What the Government Shutdown Means to Retirees

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The federal government’s shutdown has a bigger impact on retirees than just service delays. It can affect your everyday life, including how you visit loved ones, access health care, and enjoy your free time.

Typically, during a shutdown, non-essential federal agencies are closed and most employees are furloughed without pay. Essential agencies, which include the Transportation Security Administration, the National Security Agency (NSA), and the majority of the Department of Veterans Affairs, remain open, although employees are not paid.

Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, retirees can see no interruptions or a whole lot of them. Here’s how the shutdown can impact everything from your health to your travels.

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Your money during a government shutdown

The biggest question among retirees during a shutdown is will my Social Security benefit arrive on time? The answer: yes. Social Security and Supplemental Social Security payments are not delayed during a shutdown. They are considered mandatory spending and are untouchable.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any service delays. Expect interruptions in benefit verifications, earnings record corrections, and Medicare card replacement. To see the entire list of Social Security services that are open and closed, check out our story on how Social Security is affected by a government shutdown.

Tax refund delays?
While we are far from tax time, the Internal Revenue Service will be operating with a reduced staff if the shutdown stretches into next week. Under the IRS contingency plan, all staff will report to the IRS for five business days; after that, operations will be slowed. What impact the slowdown will have on income tax refunds in April is unclear, but if the shutdown lasts long, expect some delays.

“An extended shutdown could potentially impact the start of the 2026 filing season, which would be detrimental to the government’s ability to collect revenue and issue critical guidance on the new tax law,” said Melanie Lauridsen, Vice President of Tax Policy & Advocacy with the AICPA, in a press release. “Even a partial shutdown of the IRS for an extended period is deeply concerning.”

Your health during a government shutdown

Some operations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, or CMS, are considered essential and continue operations during a government shutdown.

Just like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid fall into the mandatory spending category too, which means you’ll continue to receive your Medicare benefits during the shutdown.

About 49% of CMS staff will be furloughed, and certain services paused during the shutdown, which could lead to longer wait times to speak with a CMS representative. You will also need to wait until the government reopens to replace your Medicare card. To learn more about the impact the government shutdown will have on Medicare, read our story on how Medicare is affected by a government shutdown.

Telemedicine is out for now.
Seeing a doctor from the comfort of your home or getting in-home care will be more difficult during the shutdown. That’s because funding for two COVID-era programs — telemedicine and the CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative — was set to expire at the end of September, and the government shut down without Congress passing a new budget plan. As a result, Medicare beneficiaries lose access to those two services.

Is food less safe?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is only partially open during the shutdown. Essential work, such as drug safety and foodborne illness response, continues, but oversight of new animal food ingredients is suspended due to staff furloughs.

That means the FDA won’t be able to ensure the meat, eggs, or milk you are consuming are safe.

Your travels during a government shutdown

The TSA is considered an essential agency, which means airport employees will continue to work without pay. Typically, TSA employees receive back pay once the government reopens. The agency said that about 61,000 of its 64,000 employees are exempt from the shutdown, and the remaining employees will be temporarily furloughed.

Still, if the shutdown goes on for a while, it could lead to delays at the airports.

“Government shutdowns reduce the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) and erode the layers of safety that allow the flying public to arrive safely and on time to their destinations,” the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said in a statement. “During a shutdown, critical safety support staff are furloughed, and support programs are suspended, making it difficult for air traffic controllers and other aviation safety

National parks may suffer.
You can get into a national park during a government shutdown, but if you are looking for any services, you will be disappointed. In past shutdowns, the National Park Service furloughed workers and shuttered many of the services visitors have come to love.

Some of the services that are closed during a government shutdown include: visitor centers, ranger services, and campgrounds. To learn more about national parks and government shutdowns, read what happens to national parks during a government shutdown.

Timing is everything during a shutdown

While nobody wants to see the federal government shut down, the longer it lasts, the more delays retirees will face in government services and travel (like at airports). The good news is that your Social Security and Medicare benefits will not be interrupted, giving you one less thing to worry about during this time.

Donna Fuscaldo is the retirement writer at Kiplinger.com. A writer and editor focused on retirement savings, planning, travel and lifestyle, Donna brings over two decades of experience working with publications including AARP, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investopedia and HerMoney.