Will a government shutdown affect Social Security checks? Here's what you need to know [View all]

A government shutdown may not be the gift Americans had on their list this holiday season. But the potential for one looms Friday.

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What happens to Social Security if the government shuts down?

During a government shutdown, some federal agencies continue their work because at least some of their workers are considered “essential” to continue activities such as air traffic control, border protection, law enforcement, in-hospital medical care, and power grid maintenance, notes the nonprofit, nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Among those agencies and programs that continue on because some of their mandatory spending is not subject to annual appropriations by Congress: Medicare, Medicaid and, yes, Social Security.

Social Security has "dedicated funding, so it's outside of the budget process," said Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute. "All that money is there to paid (out). It doesn't have to be appropriated. … You're still going to get your checks."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/will-a-government-shutdown-affect-social-security-checks-here-s-what-you-need-to-know/ar-AA1wb6Bd