No. People who already receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will keep getting their monthly payments even if the government shuts down. Medicare and Medicaid coverage for current beneficiaries will also stay in place.
But for hundreds of thousands of Americans still waiting for approval, a shutdown could make an already long process even longer.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays benefits to about 8 million people on SSDI and another 1.1 million on SSI. Those payments continue even when Congress fails to pass a budget. What slows down is everything else: new applications, reconsiderations, and hearings.
The average disability applicant already waits more than two years from the time they file until a final decision at a hearing. A shutdown adds another layer of delay. Past shutdowns left SSA with reduced staff, focused mainly on getting checks out. That meant fewer employees to review files, schedule hearings, or answer questions.
For those waiting, the consequences are immediate. Many applicants live with no income while their cases are pending. They rely on family, friends, or borrowed money just to make it through the wait.
Medical records are also critical. To win a case, applicants must show consistent treatment. Medicaid usually continues during shutdowns, so most people can still see their doctors. But processing medical evidence may slow, leaving files incomplete when cases finally move forward.
Veterans’ disability checks will also continue, and VA hospitals are expected to remain open. New claims and appeals, however, may face the same kinds of delays seen at SSA.
For anyone considering an application, the safest move is to file as soon as possible and keep medical records current. The filing date sets when back benefits begin if the claim is eventually approved.
The message is simple: people already approved should be fine. Those still in line may have to wait even longer.
