Another government shutdown looms: Would it impact Social Security, VA benefits?
(NEXSTAR) — We are again just days away from a possible government shutdown, which may leave you worried about how it could impact you.
The newest deadline is November 17 after lawmakers passed a continuing resolution in late September, narrowly avoiding an October 1 shutdown. It came after a stretch of chaotic few weeks in Congress but only gave lawmakers 47 days to find a better solution.
Those 47 days are dwindling fast.
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On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) teed up a vote on a stopgap government funding bill for next week. Even that would only serve as “a temporary extension to avoid a government shutdown.”
A vote next week would cut it even closer to the deadline, which lands on Friday.
So what would that mean for your Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or Veterans Affairs payments?
Just like with the previous near-shutdown, they will not be impacted.
Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are funded through separate processes, unlike other programs that require renewal (those are impacted by the current budget discussions).
Many benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs would also still be available.
The department, like all government departments, has a contingency plan. In the event of a shutdown, Secretary Denis McDonough previously explained that “there would be no impact on Veteran healthcare; burials would continue at VA national cemeteries; VA would continue to process and deliver benefits to Veterans, including compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits; and the Board will continue to process appeals.”
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Certain resources could be affected, like outreach to veterans and operations like career counseling and cemetery grounds maintenance, he warned at the time.
Ultimately, if you receive payments from these agencies, you still will in November, regardless of whether the government shuts down. As McDonough noted, you may, however, have a hard time contacting someone within their respective agencies as some may undergo furloughs during a potential shutdown.
While every federal agency is required to have a contingency plan in the event of a shutdown, it’s unclear how exactly a potential Nov. 17 shutdown would impact government operations, but services deemed essential would remain intact.
