As of January 2, 2019, the United States government has been partially shut down for 11 days. A partial government shutdown means that around 25% of the United States federal government has no funding. While parts of the government have been funded and will remain open, 9 of 15 federal agencies have not been funded and around 800,000 federal employees are going without pay. These agencies include the Department of Homeland Security, Justice, Housing, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, and the Treasury.
Many clients have been wondering how the partial government shutdown will affect their Social Security disability benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, a full-year funding agreement for the Social Security Administration was reached in September and so the agency is not being affected by the partial shutdown. Similarly, because funding of the Social Security Trust is paid with a combination of taxes and long-term investments, recipients of Social Security benefits will continue to receive their benefits as scheduled. Similarly, essential services such as public safety operations and Medicare payments have continued. Because of the funding of Social Security, Claimants for Social Security disability should not be affected by the government shutdown.
If you have questions regarding your Social Security disability benefits, contact an experienced Social Security disability attorney at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. at 251-343-1111. Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. represents Social Security disability claimants in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana at all levels of the disability process from initial application to appeals to Federal Court.