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Government Shutdown and Social Security Payments - The Hill
The absence of agreement on appropriations funding and the countdown to a government shutdown are causing some angst among the legions of Social Security beneficiaries. What will happen with the scheduled distribution of benefit payments is a logical question on the minds of many seniors, with tonight at midnight being the deadline for a decision. This has happened before and will likely occur again in the volatile world of government financing. This time around, the situation seems to be consistent with prior brinkmanship negotiations.
In a post today on thehill.com, reporters Michael Bartiromo and Addy Bink offer some solace to seniors concerned about the impact of a shutdown on their day-to-day finances. They sum it up this way, “…the SSA expects to provide benefits for Social Security recipients as usual,” and explain that Social Security’s finances, as mandatory funding, differentiate it from programs considered discretionary. Their post notes that a portion of Social Security’s workforce would be furloughed, but that the Agency is expected to continue activities critical to direct-service operations and those needed to ensure accurate and timely payment of benefits.