For the thousands of Los Angeles residents who receive Social Security Disability benefits, that financial lifeline is crucial. Workers throughout America pay into the Social Security Disability trust fund with every paycheck, and they expect those benefits to be available if they should somehow become disabled, either through injury or illness. But, once those SSD benefits are approved, are they free from being encumbered by garnishment from debt collectors?
Millions of Americans have debt as part of their daily financial dealings. It is quite common — credit card debt, auto loan debts and mortgages are part of day-to-day life throughout the country. Unfortunately, some people get behind on their debt payments, which may result in a collection action on behalf of the creditors. For Los Angeles residents, there may be a fear that SSD benefits could be targeted.
Fortunately, however, the most common debts that Americans carry cannot be part of a garnishment on a person’s SSD benefits. Collection actions for debts like credit card debt or personal loans cannot garnish SSD benefits. But, that doesn’t mean that other types of debts cannot be the subject of a garnishment.
If a Los Angeles resident owes federal taxes, child support, alimony or student loans, these are the types of debts that may lead to a valid garnishment of a person’s SSD benefits. When a person is about to apply for SSD benefits, a complete overview of their financial situation may be helpful, and may uncover these types of debts that may lead to a garnishment of SSD benefits.
Source: elderlawanswers.com, “Can Social Security Benefits Be Garnished to Pay Debts?,” Jan. 15, 2016
