Washington (CNN) While members of the Coast Guard continue to risk their lives on deployment during the government shutdown, the service says it will not be able to provide death benefits to their families should they be killed in the line of duty. Retirees and their families will also be affected due to a lack of funding as long as the shutdown drags on.

Families of US Coast Guard members killed in active service will not receive a one-time death benefit payment, as long as the partial government shutdown continues, according to Lt. Cmdr. Scott McBride, a spokesperson for the service. Nor will retirees, McBride added, along with the next of kin of military retirees who were paying into an insurance plan, called the Survivor Benefit Plan.

McBride told CNN that while retirees and their next of kin are due to receive their benefits on February 1, they will not if the shutdown drags on. However, once the lapse in funding ends, all benefits are expected to be paid back.

"As the lapse in appropriation continues, more than 55,000 Coast Guard active duty, reserve, and civilian employees will not receive monthly pay and benefits. In addition, the federal funding hiatus may affect the retired pay for 50,000 Coast Guard annuitants," McBride said in a statement.

It is rare for Coast Guard members to be killed in action, McBride added, but the fact remains that deployments continue despite the shutdown and the service would be unable to provide financial support for families should they need it. However, life insurance payments (known as SGLI) will continue because they are administered by an outside organization not subject to Coast Guard funding.

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