Many Department of Homeland Security employees who are required to keep working during the ongoing government shutdown did not receive their first full paychecks, adding immediate financial pressure for frontline and mission-critical staff, according to Federal News Network.
- Who’s affected: DHS “excepted” employees — staff required to work during a lapse in appropriations — are among those missing full pay, according to Federal News Network.
- What happened: As the shutdown continued into a new pay period, many employees did not receive full paychecks for work already performed, Federal News Network reported.
- Why it matters: Missing or partial pay can quickly disrupt rent/mortgage payments, child care, transportation, and credit obligations, especially for employees who must report to duty despite the shutdown, according to Federal News Network’s reporting and interviews.
- Pay status: Under shutdown rules, excepted employees continue working, while many other federal workers are furloughed until funding is restored. Pay for excepted employees is typically delayed until appropriations are enacted, as described in Federal News Network’s coverage of shutdown procedures.
- Agency pressure points: DHS includes large operational workforces — such as border security, transportation security, cybersecurity, and emergency response functions — where staffing is often deemed necessary for safety and national security, Federal News Network noted.
- Timing: The missed-paycheck impacts are being felt as the shutdown continues, with the first full paycheck disruption landing for many employees during the current lapse, according to Federal News Network.
The immediate disruption underscores a recurring shutdown reality: employees can be required to work without timely pay, while others are barred from working at all. Federal News Network reported that the paycheck shortfalls are prompting some DHS employees to seek short-term financial workarounds, including delaying bills and drawing down savings.
Shutdown-driven payroll disruptions can also create downstream effects for federal workers beyond the missed check itself, including late fees, overdraft charges, and difficulties managing recurring automatic payments. Employees who are unsure whether they are excepted or furloughed, or who need to understand how missed pay may affect their household budgeting, may want to review pay-period basics and planning tools. (See FedInfo’s pay resources: https://fedinfo.org)
Federal News Network’s report adds to broader shutdown coverage highlighting how pay delays hit operational agencies first and hardest, because large portions of their workforce must remain on duty even when appropriations lapse.
Source: Federal News Network — “Many DHS employees miss first full paychecks as shutdown continues” (FNN — Pay), https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2026/03/many-dhs-employees-miss-first-full-paychecks-as-shutdown-continues/