Shuts Down?

What’s New

As talks of a potential government shutdown loom, seniors might be concerned about what this means for their Social Security payments.

The government could face a widespread shutdown if Congress cannot come together to approve a spending plan going into 2025. This would mean a furlough of federal workers and reduced government services.

Why It Matters

The deadline is Friday, December 20, for Congress to avoid the shutdown. If the lawmakers cannot agree on a full spending bill, the current continuing resolution bill could only temporarily go into 2025.

The current agreement has seen a flurry of criticism from conservatives, particularly around the additional funding for disaster relief and lawmaker pay.

President-elect Donald Trump has voiced his support for Republicans in blocking several of the fiscal policies Democrats are calling for in the budget standoff.

“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance said in a statement Wednesday. “If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF.”

What To Know

Luckily for seniors, a government shutdown would not impact their Social Security payments in January. Checks will continue to be sent without interruption.

Depending on when your birthday falls, beneficiaries could see payments on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month.

Those born between the first and the 10th of the month will get their checks on January 8, while everyone born between the 11th and 20th will get paid on January 15.

Those born between the 21st and 31st get checks on January 22.

The one exception is for those receiving benefits since before May 1997. They will get payments on January 3.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will also continue to be processed without disruptions.

What People Are Saying

Senator John Kennedy, in a statement about the CR bill: “I was hoping for just a clean CR with a few things like disaster relief and an extension of flood insurance. Sort of a weeny Christmas tree. This one looks like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.”

Elon Musk, on X: “One of the worst bills ever written.”

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Recipients of Social Security should rest assured that if the government does enter a shutdown, their benefits will still be received on time as they normally would be. However, some recipients could still find difficulty in a shutdown if they need to reach out to a Social Security office.”

Staffing will be extremely limited because most employees are furloughed during a shutdown.

“Given Social Security has already been short-staffed in recent years, this could make getting assistance with issues you encounter an even harder task,” Beene said. “During the first Trump administration, we had our longest government shutdown in modern history. Obviously, this could be a replay of that, but there’s always hope that cooler heads prevail and a shutdown is avoided.”

Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of michaelryanmoney.com, told Newsweek: “They will not be delayed, even if a shutdown occurs. Here’s why: Social Security operates under ‘mandatory spending’ through a dedicated trust fund, completely separate from the annual appropriations process that causes shutdowns. Think of it like an automatic bill pay you’ve set up with your bank—it continues regardless of whether the bank’s customer service department is fully staffed.”

What’s Next

While Social Security recipients will not be interrupted by the potential government shutdown, there could still be delays for a wide array of services.

That includes benefit verification letters, Social Security card replacements and appeals processing. A government shutdown could also impact new benefit applications if Congress cannot come to an agreement on the spending bill.

Ryan said most government shutdowns in the past have lasted between two to three weeks.

“What’s often overlooked in shutdown discussions is the ripple effect beyond Social Security,” Ryan said.

“While Medicare and Medicaid benefits continue, other federal assistance programs like WIC face immediate funding challenges. From my experience advising multi-generational families, I’ve seen how these programs’ disruptions can impact entire family units, often forcing adult children to step in with temporary financial support for their senior parents.”