Here’s what you need to know about the shutdown
You will get your tax refund, but food isn’t inspected as frequently
The Courant answers some of your shutdown questions: Yes, you will get your tax refund. No, your food is not being inspected as frequently.
The partial government shutdown continued for its 24th day Monday with no end in sight and its impact is expected to grow as federal agencies spend through their reserves.
Across the country, about 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or required to work without pay due to a lapse in funding. In Connecticut, about 1,500 workers are impacted. Major programs like food stamps and Section 8 are funded through March, but federal courts, for example, are expected to run out of money soon.
Here are the answers to some common questions about the shutdown: Will I still get my tax refund?
Yes. IRS employees who have been furloughed due to the shutdown will be asked to return to work as the Jan. 28 start of tax season approaches. And while the Treasury Department does not have a budget in place, refunds are paid out of a “permanent, indefinite appropriation” that is not affected by the shutdown.
What happens to pending immigration cases?
Most have been canceled with no future dates set. Three hundred of the Justice Department’s immigration judges have been furloughed, with the remaining 100 handling cases for individuals who are being detained, about 5 to 10 percent of all immigration cases, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges. A backlog that recently reached 800,000 cases is expected to grow.
Are food processing plants being inspected?
Yes, but the number of inspections has been reduced. Routine inspections
have been suspended but FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told The Washington Post he planned to bring back on furloughed workers who inspect facilities considered high-risk because they handle sensitive items such as seafood, soft cheese and vegetables, or have a history of problems. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which inspects meat, poultry and egg products, is continuing its inspections.
Will people stop getting food stamps?
Not in February, but it’s less certain after that. The food stamp program has a $3 billion reserve, which would cover less than twothirds of the $4.8 billion in benefits distributed each month. Beginning in March, families could see an average cut of at least $90, or close to 40 percent, assuming the agency spreads the $1.8 billion shortfall evenly across the 19 million households receiving SNAP benefits, ac- cording to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Already, more than 2,500 grocers and other retailers are no longer accepting food stamps because their SNAP licenses were not renewed before the shutdown started Dec. 22, according to the Food Marketing Institute, an industry group.
Are rent assistance programs in danger?
Not yet. But funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 8 voucher program runs out in March, potentially putting 2.2 million low-income households in jeopardy. State and local public housing agencies would also stop receiving money to operate more than 1 million public housing units in March.
What’s closed in Connecticut?
Federal courts in Connecticut and elsewhere have enough funding to operate until Friday. After that, individual courts and judges will decide how to precede. Many national parks are closed, but buildings at the state’s lone national park, the Weir Farm National Historic Site, were already closed for the season when the shutdown began. The grounds remain open, but restrooms may be locked. You can still apply for a passport as long as the building where you are getting your passport is not closed due to the shutdown. The state’s two Veterans Administration hospitals – in West Haven and Newington – remain open and staff there are being paid. And the mail will continue to be delivered.
What’s going on at state airports?
So far, there have been no reports of an increase in wait times at Bradley International Airport. Security screeners with the Transportation Security Administration and air traffic controllers from the Federal Aviation Administration remain on the job without pay. Other larger airports have closed checkpoints or terminals due to staffing issues but that hasn’t been the case at Bradley.
Are local organizations helping impacted federal employees?
Connecticut is home to about 1,500 federal workers who are impacted by the shutdown so the community response has been small, but it’s growing. In New Haven, the Community Soup Kitchen is providing free lunch and care packages to employees who have been furloughed or are working without pay. And at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, officials have set up a food pantry to help Coast Guard families. The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security so its members, unlike other military service branches, aren’t getting paid. Some Connecticut banks have also offered to waive fees or postpone payments for workers who are affected.
The state Department of Labor said earlier this month that federal employees who have been furloughed can file for unemployment benefits but those working without pay are not eligible.