The impact that the federal government shutdown has on life on Whidbey Island largely depends on how long it lasts.

Since the largest federal government presence on the island is Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, many of the immediate effects are related to the military. The base reported that civilian employees not involved in “excepted” functions were immediately placed on unpaid leave. Excepted work includes protecting human life, such as providing medical care or emergency response and safeguarding property, according to the Department of Defense.

Active-duty members of the Navy received their Oct. 1 paychecks but will be required to continue their normal duties without pay if the shutdown continues — unless Congress passes separate legislation to ensure wages and benefits to armed service departments. They will receive retroactive pay when the shutdown is over.

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is open normal hours and is offering assistance to families impacted by the shutdown, should it continue. A Facebook post states that many financial institutions offer interest-free loans to service members to help with lost pay. The post states that service members should be dissuaded from going to payday loan companies.

Most other Navy services — from child care to the galley to the Navy Exchange and Commissary — will be not affected. Fleet and Family Service Centers will remain open but some classes will not be available. The Naval Health Clinic will be open but wait times may be longer.

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon said she was informed that funding for the Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, program on the base and elsewhere in the community will run out on Oct. 16.

In addition, she received an email from a National Parks staff member who said that an employee will stop by Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve periodically to pick up trash, test the drinking water and do other simple functions.

Medicare and Medicaid benefits will continue for the foreseeable future, but people may experience difficulty reaching the agencies as some employees have been furloughed, according to a statement on the shutdown from U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat who represents District 2.

Larsen reported that his offices in Washington D.C., Bellingham and Everett are fully operational. Citizens can also call the D.C. office at 202-225-2605 or the Everett office at 425-252-3188 with questions or concerns.

WhidbeyHealth, the island’s public hospital district, will experience 10-day delays in Medicare payments, but there has been no impact on state Medicaid as a result of the shutdown.

“As time progresses, we expect to learn if there will be any additional impacts to WhidbeyHealth,” hospital spokesperson Conor O’Brien wrote in an email. “We remain acutely aware that additional limitations may arise should the shutdown continue beyond 10 days.”

The U.S. Postal Service is not affected by the shutdown, which means subscribers will continue to receive the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record.