A steady monthly income is important for many people who depend on it to meet their basic needs. Let us say that a rumor gets around that the government wants to end it. You should be worried, right? Should your whole life depend on it…
About one in five Americans over 65 get their money from Social Security because they are retired or have a disability. Even though Congress is also debating similar issues, these benefits are safe because they are not part of the same economic allocation as the budgets that are being discussed right now.
Also, these checks would still be sent even if Congress fails. Take it easy and calm down! We are going to tell you everything that is going on right now.
What if the Social Security Administration closes? What happens to payments?
You should not be calm when the government shuts down, but when it does, the White House asks federal agencies for a backup plan so that people who get Social Security can be sure they will still get their money.
Chad Poist, a deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), says that these backup plans will make sure that the checks keep coming in.
This means that first things first, Social Security payments will not stop. Legal examples from past shutdowns make it clear that these payments can not be stopped under any circumstances, which is something that could not be guaranteed in other places.
What payments could be affected by this shutdown?
We have already seen that these payments are guaranteed, and the government needs to make sure they never stop. But some other services might not work as smoothly because more than 8,000 SSA workers would be temporarily off the job without pay if this shutdown happened. It makes sense that this will make it harder for the agency to handle some requests.
One service that will be limited during the shutdown is replacing Medicare cards. If you need a new Medicare card, you will probably have to wait a very long time because this service is not considered primary or essential during a shutdown.
Requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), on the other hand, might not be processed, which would mean that these important documents might not be available.
Lastly, the resolution of wrong payments. If you received the wrong payment or are still waiting for a problem to be fixed with the administration, you will have to wait until the closing is over so that your case can be properly handled.
Is there anything that won’t change from now on?
Of course, the most important things will keep working the way they do now. SSA will make sure that the right payments are sent out first so that beneficiaries do not notice any changes in their income and can go on with their lives as usual.
How can we prepare for this?
If you think you will need any important SSA services, it is best to get them before the shutdown. Keep an eye on official updates from SSA to find out which services will be available and which will not.
Remember that even though this may seem very scary, you should know that Social Security payments will be made because the government knows that they are important to the finances of millions of people in the United States who depend on them. That being said, they are well aware that the people who need their services the most will always come first, even if some services are affected.
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