Government Shutdown FAQs

The federal government has shut down as of midnight on September 30, 2025. Starting on October 1, the federal government’s operations are drastically reduced. Many of the services our communities rely on will be closed to the public or continue with limited capacity. A government shutdown affects a wide and diverse set of programs, including ones we rely on every day. At this time, we don’t know how long this shutdown could last.

Below you’ll find frequently asked questions about government shutdowns.

How will this impact Vermont constituents needing assistance from my office?

My office will remain open and available to help Vermonters during a shutdown. Some assistance may be delayed due to Trump furloughing many executive branch employees that our office works with to get you help and answers. Congressional staff are not paid during a shutdown but will likely receive back pay upon the government reopening.

What is a government shutdown?

The government shuts down when Congress is unable to pass appropriations bills that finance the operations of federal agencies and programs, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These appropriations bills are designed to fund the government until the conclusion of each fiscal year, which ends on September 30. If a new appropriations bill isn't enacted by this deadline, Congress needs to pass a temporary measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which sustains the government's funding at its current level. In the absence of an approved appropriations bill or a CR, the government faces a shutdown due to lack of funding.

Who is affected by a government shut down?

A shutdown affects all federal agencies funded by annual appropriations, causing "non-essential" employees to be furloughed and the suspension of some citizen services.

Who does and doesn’t get paid during a government shutdown?

The majority of federal workers will not report to work during the shutdown and will not be paid until the shutdown ends. These furloughed workers will receive back pay when they return to work.

Other federal workers who are deemed essential to public safety will report to work during a shutdown, but these workers will not be paid or receive back pay until the government starts up again. These workers include:

In-hospital medical care
Air traffic controllers
Law enforcement
Military personnel
Power grid workers

There are a few exceptions to which federal workers will report to work and will receive pay during the shutdown. This is because the agencies they work for are either self-funded, or they have received enough funding from the Republican’s Big Ugly Bill, or they are mandated by law to continue to receive pay, and therefore will continue to operate as normal. These agencies and positions include:

The United States Postal Service (USPS)
Members of Congress
The President

However, there are many federal contractors who will be furloughed and will not receive back pay once the shutdown ends.

Will I continue to receive my Social Security and SSI payments?

Yes. During a government shutdown, recipients will continue to receive their Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will continue to issue original and replacement Social Security cards and process applications for benefits and appeals. Field offices will be open, and the national 1-800 number will be running.

Based on previous government shutdowns, some Social Security services may be affected, such as benefit verifications and overpayment processing, which recipients often need when applying for assistance programs.

Will I still be able to use my Medicare or Medicaid?

Yes. Medicare and Medicaid are deemed mandatory programs and benefits will not be disrupted by the shutdown. The shutdown will not affect Medicare’s open enrollment period beginning October 15 or the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period beginning November 1.

How will veterans be impacted?

Veterans’ health care will not be affected by the shutdown. Benefits will continue to be processed and delivered, including compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits.

Based on previous government shutdowns, access to some Veterans’ Affairs (VA) resources will be restricted, including outreach, career counseling, transition assistance, and cemetery grounds maintenance. Regional VA offices that serve the public will close.

Will I still receive my WIC or SNAP benefits for groceries?

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the seven million participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program will see an immediate reduction in benefits during the shutdown. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients will continue to receive assistance as normal for the month of October but could be affected if the shutdown goes into November and later.

Learn more about WIC in Vermont and SNAP in Vermont (3SquaresVT).

Will I still have access to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), including cash assistance?

Because TANF is funded by the government but administered by state agencies, the availability of benefits will depend on your state's policy. During a government shutdown, it is likely that the federal government will need to halt its quarterly TANF payments to states, but state governments will have the option to continue providing benefits and services without interruption.

Learn more about TANF in Vermont (Reach Up).

Will my mail still arrive?

Yes. The approximately 500,000 Postal Service employees are exempt from “furlough” — meaning they will continue to go to work — because the Postal Service is self-funded.

Will public schools be affected?

Some preschool and school readiness centers will close, leading to some children losing their Head Start benefits. Public elementary, middle, and high schools will be able to rely on state funding and continue to operate. We encourage you to connect with your Head Start provider to understand the impact.

Will the shutdown impact public health?

The federal government will suspend most safety inspections for drinking water, food, worksites, and hazardous sites. The agency responsible for food inspections, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will continue inspections of food being imported from outside the country. However, it will need to halt inspections of domestic food, where the FDA often tests for Salmonella in breakfast cereal, E.coli in romaine lettuce, and Listeria in ice cream.

Will I be able to visit national parks, monuments, and museums?

The majority of national parks will be closed during the shutdown, with the exception of parks that are physically accessible to the public, such as lookouts, campgrounds, trails, and open-air memorials. The National Mall in Washington, D.C. is an example of a federal park that will remain open.

Federal staff will not be present to maintain park land during a shutdown. Park visitors should be prepared to see locked bathrooms, litter, and overflowing trash cans on national park lands.

Museums operated by the federal government will close during the shutdown, including the Smithsonian and the National Zoo, although some museums may remain open for a few days using leftover funds from the previous fiscal year.

Will federal courts still be open?

Federal courts are expected to remain open and continue operations for at least two weeks after a shutdown begins. In prior shutdowns, the federal judiciary could remain open in some capacity and avoid furloughs by balancing court fees and other funds not dependent on Congressional appropriations. Some court proceedings may be delayed, however, if a lawyer from an executive branch agency who is involved in the case is furloughed.

Will assistance related to my federal student loans be affected?

Key activities at Federal Student Aid will continue for a few weeks, but a prolonged shutdown could disrupt the agency’s ability to assist borrowers.

A shutdown could also delay the process for students applying to the FAFSA and seeking financial aid. State and school-based financial aid may still be available, so reach out to your school for guidance.

Will the IRS be available for tax filings and tax refunds?

If you are filing your 2024 taxes with a valid extension, you are still required to file by the October 16 deadline. You may experience significant delays in processing tax refunds due to staffing shortages caused by the government shutdown.

Will federal disaster relief be available to communities affected by hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should still respond to emergencies, but long-term projects will be delayed due to a lack of funding for the Disaster Relief Fund.

Will my small business be able to access federal loans?

The Small Business Administration (SBA) will not provide new loans to any businesses.

If you have an SBA loan, your repayments are still due, and it is a good idea to contact your lending institution and ask how the government shutdown affects your loan (SBA loans are provided through private lenders).

SBA is likely to continue to issue disaster loans, since they did so during the 2018-2019 shutdown. However, you should expect the process of getting approved for a new EIDLs (Economic Injury Disaster Loans) to take a bit longer.

Will my farm be able to access federal loans?

USDA Farm Service Agency offices will be closed during the shutdown, meaning that farmers will have to wait on subsidy payments, loans, and commodity data they need now to make plans for the spring and future growing seasons.

The USDA has not yet said whether farmers will be expected to make loan payments during the shutdown, but the agency policy during the 2019 was that farmers did not have to make loan payments until the shutdown was over.

I am in the middle of buying a house. Will my Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured loan still close?

A shutdown may delay the processing or closing of your FHA-insured loan because of staff being furloughed. The longer the shutdown lasts, the more serious the impact will be. All FHA underwriting and processing requirements would remain in force during the government shutdown, and no loan may be endorsed that does not fulfill those requirements.

Please contact your lender for the exact status of your FHA loan.

I am facing foreclosure on an FHA-backed loan. Does the clock stop?

No. Most loss mitigation for homeowners facing foreclosure (including FHA loan modifications, FHA-HAMP, etc.) will continue.

Will I have access to federal rental and housing assistance during a shutdown, such as Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV)?

Yes. Households will continue to receive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assistance through the end of the year;Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and Project-Based Rental Assistance are all funded on a calendar-year cycle.

However, a prolonged shutdown past December could lead to delays in renewing contracts, and the broader financial uncertainty of a shutdown may lead public housing agencies to stop reissuing housing vouchers.

Will my travel plans be impacted?

Travelers should be aware of possible significant delays and longer wait times at airports across the country. During the 2019 shutdown, several flights were canceled or delayed when Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and air traffic controllers called off work due to the loss of pay. There is also currently a shortage of air traffic controllers employed in U.S. airports that could make travel disruptions more likely.

Before you travel, plan ahead. Check with your airline about cancellations and delays, give yourself a cushion if you’re booking connecting flights, and leave extra time to get through airport screenings.

Can I apply for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre-Check and Global Entry during the shutdown?

During the 2018-2019 partial shutdown, TSA PreCheck applications were accepted. Global Entry appointments for enrollment, however, were canceled.

I have an upcoming international trip and need to request or renew a passport. What should I expect?

The U.S. Passport Agency is expected to remain open during the shutdown and continue to issue passports. However, some offices and services may be limited if those offices are in buildings run by another agency that is shut down.

I am a United States' citizen currently abroad. Will the local United States embassy be open?

During the 2018-2019 partial shutdown, United States embassies remained open with limited services, but U.S. citizens living abroad should prepare for delays in any application or processing requests because of staff furloughs.

Please note, hours of operation and service impacts may vary at each facility. You can check which embassies and consulates may be impacted here.

How many federal workers will be affected by the shutdown?

More than four million federal workers are expected to miss some pay during the shutdown. As the nation’s largest employer, furloughing four million workers — putting them temporarily out of work — would be the equivalent of laying off the combined global workforces of both Walmart and Amazon.

On top of millions of federal workers going without pay, the Trump Administration is now using a potential shutdown as an excuse to unlawfully fire thousands of federal workers. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are using workers as collateral damage in their political games instead of focusing on keeping the government open.

I’m a federal worker, contractor, or I’m employed at a federal building that will not be open. Can I file for unemployment?

If the government shuts down, federal workers and contractors who are furloughed or terminated may apply for unemployment in the state where they work.

What happens to federal government workers during a shutdown?

The federal government hires two kinds of workers: direct employees and government contractors.

Workers who are directly employed by an agency that has been shut down are either furloughed — prohibited from reporting to work and are not paid — or must work without pay if they are considered essential to fulfilling ongoing government functions, like those required to maintain public safety.

However, government contractors who are forced to stop working typically do not receive back pay following government shutdowns. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, an estimated 4.1 million people worked under government contracts, though the precise number furloughed is unknown. For these mostly low- or lower-wage workers, they will end up missing every paycheck that would have been issued during the period of the shutdown to potentially devastating effect. This is why I believe that Congress should ensure these workers also receive back pay once the government reopens.

Services that the government deems “essential,” such as those related to law enforcement and public safety, will continue. These essential employees work without pay until the shutdown ends.

Deciding what parts of government are “essential” though, is a matter of interpretation and is facilitated by government departments and the political appointees who run them. They eventually have a say over who comes to work and who stays home.

What’s the effect of a government shutdown on the economy as a whole?

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the 2018-2019 shutdown cost the U.S. economy $11 billion — largely the result of federal workers cutting spending to cope with the loss of their paychecks.

How long does a government shutdown last?

The length of shutdowns vary, as they last until Congress passes and the President signs the appropriations bills to fund the government. The most recent shutdown occurred in 2018-2019 and lasted 35 days.

What has to happen to end a government shutdown once it starts?

Congress must pass and the President must sign appropriations bills to fund the departments and reopen agencies that have shut down. Although appropriations bills only require a majority in the House, they require 60 votes in the Senate. There are only 53 Republican Senators, meaning that President Trump and Congressional Republicans must engage in negotiations with Congressional Democrats in order to pass the appropriations bills.