Government shutdown looms. Are USPS, Social Security, air travel hurt? What's open, closed

A partial government shutdown looms Oct. 1 after President Donald Trump and Democrats emerged from a private White House meeting on Sept. 29 without an agreement to keep the federal government open.

Partisan spending disputes occasionally shut down parts of the government for a few days or a few weeks. Traditionally, “essential” workers and services, such as military troops or Social Security benefits, are exempt from a shutdown, while visitors to national parks notice custodial workers are “nonessential” and trash piles up.

The stakes are higher for federal workers because the White House is considering layoffs rather than temporary furloughs. In past shutdowns, workers were paid back for their time off when the funding dispute was resolved, but it’s not clear that will happen this time.

Here’s what to know about the potential shutdown:

More: An Obamacare fight may shut down the government. It’s happened before

What happens if the US government has a shutdown?

During a government shutdown, all federal agencies and services that officials do not deem “essential” must stop working.

Essential services include the U.S. Postal Service, Medicare and Social Security services and air traffic control.

“Nonessential” work, however, must pause, which affects thousands of federal employees and millions of Americans. National parks closed during past shutdowns or were kept open with state help – but with fewer services like trash pickup.

Will Social Security checks go out?

The Social Security Administration is projected to pay out $1.6 trillion to 72 million beneficiaries this year, making it a vital economic lifeline for much of the country.

A shutdown won’t disrupt those payments.

Social Security is a mandatory spending program that is not subject to annual appropriations. However, staffing and some services could be impacted if they have a discretionary spending component, according to the Committee for a Responsible Budget, a nonprofit that studies federal fiscal policy.

What happens to Medicare and Medicaid during a shutdown?

The federal Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs are also considered mandatory spending, meaning benefits won’t be impacted if the government shuts down.

More: These people have found their health care at the center of a shutdown showdown

Nearly 71 million people were enrolled in Medicaid for lower-income families and the disabled as of May 2025. And 69 million enrolled in Medicare for the elderly.

Will national parks close in a government shutdown?

National parks could be significantly impacted by a shutdown. Park funding is appropriated by Congress, leaving the park system vulnerable if lawmakers can’t reach a deal.

During the 35-day shutdown in December 2018 and January 2019, some national parks closed completely. Many stayed open, some with help from state governments, but “no visitor services were provided, and damage and trash buildup were reported at many sites,” according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

A contingency plan created by the National Park Service for a potential 2023 shutdown stated: “In general, National Park Service sites will be closed during the period of a lapse in appropriations. This means that the majority of National Park sites will be closed completely to public access.”

Will federal workers get paid during a government shutdown?

Traditionally, federal workers get paid after being furloughed temporarily for shutdowns. But the Office of Management and Budget asked federal agencies on Sept. 24 to draft plans for permanent layoffs.

“Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” the memo said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said the threat was meant to scare workers.

Will mail be delivered? Will the post office, U.S. Postal Service shut down?

Postal services, including mail delivery, will continue even if the government shuts down.

In a Sept. 25 statement, the U.S. Postal Service confirmed that its operations will not be interrupted in a shutdown, and post offices will remain open for “business as usual.”

“Because we are an independent entity that is generally funded through the sale of our products and services, and not by tax dollars, our services will not be impacted by a government shutdown,” the statement said.

Are TSA, airline travel through FAA affected by a shutdown?

Air travel continues during a shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control system and the Transportation Security Administration are considered essential.

But workers don’t get paid during the shutdown, which can lead to delays when workers don’t show up for shifts. Geoff Freeman, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said an estimated $1 billion per week is lost to the travel economy due to disruptions in air and rail travel, and closures of parks and museums.

“The consequences of inaction are immediate and severe,” Freeman said in a letter Sept. 25 to congressional leaders.

During the shutdown in December 2018 and January 2019, some TSA checkpoints were closed, and travelers faced longer lines when agents didn’t report to work, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The absence of 10 controllers temporarily halted flights at New York’s LaGuardia airport and caused delays at others.

What happens to food stamp benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP) during a shutdown?

SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, are also considered mandatory spending but can be impacted by shutdowns.

The continuing resolutions – bills that continue government funding at current levels − that have been used to fund the government generally only allow the Agriculture Department to send out SNAP benefits “for 30 days after a shutdown begins,” according to the Committee for a Responsible Budget.

“During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the USDA paid February SNAP benefits early on January 20, just before the 30-day window ended, but it would have been unable to pay March benefits had the shutdown continued,” the group said.

How many federal workers are in Ohio?

The number of federal workers in each state varies widely, with some boasting more than 150,000 and some with little more than a few thousand, USA TODAY reports.

The District of Columbia isn’t a state but is the epicenter of the U.S. government, with one in five residents working for the federal government. Washington, D.C., has the largest number of federal employees at 162,489, according to 2024 government data.

Among states, California tops the list with 150,679 federal workers, and Vermont is at the bottom with 3,368. Ohio has 56,068 federal workers, according to 2024 data from Congress.gov.

When was the last government shutdown? How long could it last?

The federal government has partially closed down 21 times for a total of 162 days since 1977. That’s an average of nearly eight days per shutdown.

The longest government shutdown lasted 35 days. Spanning from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019, it is also the most recent federal shutdown in U.S. history.

It was the third federal shutdown to occur during the Trump administration; the first lasted three days in January 2018, and the second lasted only a few hours in February 2018.

The second-longest government shutdown occurred during the Clinton administration. It lasted 21 days from Dec. 16, 1995, to Jan. 6, 1996.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown looms. Are mail, Social Security, airports hurt?