The Social Security Administration has made an announcement stating that all of its 1,400 field offices across the United States are closed temporarily for 24 hours on Monday, October 13, 2025, to observe Columbus Day, a federal holiday. The shutdown will affect millions of Americans who look for in-person services from Social Security, but the shutdown is strictly independent of the current government shutdown which has affected federal activities for nearly two weeks.
Federal holiday closure information
Columbus Day ranks among eleven federal holidays observed by the Social Security Administration annually, which requires the closure of every field office nationwide. The holiday schedule of the SSA formally confirms that Monday, October 13, 2025, is a Columbus Day closure, among other federal holidays such as New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Veterans Day.
This federal holiday closure will mean that all 1,400 Social Security local offices will close their doors for the whole day, with no walk-in appointments or arranged visits provided. In addition, phone assistance from live representatives will not be accessible during the time of closure, with beneficiaries being forced to seek alternative means of service.
Impact on services and operations
The 24-hour shutdown significantly affects the range of services that are otherwise available to Social Security recipients. Under normal business hours, Social Security offices maintain weekday hours between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM local time, with appointments required for most in-person services. The Columbus Day shutdown halts all face-to-face contact between SSA employees and members of the general public.
During the shutdown, recipients cannot utilize multiple critical in-person services, including assistance in benefit application, appeal processing, address or direct deposit changes, replacement of Social Security cards, and representative payee updates. Shutdown also excludes in-person verification of citizenship status, reporting of death, and emergency payment problems that typically require direct staff action.
Despite the holiday office closures, Social Security’s online services operate as normal over the holidays. Beneficiaries continue to have access to their My Social Security accounts for viewing benefits, printing benefit verification letters, updating direct deposit information, and ordering replacement documents. The SSA’s automated phone service also operates 24/7, allowing users to check payment status and order forms without human assistance.
Schedule of benefit payment unchanged
The federal holiday closing does not disturb Social Security benefit payments, which continue as per the regular monthly schedule. As most of the payments go through electronically in the form of direct deposit, the closure due to Columbus Day has no effect on the timing of the benefit payments.
In October 2025, Social Security beneficiaries receive payment based on their birth date and sign-up record. Recipients who began receiving benefit payments before May 1997 received their payment on October 3, while others receive it on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month depending on their birth date. The Columbus Day Oct. 13 closure does not affect the Oct. 15 payment date for recipients born between the 11th through the 20th of the month.
If pay dates fall on a Saturday or a federal holiday, the SSA typically makes deposits the preceding business day so that recipients receive their funds as scheduled or a little ahead of schedule.
Alternative service options
With field offices closing for Columbus Day, the SSA strongly encourages beneficiaries to utilize online services available on www.socialsecurity.gov. The agency’s website provides complete access to account management options, benefit information, and document requests typically involving visits to the office.
Beneficiaries can open My Social Security accounts to look at personalized benefit data, order a replacement Social Security card, access evidence of income letters, and update personal information. The users can even see payment history, check earnings record, and estimate future benefits without visiting field offices.
For individuals that can’t access online services, the SSA’s national toll-free phone service at 1-800-772-1213 offers automated help for simple questions and form orders. The automated system runs around the clock, including federal holidays, but live representative service is still unavailable on Columbus Day closure.
Planning for service resumption
Social Security offices will resume normal business on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, following the Columbus Day holiday. However, beneficiaries should expect potentially higher call volume and longer hold times as offices try to catch up with the backlogged questions that accumulated during the holiday closure.
Given the impact of the current government shutdown on staff and capacity for service, the additional day of closure would contribute to the existing delays in the processing of some requests. The SSA recommends beneficiaries with urgent needs to use online services wherever available in order to reduce unwarranted delays following the holiday.
The officials advise people who intend to go to the Social Security offices to check whether their local office is open through the SSA Office Locator feature on ssa.gov prior to visiting, as some offices can have more service restrictions due to the government shutdown.
