Many salaried employees paid with federal money in American Samoa are still working despite the governor ordering them to stay at home earlier this week.
The US federal government has been in partial shutdown since October the 1st as a deadlocked Congress failed to pass a budget, which has affected territories including Guam and the Northern Marianas.
Our correspondent in American Samoa, Monica Miller, says some government departments such as Human and Social Services, have got approval from the federal grantors to continue their operations.
But she says the impact of the shutdown on ordinary families is hitting old people, who won't be getting food vouchers.
"They usually receive forty dollar monthly food vouchers and these are usually dispersed at the beginning of the month but now there's nothing and they're just now waiting to see if Washington is going to lift this shutdown."
Monica Miller says the treasurer Falemao Pili is looking at how the government can help people who have been disadvantaged by the shutdown.
