The partial closure of the federal government, which began on October 1 due to lack of funds due to the disagreement between Republican and Democratic legislators about the budget, generates uncertainty in Americans, who wonder how government services will be affected.
Many retired, disabled and people who receive supplementary aid (SSI) wonder if they will receive payment of their benefits on the corresponding date.
In October, low -income families that have the supplementary help to survive must receive two payments, because the following month is ahead of October 31, because November 1 is Saturday.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) indicated that the closure of the Government will not affect the payments, which will continue on the corresponding dates, according to an announcement published on their website and on their social networks. The payments issued by Social Security are not exposed to budget swings because they come from payroll taxes that workers and employers pay in the United States pay, and in turn, they are part of the government’s mandatory expenditure.
In the same announcement, the SSA acknowledged that its offices will remain open, but operating in a reduced way and offering only very necessary services.
In this sense, it will operate the same as other government agencies that will maintain essential workers, such as those working in security forces, the army and airports. Social Security services and government closure
Due to an interruption in financing, they will only provide the following services in the local Social Security offices, the agency said:
Help to request benefits; Help to request an appeal; change direct deposit or information address; accept death reports; verify or change citizenship status; replace a lost or missing social security payment; Issue a crucial payment; change a beneficiary representative; process a change in your housing or income situation (only for SSI beneficiaries); Issue new or replacement social security cards.
These are the services that will not provide as long as the closure of the government is maintained:
Replace Medicare card; Issue a proof of social security income; Update or correct your income record.
At the same time, the SSA reported that the audience offices remain open to carry out hearings before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
Many efforts with Social Security can be done online in mysocialsecury. What about Medicare during government closure
Medicare services will not be interrupted with the closure of the government, because they are included in the category of mandatory government services. Some 70 million beneficiaries may continue to attend medical consultations, receive their medicines and if necessary, hospital care.
On the other hand, delays are expected in certain services such as the response in the Medicare attention line, which will continue to operate, but perhaps with delays because half of the agency’s staff are under license. Payments to suppliers and other administrative services could also be delayed, said the AARP website. Federal employees affected and possible dismissals
Government employees will not charge until Democratic and Republican legislators reach an agreement on the budget, what could take days and until weeks because they hold it is because of the cuts in health care. So it is expected that there will be delays in services, as some labor unions warn.
About 750,000 employees will be sent to a license without salary every day, according to the Congress Budget Office. That means $ 400 million daily in retained wages. The White House also warned that employees whose functions “do not coincide with presidential priorities” could lose their positions, according to USA Today.
In addition to essential entities, the Courts are also open. The postal service will operate as always because, as indicated, its income does not depend on the federal government but on what they charge to mail users.
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