As the federal government shutdown approaches its third week, Wisconsin Social Security beneficiaries may notice several changes in the agency’s services.
Social Security benefits are considered mandatory spending and therefore continue through a government shutdown. However, the Social Security Administration has furloughed thousands of employees since the shutdown began Oct. 1 and paused several of its other services.
The announcement of the 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment has also been delayed this month due to the shutdown.
Here’s what to know about Social Security services during the shutdown, including when Wisconsin beneficiaries can expect October payments:
Will Social Security payments be issued in Wisconsin during a government shutdown?
Yes. Like Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security benefits are considered mandatory spending and will continue through the government shutdown.
However, per the Social Security Administration’s shutdown contingency plans, the agency is furloughing about 12% of its staff during the shutdown and halting most services that are not directly related to paying benefits.
Which Social Security services are and aren’t available during a government shutdown?
Social Security offices are remaining open during the shutdown, but services will be limited. The following services are still available, according to the agency:
Meanwhile, the following services are currently unavailable:
When will the 2026 Social Security COLA be announced?
Before the shutdown, the Social Security Administration was due to announce its 2026 cost-of-living adjustment on Oct. 15, based on the results of the the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September inflation report.
However, the shutdown saw the Bureau of Labor Statistics pause most of its service, thereby delaying the report. The agency has since announced it will release the September report on Friday, Oct. 24, and the Social Security Administration will announce the 2026 COLA on the same day.
The COLA will be announced on that date regardless of whether the government is still shut down, according to USA TODAY.
When do Social Security benefits go out in October?
Wisconsin beneficiaries will receive Social Security payments on the following dates this month, regardless of the shutdown, according to the agency’s payment calendar:
What happens during a government shutdown?
All non-essential federal agencies and services must stop working during a government shutdown, which can affect thousands of federal workers and millions of Americans.
Services deemed essential — such as the postal service, law enforcement and military — remain open.
Wisconsin has about 18,000 civilian federal workers, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Some of these workers will be furloughed, while the ones providing essential services will continue working.
When will the government shutdown end?
The shutdown will end when Congress passes and Trump signs an appropriations bill to fund the federal departments and agencies currently shut down.
It’s unclear how long that will take. The last government shutdown was in 2018, during Trump’s first term, and stretched on for a record 35 days.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How the government shutdown is impacting Social Security services in Wisconsin
Reporting by Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
