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If the government were to shut down on Friday, most Americans would feel the impacts in one way or another, but several key programs would continue operating.
Will I get my Social Security check if there's a shutdown?
Yes, Social Security benefits will continue to go out in the event of a government shutdown. That's because Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are among the mandatory spending that isn't subject to annual appropriations from Congress.
While Social Security checks will continue to be sent out, some related services could be impacted. For example, benefit verification and the issuance of new Social Security cards would stop, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said.
When it comes to Social Security checks, the bigger looming threat is the debt limit. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen suggested last week in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that nearly "50 million seniors could stop receiving Social Security checks for a time," if Congress fails to raise or suspend the debt ceiling. She warned Monday that if the debt limit isn't raised by Oct. 18, “the full faith and credit of the United States would be impaired, and our country would likely face a financial crisis and economic recession.”
Will a government shutdown affect food stamps?
No, a government shutdown would not affect food stamps, at least initially.
The Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Child Nutrition (CN) programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), has laid out in its updated shutdown contingency plan that those programs should "continue operations during a lapse in appropriations."
However, CRFB notes that though funding for SNAP is mandatory, the government's ability to distribute the benefits could be impacted because a stopgap funding bill often only authorizes the USDA to send out benefits for 30 days after a shutdown begins.