DHS employees will begin receiving back pay starting Friday, with payments covering work performed through April 4, as the federal government shutdown continues and longer-term funding remains unresolved.
- Who: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees affected by the shutdown
- What: Back pay will start being issued Friday
- Coverage window: Payments will run through April 4
- How: DHS will use re-directed funding to make the payments
- What’s next: Pay beyond April 4 is uncertain and will likely depend on Congress passing appropriations to end the shutdown
- Source: Federal News Network (FNN), citing DHS shutdown-related pay plans and funding actions
DHS is moving to resume paychecks for employees despite the ongoing lapse in appropriations, using funding that the department can legally redirect to cover payroll costs for a limited period, according to reporting by Federal News Network.
The back pay plan is designed to bridge a short-term gap for DHS personnel who have continued working during the shutdown, as well as those otherwise affected by pay disruptions tied to the lapse in funding. FNN reported that DHS expects the redirected funds to carry payroll through April 4, but that the department’s ability to continue issuing pay after that date is not assured without further action.
The development underscores the uneven financial impact of shutdown conditions across the federal workforce. While some agencies may have limited flexibility to sustain payroll briefly using available balances or other authorities, those measures are typically time-limited and do not substitute for enacted appropriations.
For DHS employees, the immediate takeaway is that paychecks should begin arriving again starting Friday, but the runway is short. Any extension of routine pay beyond early April will likely hinge on Congress and the White House reaching a funding agreement that ends the shutdown and restores normal appropriations.
Employees should monitor official DHS component guidance and payroll communications for timing details, including when deposits will post and how any missed pay periods will be reconciled. Workers trying to estimate the effect on their next check—including deductions and any retroactive adjustments—can use FedInfo’s pay resources and calculators as a reference: https://fedinfo.org.
Source: Federal News Network — “DHS staff to get back pay starting Friday” (Government Shutdown), published April 2026: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2026/04/dhs-staff-to-get-back-pay-starting-friday/