The government is expected to shut down at 12pm eastern time on September 30, raising questions about how it will affect Social Security Disability. While some federal agencies will pause operations, much of the Social Security Administration will continue to operate and the Disability process will continue. In this article, we’ll explain how a shutdown may impact your benefit payments and the processing of your disability claim.
Payment of Benefits
Individuals currently receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will continue to get their payments, even if the government shuts down. That’s because Social Security is funded through mandatory spending. Mandatory spending funding that has already been approved by Congress and doesn’t require annual renewal. As a result, retirees, people with disabilities, and the dependents of deceased workers should not experience any disruption in their monthly benefits.
Processing of Disability Claims
New and pending disability applications will continue to be processed by the Social Security Administration at all levels during a government shutdown. This means that any applications filed or already in progress will still move forward. All other stages of appeal, including Requests for Reconsideration and Appeals Council reviews, will also continue to be processed.
Importantly, while SSA has asked state-run Disability Determination Services (DDS) to maintain normal operations, and has committed to reimbursing them once funding is approved. This is important because the DDS is the office that is charged with reviewing the medical records and other files to make a medical decision regarding disability. However, the agency cannot guarantee that DDS employees won’t be furloughed, since they are state employees.
Additionally, the hearing process will continue. Administrative Law Judges, decision writers, and essential hearing staff will keep working, ensuring that disability hearings and decisions will proceed without delay during a government shutdown.
SSA Services That Will Shut Down
Some Social Security services will be impacted by a government shutdown. According to the latest contingency plan, the following services would be temporarily halted. While core functions like benefit payments and disability claims processing will continue, these non-essential services may be delayed until the shutdown ends.
- Benefit verifications
- Corrections or updates to earnings records not related to a current claim
- Payee accountings
- Suspension of prisoner-related activities
- Requests from third parties for information
- Responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests
- IT system enhancements, public relations efforts, and staff training
- Issuance of replacement Medicare cards
- Processing of overpayments
For more information on the services that will and will not be available during the shutdown, you can see the Social Security Office of Finance and Management’s Lapse Plan Summary Overview. Here is some information from the SSA shutdown plan regarding the Social Security disability system:
Social Security Services on Initial Applications, CDRs, and Other Administrative Issues
| Continued Activities | Discontinued Activities |
|---|---|
|
|
DDS Level Services
| State Disability Determination Services Activities | |
|---|---|
| Continued Activities | Discontinued Activities |
|
|
Social Security Services at the Hearing Level
| Hearings and Appeals Activities | |
|---|---|
| Continued Activities | Discontinued Activities |
|
|
