Officials said they would now exempt people who apply for Medicare and disability benefits, as well as supplemental income help for the poor, from having to prove their identity in-person.

Here are five takeaways from a week when President Trump moved ahead with deportations and sweeping changes to the federal government — and ran into obstacles in the courts.

Offices listed as "terminated" on the Department of Government Efficiency's website include Brunswick, Columbus, Gainesville, Thomasville and Vidalia, Sen. Raphael Warnock said in a statement.

If lawmakers can't reach a deal to avoid a shutdown, many federal workers would be furloughed, while essential functions like Social Security payments would continue.

Supplemental Security Income provides the medical care that lets people work. But its rules are complex and out of date. 

Oversharing can make children vulnerable to identity theft, harassment and predators. To protect their privacy, share a 'holiday card-or-less' amount of data online, says expert Leah Plunkett.

Social Security's finances have improved slightly in the last year. But the popular retirement program still faces big challenges including the threat of automatic benefit cuts in less than a decade.

At the GOP debate in Miami, five Republicans sparred over top issues include the Israel-Hamas war, Ukraine, China, abortion and Social Security. Here's what you need to know.

Social Security beneficiaries will receive a 3.2% cost of living adjustment next year. Inflation has been moderating recently, with consumer prices in September up 3.7% from a year ago.

If a shutdown happens, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others will be forced to work without pay until it ends. A handful of federal programs that people nationwide rely on everyday could also be disrupted — from dwindling funds for food assistance to potential delays in customer service for recipients of Medicare and Social Security.

States routinely took the benefits checks of children in foster care who were orphans or disabled. After an NPR/Marshall Project investigation, there's reform.

The Treasury estimates the country could default on its loans early next month. But negotiators are still hashing out key provisions like whether to expand work requirements for federal assistance.

Unless Congress acts to raise the federal debt limit, the U.S. government could run short of cash to pay its bills as early as June 1. Seniors, veterans, government workers and others would suffer.

Policymakers will need to patch the Social Security program by 2033 to avoid draconian cuts in benefits, a year earlier than had been predicted. A trust fund for Medicare will run out of cash by 2031.

Congress ended the temporary benefit meant to help low-income households with pandemic-era hardships. A huge increase in Social Security benefits may mean some households see further SNAP reductions.