Can SSDI Wages Be Garnished by Creditors?

If you are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments, it is likely that you have faced many challenges, and these may have directly affected your financial situation. Once financial hardship takes hold, it can be challenging to regain control, and you may have creditors expecting repayment. Some creditors may even use ugly tactics, one of which is the threat of garnishment.

If you have been worrying about whether creditors can garnish your SSDI wages, you will be glad to know that there are important protections in place. SSDI benefits can only be garnished under highly specific circumstances. An attorney can help you understand what to expect, to find out more and ensure that you continue receiving the full SSDI benefits to which you are entitled, contact an experienced SSDI attorney at BurnettDriskill, Attorneys, today.

Earning While Receiving SSDI Benefits

If you receive SSDI benefits, you are entitled to earn up to a specified amount of income before it affects your benefits. While your SSDI benefits generally cannot be garnished, any other wages that you earn while receiving SSDI can.

Your circumstances will be unique to you, so you should discuss your claim with a trusted SSDI lawyer for tailored advice, especially if you are dealing with difficult creditors.

Creditors’ Behavior and the Law

It is not at all unusual to get into debt if you are dealing with a disability. Unfortunately, if this happens, it is also not unusual for creditors to pester you, but while creditors often use aggressive tactics to motivate people to pay, the law restricts what they can do.

If you receive SSDI, you have qualified under a rigorous process that legally entitles you to the benefits you receive. The law has checks and balances in place to help ensure these benefits remain available to you.

Wage Garnishment

While your creditors may mention garnishment, it is important to know that any such action involves a careful legal process. Unless your creditors have a court judgment allowing them to do so, they cannot garnish your SSDI benefits.

When Can SSDI Benefits Be Garnished?

There are specific situations in which SSDI benefits can be garnished, typically related to debts owed to the government. For other kinds of debt, such as private loans, medical bills, and credit card debt, your SSDI benefits cannot be garnished.

If you owe federal debts, such as unpaid taxes or federal student loans, a portion of your monthly SSDI benefits may be garnished. You might also face garnishment if you owe child support or alimony. If this is the case, the relevant court order will govern the amount that can be garnished.

There are also other specific federal debts that may result in garnishment of SSDI benefits, such as certain loans from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Additional Protections

Even if your debts relate to the federal government, there are laws in place to help ensure that you retain enough of your SSDI benefits to meet your basic needs. This includes a protected minimum amount of benefits that cannot be taken through garnishment.

Discuss Your Concerns About Garnishment by Creditors With an SSDI Attorney

If you have concerns about creditors garnishing your SSDI benefits, the SSDI lawyers at BurnettDriskill, Attorneys, are here to help. We dedicate our practice to helping people like you retain the benefits they deserve in the face of adversity. Your SSDI benefits play a key role in your future, so please do not hesitate to contact us online or give us a call today to speak with our team about your claim.