Government shutdown: How it’s affecting Social Security, payments, services

Week two of the government shutdown has come and gone, and officials are warning the closure may be the longest in history. Its effects are becoming more and more apparent with each passing day.

The shutdown began Oct. 1, halting government services including those offered by the Federal Trade Commission and Social Security.

With upwards of 750,000 government employees furloughed, the impacts of the closure are adding up as agencies offer limited services and backlogged requests from the public that would typically be handled on a day-to-day basis.

Fortunately for Social Security recipients, payments to anyone relying on a Social Security check or Supplemental Security Income will continue being paid on time with no change in payment dates.

However, if beneficiaries need in-person assistance, whether they receive the help they’re looking for depends.

Services Social Security will continue offering amid the government shutdown include:

The Social Security Administration announced it will update its social media accounts and online platforms once the shutdown is over.

As the shutdown continues, the Social Security Administration cannot help with:

Will SSA announce COLA updates?

Usually, SSA announces the Cost of Living Adjustment increases for Social Security beneficiaries in mid-October.

This adjustment informs recipients how inflation and cost-of-living adjustments will be accounted for in their payments for the upcoming year.

The official COLA increase for 2026 was slated to be announced on Oct. 15, but due to the government shutdown, that announcement may be delayed — leaving millions questioning when that announcement will come and how to budget for the year ahead.

According to the Social Security Administration, the actual COLA increase is determined by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from July to September of the calendar year.

While it is unknown when those numbers will be officially announced, there is a pretty good idea of what they might look like based on the calculation the Social Security Administration uses to determine the increase.

Using this calculation, the bipartisan group The Senior Citizens League, predicts the increase will be about 2.7%, which is slightly up from 2025’s increase of 2.5%.

A 2.7% COLA would result in about an extra $54 per month for the average retired worker, increasing the monthly benefit from $2,008 to $2,062.

While the COLA increase is semi-predictable, the government shutdown complicates other moving parts essential to keeping the Social Security Administration running smoothly and serving beneficiaries.

Prior to the shutdown, the Social Security Administration created a contingency plan indicating it would retain approximately 45,000 (90%) of its workforce during the shutdown, while furloughing roughly 6,200 employees.

This staffing reduction is expected to halt a variety of services, including:

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