Government Resources During Shutdown

Due to the lack of an approved federal budget, most federal liaison offices are temporarily closed. Please be aware that this will cause a delay with receiving casework updates.

What kinds of services will continue?

While the programs listed below will continue, the agencies responsible for administering them may see reduced workforces impacting operations. This is not a comprehensive list as we are continuing to gather information.

Social Security payments, including SSI benefits
Medicare and Medicaid benefits
VA medical care and benefits (although some regional offices may be closed)
SNAP benefits (although a prolonged shutdown could create disruptions)
Disability payments
Mail delivery
Federal law enforcement and military operations
Air travel
Federal employee retirement payments
Student aid such as Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student Loans
Visits to national Smithsonian Museums (until at least Monday, October 6)
Visa and passport services (although longer wait times are possible)

Local Social Security Administration offices will remain open to the public, but services will be reduced. During the shutdown, you are still able to:

Apply for benefits
Request an appeal
Change their address or direct deposit information
Report a death
Verify or change their citizenship status
Replace a lost or missing Social Security payment
Obtain a critical payment
Change a representative payee
Make a change in their living arrangement or income (SSI recipients only)
Obtain a new or replacement Social Security card

Department of Veterans Affairs

During the Government Shutdown, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will continue various benefit functions, such as Education Benefit Claims processing and payments, insurance processing, loan guaranty programs, Veteran Readiness and Employment payment processing, VBA National Call Centers (except for Education), Compensation and Pension Claims processing and payments, Decision Review Operations Centers, and management. These functions will continue as necessary to prevent significant disruption to mandatory benefits programs.

Regional Office and Medical Center Congressional Liaisons will be furloughed. Unfortunately, VA cannot initiate, dispatch, or respond to congressional requests until government funding has been restored. We have taken note of your requests and will transmit them once we return to regular operations. In the interim, please see VA shutdown information at https://department.va.gov/contingency-planning/.

Additionally, certain VA functions, including the Education Call Center (the GI Bill Hotline: 888-GIBILL-1 or 888-442-4551); The Native American Veterans Direct Loan program (NADL) and the Vendee loan program which offers direct loans will cease. Veteran outreach to include Veteran Readiness and Employment (also known as Chapter 31 or VR&E) and Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG), or VA Chapter 36 will be suspended. VA’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) will also be suspended.

If Veterans, their families, caregivers, or survivors need assistance they may call 1-800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411) and press zero to speak with a live agent for information, directory assistance or referrals to the right VA specialist. This service will continue to be available during the government shutdown, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Additional information relating to available services during the government shutdown can be found here: https://www.va.gov/files/2023-11/Veteran%20Field%20Guide%20Govt%20Shutdown_508.pdf.

Resources for Federal Employees

As agencies shut down, federal employees will either be furloughed, or in some cases required to work without pay. Under federal law, employees are entitled to back pay upon the government reopening.

Please see below for links to contingency plans released by each federal agency:

· Agriculture

· Army Corps of Engineers

· Commerce

· Defense

· Education

· Environmental Protection Agency

· Health and Human Services

· Homeland Security

· House

· Interior

· Justice