Military pay during shut down: the basic rule
Active-duty and full-time reserve members are “excepted” and keep working when appropriations lapse, but the Antideficiency Act bars paying them from an account whose funding has lapsed[crs1][crs2]. Pay is owed and is paid in full once funding returns; the question is only when. Congress has sometimes passed a law to guarantee pay during a shutdown, as with the Pay Our Military Act in 2013[crs1].
What happened in the 2025 shutdown
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2025 | Appropriations lapse; military personnel accounts unfunded. |
| Oct 15, 2025 | Mid-month payday. NSPM-8 directed DoD to use any FY2026-available funds for pay and allowances; DoD used carryover research, development, test and evaluation money. CRS called the legal theory “novel.” |
| Nov 12, 2025 | P.L. 119-37 signed, ending the 42-day funding gap and funding military pay through January 30, 2026. |
Sources: CRS reports on the lapse and on applying the Antideficiency Act, and the White House memorandum[nspm][crs2][crs3].
Is military retirement pay affected by a government shutdown?
No. Military retired pay is paid from the Military Retirement Fund, not from annual appropriations, so retirees and Survivor Benefit Plan beneficiaries generally keep receiving payments during a lapse[crs1]. VA disability compensation and pension payments also continue: Congress funds those mandatory benefits in advance[va]. Estimate those amounts with the military retirement calculator and the VA disability calculator.
Who is most at risk
- Active-duty members paid from the lapsed military personnel accounts, unless other funds or a pay law cover them.
- Coast Guard members, who are funded through the Department of Homeland Security; in the 2018–2019 lapse their pay was delayed[crs1].
- Reservists on inactive duty, whose drill schedules and pay can be disrupted.
- DoD civilians, who may be furloughed.
The next deadline: December 2026
There was no lapse in fall 2026. P.L. 119-103, signed September 2, 2026, funds the government from October 1 through December 11, 2026[crs4]. If Congress does not act by then, a lapse could begin December 12, three days before the Tue, Dec 15, 2026 payday. Check the payday calendar on the military pay dates page.
How to prepare for a delayed paycheck
- Know your net pay per payday; the military pay estimator shows it.
- Contact your installation’s relief society (Army Emergency Relief, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Air Force Aid Society, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance) about interest-free loans.
- Ask lenders and landlords early about hardship deferrals.
- Allotments come out of pay, so they stop if pay stops: plan for bills paid by allotment.
Frequently asked questions
Do military members get paid during a government shutdown?
They keep working and are owed their pay, but it can be delayed unless Congress passes a pay law or the administration finds other available funds, as it did for the October 15, 2025 payday.
Is military retirement pay affected by a government shutdown?
Generally no. Retired pay comes from the Military Retirement Fund, so retirees and survivor annuitants keep being paid.
Does VA disability get paid during a shutdown?
Yes. VA compensation and pension are mandatory benefits funded in advance, and VA continues processing and paying them.
Will there be a shutdown in December 2026?
Current funding runs through December 11, 2026. A lapse would start December 12 only if Congress does not pass new appropriations or another continuing resolution.
Sources
- Armed Forces Compensation During a Lapse in Appropriations (IN12244)
- Government Shutdowns: Applying the Antideficiency Act (R48930)
- Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2026 (Division A of P.L. 119-37) (R48765)
- FY2027 continuing appropriations (P.L. 119-103) (R49353)
- National Security Presidential Memorandum NSPM-8
- VA lapse in appropriations: frequently asked questions