WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The impacts of the government shutdown are becoming clearer for thousands of Whatcom County residents.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen released a document on Thursday, Oct. 2 listing answers to several frequently asked questions about the impacts of the shutdown to local residents.

“Prices are up, the economy is down, and now Republicans in Congress have shut down the government to double down on the health care crisis they created,” Rep. Larsen said.

Rep. Larsen says that all non-essential federal workers will be placed on unpaid leave, while essential employees must show up to work. Both types of workers will be eligible for retro-active pay after the shutdown ends.

The shutdown will not impact any Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits, along with payments and pension claims for veterans.

SNAP benefits should continue through the end of the month, but other nutrition programs like the one for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) will quickly run out of funding.

Larsen notes that many government agencies will have furloughed workers, so help desks may have little-to-no staffing.

According to the state Employment Security Department, Whatcom County had just over 1,500 federal workers as of 2024.