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Can You Lose Your Social Security Over Delinquent Debt?
Robin Hartill tackles a very important question for those collecting Social Security who have some debt. While private creditors cannot garnish Social Security checks there are some scenarios where delinquent debt could result in smaller Social Security checks. They are below, and see the full article here.
- You’re behind on your federal student loans. Social Security can withhold up to 15% of your benefit if you’re behind on student loans; the first $750/month is off limits.
- You owe back taxes. The IRS can garnish up to 15% of your benefits if you have delinquent taxes; the first $750 isn’t protected.
- You’ve been ordered to pay child support or alimony.
- You owe court-ordered restitution to a victim as part of a criminal case.
This posting is presented for informational purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. Any opinions or interpretations presented are either those of the original author or, in the case of articles authored by the AMAC Foundation, are the opinions of AMAC Foundation staff, originally trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA) and certified via the AMAC Foundation. Any links included in the article are valid on the posted date; socialsecurityreport.org cannot guarantee the duration of the links’ validity. NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (https://amacfoundation.org/services/) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. Because we are a non-profit organization, there is no charge for these services.