Will You Continue to Get Social Security Payments During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Will the coronavirus interrupt Social Security payments? Here’s what the SSA says.

The Social Security Administration recently announced it was closing offices to walk-in visitors because of the COVID-19 coronavirus effective March 17. SSA commissioner Andrew Saul confirmed this in a blog post and also warned Americans to be wary of scams amid the heightened tensions surrounding the ongoing situation.

So what does this mean for Social Security payments? Answer: nothing will change.

According to the SSA, if you get your payments via direct deposit, they will continue without interruption.

What if you get them by regular mail? They will continue to be mailed out. SSA says checks will continue to be sent, although they become the responsibility of the Postal Service at that point.

The implication of the Postal Service’s public coronavirus statement is that there are currently no major anticipated interruptions in mail service. The Postal Service says it has only experienced “minor operational impacts in the United States as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic” and says “customers may see delays in mail and packages destined to China as well as from China, as well as to and from European countries subject to restricted passenger airline travel.”

You can also sign up for direct deposit for Social Security payments to ensure they arrive quickly and on time.

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.