Government would continue to make Social Security payments to 53 million beneficiaries

SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue noted this week he planned to continue services in concert with White House's statement that Social Security checks will continue to go out in the event of a shutdown. He noted SSA’s field and hearing offices, teleservice and program service centers, and State disability determination services will provide "limited services" if there is a shutdown. "Limited services" remains a bit unclear. Speculation continues that interruption of new claims and pending appeals will occur.

The New York Times advises the government would continue to make Social Security payments to 53 million beneficiaries. “We will continue to process applications for benefits, but it might take longer if a shutdown does occur,” said Mark Hinkle, a spokesman for Social Security. “Our local offices will open for limited services. We are working on the specifics.” However, a huge backlog of applications for Social Security disability benefits would grow even larger, agency officials said. Medicare, the program for people who are 65 and older or disabled, would continue to pay doctors and hospitals for several weeks, using money from its trust funds. While Obama administration officials hoped to notify federal employees by Friday April 8th, whether they would be furloughed as nonessential workers, they also expected all federal employees — essential and nonessential alike to go to work on Monday April 11th, to help “close up shop in an orderly way”, the officials said.

Meanwhile, The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) discussed the potential shutdown - asserting that if the current continuing resolution expires at 12:01 a.m. on April 9, 2011 without passage of an FY 2011 appropriations bill or a further continuing resolution, Federal departments and agencies will be required to execute contingency plans for a shutdown. These contingency plans detail which agency activities are allowed by law to continue to operate, and which activities must stop. Employees whose salaries are funded through annual appropriations will not be able to work and will be furloughed, unless their duties qualify under the law as "accepted" to continue to work during periods of lapsed appropriations. During a shutdown, non-excepted employees are not permitted to work. OPM assures it will provide information through its website and updates regarding these matters no later than Friday, April 8th.