What CA Social Security & Medicare beneficiaries can expect as shutdown continues
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Social Security and Medicare benefits continue to be paid despite shutdown.
- SSA field offices stay open with reduced staff, services and longer waits.
- Annual COLA announcement delayed; beneficiaries face higher local inflation.
While Social Security and Medicare benefits continue to be paid during the federal shutdown, and are in no danger of being cut or ended, people dealing with the programs could encounter some problems.
About 6.8 million Californians receive Social Security payments. Here’s a quick guide to what’s available and what’s not as the shutdown enters its 13th day Monday, with no end in sight. Congress will not meet Monday, and only the Senate is scheduled to return Tuesday.
Here’s where things stand for Californians who are eligible for Social Security and Medicare:
Q. Benefits will continue to be paid. Why?
“Social Security benefits are mandatory, which means they are not subject to annual appropriations, and the staff necessary to deliver the core benefits is considered essential and not subject to furlough,” said Maria Freese, senior legislative representative at the nonpartisan National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
The Social Security Administration on its website says that 6,200 of its 51,800 employees are expected to be furloughed.
Q. Social Security recipients get a cost of living increase each year. It’s usually announced at this time of year. Could the increase, or the announcement, be delayed?
The increase itself will not be delayed, said Kevin Glass, an AARP spokesman.
The annual announcement of next year’s increase, which would normally have come this week, has been delayed until October 24 because of the shutdown. The independent Senior Citizens League projects a 2.7% increase in 2026 benefits, or an average of about $54 a month, next year. AARP predicts an adjustment in the 2.6% to 2.9% range.
That may not be enough for California beneficiaries. While the cost-of-living increase is in line with the national average, the UCLA Anderson Forecast predicts that prices in California will be up 3.5% this year and 3.5% next year.
There are several reasons for California’s somewhat higher number. Gasoline prices in the state averaged $4.67 per gallon on Monday, according to AAA, well above the $3.08 national average. The state’s price was the highest in the nation.
Q. Because of some federal staff reductions, could there be delays in some Social Security and Medicare services?
What Freese calls ancillary services, or services where employee help is essential, could take more time.
said “Several in-person services are temporarily suspended, including Medicare card replacements, proof-of-income letters, earnings record updates, and overpayment processing, among others,” said Shannon Benton, executive director of the Senior Citizens League.
Q. Will Social Security offices remain open?
Yes, and phone lines are still manned. But Tony Pugh and Dana Bunis, writing for AARP, say “expect fewer workers to help you enroll. Buyouts earlier this year already have strained SSA field office staffing, and some who remain may be placed on leave.”
The Social Security Administration advises its local offices “will remain open to the public but will provide reduced services.”
SSA says those offices can help people: apply for benefits, request an appeal, change an address or direct deposit information, report a death, verify or change citizenship status, replace a lost or missing Social Security payment, obtain a critical payment, change a representative payee or obtain a new or replacement Social Security card.
Q. If I’m turning 65 and want to apply for Social Security and Medicare, will it be difficult?
Not if you can navigate the application process online. The Social Security website invites people to “Visit my Social Security for online services.” If you have questions, though, staffers may be more difficult to reach and visiting a local office could mean delays.
Social Security also advises that “We may not be able to assist with all in-person service requests at this time. For example, we cannot provide proof of benefits letters, or update or correct earnings records. These in-person services will resume when the federal government is operating normally.”
At Medicare, the program’s site says “Mission-critical activities of CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown. Please use this site as a resource as the Trump Administration works to reopen the government for the American people.”
Q. Will Medicare benefits be affected by the shutdown?
Like Social Security, Medicare benefit funding is considered mandatory, not subject to congressional approval. But as Freese said, “Medicare is more complex” than Social Security.
Q. Where might there be cutbacks?
One example: Telehealth visits through Medicare, which were encouraged and became popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, have likely been disrupted. The program needed specific congressional approval for its funding.
Q. Will it be difficult to reach someone who can help with Medicare questions?
“Fewer workers mean people who need help from a Medicare representative could, for example, encounter longer wait times when contacting the Medicare hotline, even though it will continue to operate. In addition, providers waiting for payment may see delays, and other administrative services may be curtailed,” AARP said.
There’s an overarching problem as well, added Benton.
“These interruptions — from delayed access to breakdowns in communication — undermine the reliability older adults depend on,” she said.
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