The US government is shut down right now, and several federal employees are not getting paid. Despite that, Social Security beneficiaries can still expect their October payments to come on time.
However, the shutdown will affect the announcement of the 2026 Cost-Of-Living Adjustment (COLA) as the economic data of the studies required to make the adjustment can not be obtained, and therefore, there could be a delay in the release of the numbers for next year.
The Trump shutdown may delay the announcement of the 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), leaving American seniors anxiously waiting. #socialsecurity #trump #shutdown #governmentshutdown #COLA #SSA pic.twitter.com/RntMraox6d
— Nat. Cmte. to Preserve Social Security & Medicare (@NCPSSM) October 13, 2025
Social Security Administration (SSA) officials have confirmed that benefits for the recipient will be dispatched on time and payments will continue under the normal schedule.
Recipients will receive payments according to the date of their birth and the month they were born:
- October 8: Those born between the 1st and 10th can expect their monthly payment.
- October 15: The date is for those born between the 11th and 20th.
- October 22: It is for those born between the 21st and 31st
In line with this schedule, the October 15 deposit will include payments of up to $5,108 for eligible beneficiaries.
Though many had the fear of social security benefits not coming this month, since these benefits are free of federal funding, they will be released on time.
Aside from SSDI, the Social Security Administration also releases SSI payments. For the month of October, recipients of SSI will receive two payments. The first one will be on October 1, which is the usual date for the SSI benefits. Another date will be October 31. It is so because the one day of November will be on a Saturday.
The COLA increase for the upcoming year is usually announced in mid-October. However, it has been delayed due to the government shutdown, which has, in turn, halted the release of September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) data.
Delaying the announcement of Social Security’s COLA because of a shutdown shows how fragile “mandatory” benefits are when the data machinery stops.
— Diesan Romero (@DiesanRomero) October 13, 2025
Without this data, the SSA cannot finalize the COLA calculation since the inflation trends need to be confirmed for the third quarter, so that these numbers can be implemented for the social security of beneficiaries from the beginning of the next year.
Since COLA will be late, the raise in benefits will also be delayed.
The SSA now expects to announce the COLA on October 24. This now aligns with the delayed CPI data release. Last time a similar delay occurred in 2013 under similar shutdown conditions. In that case, the adjusted payments were made retroactively.
Early projections suggest a modest COLA increase near 2%. However, economists have cautioned that there are many factors that could affect the final numbers. These factors include trade policies and price pressures..
Those expecting Social Security payments should receive them without delay. There will not be effects even during the shutdown. For those who opted for direct deposit in their tax filings, funds will go straight to bank accounts. Others will get mailed checks.
If payments don’t arrive on time, beneficiaries are advised to wait an additional three business days—especially for physical checks or rural areas. Checking one’s status via mySocialSecurity.gov or contacting SSA at 1-800-772-1213 can provide guidance.
