Government Shutdown Military Retirement Pay: What Keeps Coming, What Can Stall, and Where to Get Help

Where federal funding stands today

As of November 1, 2026, the federal government is open and funded. On September 2, 2026, the President signed H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, according to the White House announcement. It is a short-term stopgap, often called a continuing resolution or CR, that keeps agencies running at roughly current levels through December 11, 2026. It also renewed several veterans' programs.

That means the next possible shutdown date is the end of the day on December 11, 2026. Before then, Congress has to pass full-year spending bills for fiscal 2027, pass another stopgap, or let funding lapse. Nobody can say yet which will happen, and we will update this page when it is settled.

The past year shows why it pays to watch the date. The fall 2025 shutdown ran 43 days, from October 1 to November 12, 2025. Early 2026 brought two more lapses: a short partial shutdown from January 31 to February 3, and a long lapse limited to the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Coast Guard, that ran from mid-February to April 30, 2026. Military retired pay was not interrupted by any of them.

Why government shutdown military retirement pay continues

A shutdown happens when Congress has not passed the yearly appropriations that let agencies spend money. Most military retirement checks are not paid out of those yearly appropriations. The Congressional Research Service explains that retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan payments come from the Military Retirement Fund, and that retirees and survivor beneficiaries generally keep getting paid during a lapse (CRS report IN12244, updated September 30, 2025).

The Defense Department does pay money into that fund each year, but the checks to retirees are drawn from the fund itself. That is why DFAS has said in past shutdown notices that retirees and annuitants would be paid on their normal schedule. Retired pay normally arrives on the first business day of each month, and that schedule has held through recent shutdowns.

A few points are worth knowing:

• Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force retirees are paid by DFAS and have not missed a check because of a shutdown.
• Coast Guard retirees were also listed as continuing to receive retired pay in the 2025 shutdown, according to MOAA.
• Public Health Service and NOAA Corps retirees are paid differently. In 2025, MOAA reported that their October checks went out, but the next ones could be missed if the shutdown dragged on without other funding.
• Combat-Related Special Compensation and concurrent receipt are paid along with retired pay. We found no report of these stopping in a past shutdown, but DFAS has not published a separate statement for them that we could load, so check your myPay account if anything looks off.

What happened in past shutdowns

Each shutdown has played out a little differently for people still in uniform, but retirees have been the steady part of the picture. This table pulls together what official reports and the Congressional Research Service describe.

In 2025, the Defense Department said it would move about $8 billion in unobligated research and development money to cover troop pay, and it accepted a $130 million private donation toward pay costs. Neither of those was a permanent fix, and the administration warned that funds would run short by mid-November if the shutdown continued. It ended on November 12, 2025, when the President signed a bill that funded most of the government into early 2026 and gave the VA a full-year budget.

Who gets paid during a lapse

Here is a side-by-side look at the payments military and veteran households ask about most. It reflects how recent shutdowns worked. A future shutdown could differ, so always check the paying agency.

VA disability, pension, and health care

The VA had a different situation from most agencies in 2025. Most VA medical care is funded a year in advance, and many benefits are mandatory spending. Its contingency planning page, last updated October 8, 2025, said that benefits would continue to be processed and delivered, including compensation, pension, education, and housing. VA medical centers, clinics, and Vet Centers stayed open. Burials at national cemeteries went on, and the Board of Veterans' Appeals kept issuing decisions.

Some things did stop. The same page listed these as paused:

• Benefits regional offices closed to the public.
• The GI Bill hotline and transition and career counseling stopped.
• Grounds work and permanent headstone placement at VA cemeteries were delayed, as was processing of pre-need burial applications.
• Outreach events and press responses were put on hold.

The Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988, then press 1) and 1-800-MyVA411 stayed open around the clock. The bill that ended the 2025 shutdown included a full-year VA budget for fiscal 2026, and VA is now running under the same stopgap as other agencies through December 11, 2026. If you are waiting on a claim and a lapse starts, keep filing online and keep your exam appointments. Our guide to government grants for disabled veterans covers other VA-related help.

Active-duty, Guard, and Reserve pay

People on active duty keep reporting for work during a shutdown, but the law does not let DFAS pay them without money from Congress. The Defense Department confirmed in its September 27, 2025 guidance that active-duty members, including reservists on federal active duty, continue to report for duty. How they get paid has depended on what lawmakers or the administration did at the time:

• 2013: Congress passed the Pay Our Military Act the night before the shutdown, so troops were paid. That law expired and does not apply to future lapses.
• 2018 to 2019: The Defense Department already had its full-year budget, so most troops were paid. Coast Guard members, funded through Homeland Security, went without regular paychecks until late January.
• 2025: Bills such as the Pay Our Military Act of 2025 (S. 876) and the Pay Our Troops Act were introduced but did not become law during the shutdown. Instead, the Pentagon shifted unobligated funds to cover October paychecks.

Drilling Guard and Reserve members can see weekend drills canceled during a lapse. Mobilized Guard and Reserve members report for duty like active-duty troops. Death gratuity payments continued in 2025. Some enlistment end dates were extended for members due to separate during the shutdown.

Federal law gives back pay to federal employees after a shutdown, but for troops the money still has to come from Congress. If you are on active duty and a lapse begins, plan for the chance that one or two paychecks arrive late.

Federal civilian workers and federal retirees

Many military families include a spouse or retiree who works as a federal civilian. Those workers are either furloughed (sent home) or excepted (told to keep working). In either case, paychecks stop until funding returns. A 2019 law, the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, has been read as guaranteeing back pay, but in January 2026 OPM removed back-pay language from its shutdown guidance and now says Congress will decide whether furloughed staff are paid for the lapse. Watch for updated OPM guidance if a new shutdown begins.

Federal retirees are in a better position. OPM says its Retirement Services is funded outside annual appropriations, so CSRS and FERS annuity payments continue. New retirement cases can still slow down, since agency human resources offices may be closed and slow to send paperwork to OPM.

Unemployment for federal civilians (UCFE)

Furloughed federal civilian employees can apply for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) through the state where they last worked. Each state applies its own rules. Excepted employees who keep working full time generally do not qualify. If back pay comes later, the state will usually treat the unemployment money as an overpayment that must be paid back. UCFE is not for active-duty service members, who are still employed and owed pay. To see how state claims work, read about emergency financial assistance near you as well.

Services that can slow down or close

Even when checks keep coming, some services military retirees use can be affected. Here is what was reported during the 2025 shutdown:

• New retirement and SBP processing. Payments already in place continue, but new cases, pay changes, and customer service can be slower when civilian staff are furloughed.
• TRICARE. TRICARE and TRICARE For Life kept working with civilian doctors. Elective procedures at military hospitals and clinics could be postponed, and the Prime travel benefit was not available. Open enrollment stayed on schedule. Check TRICARE for current notices.
• Commissaries and exchanges. Both stayed open in 2025. Reports at the time said commissaries had money to run into early December, so a much longer lapse could change that.
• Military pharmacies. They stayed open, though hours could change.
• Moves and travel. Many permanent change of station moves were delayed unless tied to essential missions.
• DoDEA schools. Schools stayed open. Some after-school activities paid from appropriated funds were canceled.

Many of these details come from the Military Officers Association of America shutdown tracker, which was updated through early November 2025.

Where to get help if a paycheck is late

If a paycheck is late, start with the military relief society for your branch. Each one is a private nonprofit that works closely with its service, and asking for help is free. They mostly give interest-free loans, with grants in some cases, to active-duty members, retirees, and families.

If you cannot reach your society directly, the American Red Cross Hero Care network can help connect you, day or night.

Bank and credit union shutdown programs

Some military banks have offered short-term help during past shutdowns. These programs are only offered when a shutdown happens and can change each time:

• Navy Federal Credit Union announced 0% APR loans in September 2025 for members paid directly by the federal government whose pay went to Navy Federal. Members had to register for each shutdown.
• USAA offered no-interest loans to eligible members with federal direct deposit in fall 2025. Some families reported being turned down, so read the terms carefully.

Neither program is active right now because there is no shutdown. If one starts, check the bank's own website for current terms.

Food and everyday costs

If a missed paycheck leaves your household short on groceries, you may qualify for SNAP. Eligibility depends on household income and size. You can read the rules on the USDA SNAP eligibility page or estimate a benefit with our SNAP calculator. Applying is free. Note that SNAP itself was disrupted in November 2025, when USDA did not issue full benefits during the shutdown. You can also dial 211 for local food pantries, utility help, and rent programs.

Handling bills and creditors

A late paycheck does not have to turn into a late fee. Most lenders, utilities, and landlords will work with you if you call before a due date. When you call:

1. Explain that your pay is delayed because of a federal funding lapse and ask about a hardship plan or a skipped payment.
2. Ask them to waive late fees and to hold off reporting to credit bureaus.
3. Get any agreement in writing, and note the name of the person you spoke with.
4. Give priority to housing, utilities, car payments you need for work, and insurance.

Active-duty members also have rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). It caps interest at 6 percent on debts taken out before active duty and protects against some evictions, foreclosures, and repossessions without a court order. It does not erase debts, and it mainly helps people on active duty, not retirees. Read more from the Justice Department or Military OneSource, which also offers free financial counseling. Our guide to debt relief for military families goes deeper on loans and collections.

Avoid payday loans and high-cost lenders during a shutdown. Relief society loans have no interest, and bank shutdown loans have been free or very low cost.

Getting ready before a funding deadline

The current deadline is December 11, 2026. If you or someone in your home depends on active-duty or federal civilian pay, a little planning now can soften any gap:

• Log in to myPay and confirm your direct deposit and address are current.
• Know which relief society serves you and save its phone number.
• If your bank has a shutdown loan program, find out how and when to enroll.
• List your bills by due date so you know which calls to make first.
• Build even a small cash cushion if you can, since early-month bills come first.

Retirees who only receive retired pay, SBP, or VA benefits usually do not need to take any action. If a payment ever looks wrong, contact DFAS through myPay or by phone rather than waiting.

Related guides

• Christmas help for veterans
• Veteran utility assistance programs
• Federal debt relief programs for veterans
• Debt help for veterans

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about how past federal funding lapses worked. A future shutdown could be handled differently, so check DFAS, VA, OPM, or your branch for current notices. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the Department of Defense, the VA, any relief society, or any government agency.