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Without a deal in Congress by Tuesday, the government will run out of funding.
Sept. 29, 2025, 5:02 a.m. ET
With the federal government headed toward a potential shutdown this week, thousands of workers could be furloughed and operations could be disrupted at many agencies.
But not all government programs would come to a halt. Some essential work, such as law enforcement and airport security screening, would continue. Federal benefits programs like Social Security would also continue payments.
Here is how some government functions would be affected during a shutdown.
Which federal benefits would continue?
Social Security is considered mandatory, and funding for those programs is generally unaffected by a shutdown.
Medicare benefits also continue uninterrupted. The federal government has enough money for Medicaid to fund the first quarter of the next fiscal year, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
There could be lapses for some services, though. The federal government might not be able to issue replacement Medicare cards, for instance.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to roughly 42 million people, is not expected to be immediately disrupted. But payments could be affected later in the year, depending on how long a shutdown lasts and how much contingency funding remains.
