October 22, 2025
The federal government is currently “shutdown” as members of Congress fail to find consensus around the proposed annual spending bill.
Typically a spending bill would have passed both chambers of Congress and been signed into law by the president before the end of the fiscal year (September 30). Thus far Congress has failed to approve the proposed bill due to disagreement over whether to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance subsidies. The enhanced subsidies, which expanded premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace enrollees in recent years, are set to expire at the end of December. Unless Congress takes action, Massachusetts families enrolled in ConnectorCare plans could pay hundreds more annually for health insurance, and some may lose financial support entirely.
The immediate impact of the shutdown is the reduction in force at the federal level. This may result in delays for administrative requests of federally-funded programs, but generally the standard payments and benefits for recipients of Social Security, SSI, SSDI, Medicare, Medicaid, and services for veterans are not affected. Federally funded housing programs like Section 8 vouchers are already committed through November. Federally funded food programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are also functioning as normal though may experience disruptions if the shutdown continues into November.
During the shutdown, local human service providers can look to Mass Legal Services and the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance as trusted resources for accurate information regarding the funding and functioning of these programs.