Government shut down will affect you

[marie1203]

Now that is getting close and IRS refund might be delayed I was wondering how it will affect all of you? For us since the pentagon aren't sure how they will pay the military will be a huge budget buster. I am grateful for our emergency savings.

 

[happygirl]

I read something that said it won't affect the military at all.

It will effect small things, like getting passport,
museums
The mail will still run
I'm sure you will still get your refuns
people will still get SSI

 

[vicki_c]

Just causing me work headaches since my customer(s) is the Government and they haven't provided us any info yet on what they want us to do -- which will vary by customer, by contract, by person on the contract, etc. It's causing me major work stress. On a personal level, I am not affected since I will be paid by my company regardless.

 

[LeslieG]

I am planning a trip to Yellowstone over Labor Day and found a great airfare, but now I'm thinking I should wait and see what happens with this budget. Even though a shut-down probably wouldn't last till Labor Day, they might just pass something short term, meaning it could come to a deadline like this again very soon. And I just had my kids' passports sent out last Friday, so I suppose they will get hung up in this mess too.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm a federal employee, so I won't be getting paid for however long it takes Congress to get their act together.

IRS is saying processing of refunds for paper returns will likely be delayed. E-file processing will probably not be affected (so they say).

 

[vicki_c]

I read something that said it won't affect the military at all.

It will effect small things, like getting passport,
museums
The mail will still run
I'm sure you will still get your refuns
people will still get SSI

It said in the Washington Post this morning that paper tax returns will not be processed if I recall right. The bigger problem is that people won't get paid. Government employees may get paid retroactively (or not), but contractor employees will not be paid for any time not worked (rightfully so, of course) which will be a huge impact for individuals. Not so easy to make your mortgage payment if you don't get paid for 2 weeks or even if you get a 2 week delay in getting paid for most people.

 

[momplus3]

I work at a travel agency and if passports are delayed, this could affect several trips I have in process for clients.

 

[jedijohn]

As an I.T. contractor, I'll will not be able to bill hours to the agency I work for. I guess I will just have to plan on playing golf Monday morning

 

[marie1203]

I read something that said it won't affect the military at all.

It will effect small things, like getting passport,
museums
The mail will still run
I'm sure you will still get your refuns
people will still get SSI

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-mon...would-affect-broad-swath-of-federal-functions
This says military will get back pay but not as schedule but they expect them to keep working

 

[Aliceacc]

Our federal refund was banked about 2 weeks ago We're still looking for our state refund.

 

[java]

Our federal refund was banked about 2 weeks ago We're still looking for our state refund.

Yes us too. We're waiting on NY refund. I think we'll be waiting a while.

 

[DHSTL]

I need to get a passport for a trip to Canada by the end of May. I hope they get their stuff together. If I can't get one I guess I'm not going.

 

[Piecey]

I'm a federal employee, so I won't be getting paid for however long it takes Congress to get their act together.

IRS is saying processing of refunds for paper returns will likely be delayed. E-file processing will probably not be affected (so they say).

I didn't think every agency was going to be involved, though?

DH is federal and was told he will continue to work, nothing will change for him.

 

[BillSears]

SSA Federal Employee here. Most of us will be furloughed starting Monday unless something is passed.

I've got a nice emergency fund so I'll be fine financially. I'm a computer programmer and I'm working on stuff for August right now, a week or two off from work shouldn't have a huge impact on meeting my due dates. So overall it won't have a huge effect on me.

However there are some who live paycheck to paycheck and they will probably have a problem with this.

 

[vicki_c]

I didn't think every agency was going to be involved, though?

DH is federal and was told he will continue to work, nothing will change for him.

It's complicated. It depends on your job, and depends on how your agency is funded for the project you are working on, and a number of other interplaying things. There is no blanket answer - it's not every Government employee will be furloughed.

Two people who do the same job in the same office could have one be furloughed and the other not in some cases, so it's very specific.

 

[olwyngdh]

As a family living on a military paycheck, I am personally scared. I am also thinking of fowarding all my bills to my Representitive.

 

[SunnyP4Disney]

DH is active duty CG and our paycheck on the 15th will only be for April 1-8, so half of the regular amount. After that, NOTHING. That is a message from the Pentagon. But yet, certain politicians think this is a good thing and it will show how we the people don't really need the federal government! What a kick in the teeth.

I am going to have to dip into the proceeds from my late FILs life insurance policy since we are about to transfer and I don't have a job right now. At least my husband is senior enlisted and we don't live paycheck to paycheck. I couldn't imagine how the younger families are going to deal with a prolonged shutdown.

 

[bdcp]

All the guidance I've seen says military is not being furloughed.

I think some people would be surprised at who is and isn't being furloughed on the civilian side.

 

[happygirl]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/whatgovernmentshutdownmeansyou36386

The ongoing standoff in Washington over the federal budget is now less than three days away from its deadline, with Republicans and Democrats still locked in disagreement in the House of Representatives. If the parties can't pass a spending plan by the end of Friday, money will stop flowing from federal coffers, and the government will start to shut down on Saturday. But what does that mean, exactly?
For the general Public: Unless you are one of 4.4 million people who work for the federal government, you probably won't notice the shutdown at first, especially since many federal offices are closed on the weekend anyway. Employees considered essential — including soldiers, security personnel and intelligence workers — will remain on the job, but operations like the Smithsonian will close. As the New York Times points out, "the National Zoo will close but the lions will get fed." Federal courts will stay open for at least a couple of weeks, operating from funds they have on hand. "After that, who knows?" courts spokeswoman Karen E. Redmond told the Times. The Post Office will stay open, as it is owned, but not operated by the federal government, but the IRS will close. That means many people waiting on refund checks will have to keep waiting. However, Social Security checks will go out.
For federal employees: Some or all of the 1.9 civilian government employees could be furloughed if they are deemed non-essential. According to the Washington Post, "any workers scheduled to take paid leave would not be able to, and some would be eligible for unemployment benefits if a shutdown continued for more than a few days." Furloughed congressional staffers have been paid in the past, the Times reports, "but the political climate now is different, and lawmakers might be less willing to do so." If the shutdown lasts more than a week or so, members of the military — deemed essential personnel — may have to go to work without pay. Reports the Post: "If the current funding expires on Friday, in the middle of the military’s two-week pay period, the Defense Department would distribute paychecks for the first week."
For Congress: A group of 21 Senate Democrats is trying to pass a bill to halt pay for Congress and the President, but that seems unlikely, the Post reports.
“Our bill is simple: If we cannot do our work and keep the government functioning, we should not receive a paycheck,” the Senate Democrats wrote to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). “If we cannot compromise and meet each other halfway, then we should not be paid.”
Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, responded that House Republicans’ “goal is to cut spending, not shut down the government – and we’ve passed a bill to just that,” a reference to the $61 billion in proposed cuts passed by the House in February but later rejected by the Senate.
For state governments: States that are far more cash-strapped than they were during the government shutdowns of 1995 and 1996 will have a very hard time. Not only will state programs funded by federal grants — such as higher education, research, and law enforcement training — likely be delayed or stopped, but the trickle-down effect of unpaid government contracts, closed national parks and shuttered federal offices would mean local industry and tourism would suffer.
Both parties claim they want to avoid a shutdown at all costs, and as Reuters points out, the public will blame both equally if one occurs. The Associated Press talked to some economists who said a shutdown could drag the economy back into a recession "very quickly." We've got a little less than 72 hours to get the bill passed, so lawmakers, roll up those sleeves and get to compromising.

 

[JaymeC]

We have been waiting for 5 months on dh's military separation pay... it was finally close to being resolved (a mistake on their part with our paper work) and now this. We don't need the money immediately... but it's a lot of money and every week that goes by gets me more and more paranoid about not receiving it even though we have all the paperwork saying he's entitled to it. I honestly can't believe they're dragging their feet this much on what's supposed to be our living expenses in part. It's just a perfect storm with the government shut down though.