Can Social Security survivor benefits be garnished for debt?
Social Security survivor benefits are generally protected from garnishment by private creditors, but there are exceptions. Certain government agencies, like the IRS and the Department of Education, can garnish these benefits under specific circumstances. Additionally, once the funds are deposited into a bank account, they may lose some of their protection against garnishment.
- ▪Social Security survivor benefits typically cannot be garnished for consumer debts like credit cards or personal loans.
- ▪Federal law protects these benefits from traditional garnishment actions by private creditors.
- ▪However, government agencies can garnish survivor benefits for unpaid federal taxes, student loans, and child support obligations.
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MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money Can Social Security survivor benefits be garnished for debt? We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Angelica Leicht Angelica Leicht Senior Editor, Managing Your Money Angelica Leicht is the senior editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing roles at The Simple Dollar, Interest, HousingWire and other financial publications.
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