Since 1971, Nolo's goal has been simple: Make America's legal system accessible to everyone. Our website, books, software, online legal forms and lawyer directory help millions of individuals, businesses and nonprofits solve their legal problems each year.
Are survivors' Social Security benefits liable to garnishment by the government to satisfy defaulted student loan debts?
Yes. The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (31 U.S.C. Section 3716(c)(A)(i)) now allows federal government agencies to offset Social Security benefits to collect debts such as student loans. Formerly these benefits were totally exempt; now you're left with a maximum exemption of $9,000 each year.
Nolo posts updates to the latest versions of books and software when major legal or practical changes occur. To see if your product has had a recent update, search for that book or software and visit its product page.
All Business Debt Collection products >
