About 1.4 million civilian federal employees went without pay on Friday, Oct. 24, as the U.S. government shutdown reached its 24th day. The standoff centers on whether to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, with ripple effects from delayed federal data to strained services.
As the shutdown entered Day 24 on Oct. 24, roughly 1.4 million civilian federal workers were going without pay, about half furloughed and half working without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center and NPR member stations. For many, Friday marked the first fully missed paycheck, with additional missed pay dates expected next week depending on agency payroll schedules.
The strain was visible in Prince George’s County, Md.—home to more than 60,000 federal workers—where long lines formed at a Capital Area Food Bank distribution in Hyattsville. Wanda Bright, a furloughed worker, waited about two hours as the first 300 food boxes ran out before a second truck arrived. “A lot of us are stressed, and it takes a toll on our mental health,” she said. Credit unions in multiple states are offering short-term, interest-free bridge loans to affected workers, local outlets report.
Personal finances are fraying elsewhere, too. Tierra Carter, who works for the Social Security Administration in Tampa, told NPR she has taken out loans and a 401(k) hardship withdrawal. She likened the experience to “trying to swim to the top of a pool, but every time I get to the middle, I’m getting knocked back down.”
The political impasse remains over health coverage. House Republicans earlier passed a short-term funding bill that did not include an extension of the enhanced ACA premium tax credits, and Senate Democrats opposed it. On Oct. 23, the Senate also failed to advance dueling pay bills: a Republican plan to pay only “excepted” employees who must work during a shutdown and a Democratic proposal to pay all affected federal workers. “No federal employee should be punished for a shutdown that they have nothing to do with,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said on public radio.
What’s at stake: The enhanced ACA subsidies—extended through 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act—are set to expire at year’s end unless Congress acts. Marketplace enrollment has climbed to about 24 million people, and independent analyses warn premiums would more than double on average for subsidized enrollees if the extra help lapses. Democrats want an extension in any deal to reopen the government; Republicans say that debate should occur after funding is restored.
Broader impacts are mounting. States and the USDA have warned that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for roughly 42 million people could be disrupted as soon as Nov. 1 if the shutdown persists, and the National WIC Association says millions of mothers, babies and young children could face WIC interruptions without additional emergency funds. Many national parks remain partly accessible but with curtailed services and closed buildings. At the IRS, an updated contingency plan led to furloughs of nearly half of its roughly 74,000 employees, shuttering most operations.
Federal statistics have also been hit. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recalled limited staff to publish September’s Consumer Price Index nine days late, on Oct. 24, so Social Security could set next year’s benefits. The report showed consumer prices up 0.3% on the month and 3.0% from a year earlier, slightly below economist expectations. Based on inflation in the third quarter, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026, averaging about $56 more per month for retirees starting in January.
Communities are scrambling to respond. In addition to credit union relief, California said it will deploy National Guard members to bolster food banks amid anticipated SNAP delays and is fast‑tracking up to $80 million in state aid. Economists warn a prolonged shutdown could dampen spending around federal worksites and weigh on broader growth.
