Fact Check: Who Still Collects a Paycheck When the Government Shuts Down?
The politicians responsible for the shutdown will still continue to receive their paychecks.
Published Oct. 1 2025, 11:53 a.m. ET
In order to keep the U.S. government running, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have to come together on a funding bill that will keep the lights on and debts paid for federal buildings and employees across the country.
Because of how important this funding measure is, many politicians will attach other things to these bills, like additional funding measures or cuts, in the hopes that they can get their agenda through as part of a greater effort to keep the government open.
From time to time, lawmakers will reach an impasse, which means no funding measures get through, prompting a government shutdown. That's exactly what happened at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2025.
Of course, these shutdowns shouldn't impact emergency or essential personnel, but there are those who will get caught up in the closure, leaving many both in and outside the government wondering who doesn't get paid during a shutdown.
Keep reading as we break down the answers to that, and more.
Who doesn't get paid during a government shutdown?
When it comes to the ins and outs of who will still get a paycheck, and who will be forced to nervously wait things out at home while the politicians in charge work things out, people and programs are mainly separated into two different categories. The essential services will remain active during the shutdown, and employees (like air traffic controllers) will still report to work as normal.
Non-essential services (like certain National Park Service employees) will be furloughed.
According to ABC News, the lawmakers responsible for the shutdown will still continue to receive their normal benefits and paychecks. However, those federal employees caught up in the 2025 shutdown can expect to start feeling the squeeze Oct. 24, 2025.
And active-duty military, who are also considered non-essential employees during this time, will miss their first paycheck a lot sooner thanks to the timing of the shutdown, and will notice a change in their bank accounts as early as Oct. 15.
Will Social Security payments continue to go out during a government shutdown?
Unfortunately, the most vulnerable among us may be the hardest hit during the government shutdown. That's because there can be significant delays in certain social safety net programs. For example, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (known as SNAP or WIC) could see disruption in payments, according to The Hill.
During a 2023 government funding crisis, then-President Joe Biden warned that these services could suffer during a shutdown.
And while seniors and beneficiaries currently receiving Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits should still see their payments arrive, newly qualified people may not be able to get signed up until the shutdown is over.
As such, many people are carefully watching the conversations that are being had between the House and Senate to see just how long the government is going to remain closed, and if any additional services will be disrupted as a result of the shutdown.