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Can The SBA Garnish Social Security?

Yes, the SBA through the Department of Treasury can garnish your Social Security. But you do have options to stop the Social Security garnishment.

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Can The SBA Garnish Social Security?

Yes, the SBA through the Department of Treasury can garnish your Social Security.  But you do have options to stop the garnishment.

SBA Social Security Garnishment

The SBA Offset

If you have defaulted on an SBA loan and you are a personal guarantor, the SBA, through the Department of Treasury, can garnish your Social Security benefits.  The government calls this an "offset".  By way of this offset, the federal government can take a portion of your monthly Social Security benefit.  If you and your spouse were both personal guarantors, the SBA will subject both of you to a Social Security garnishment or "offset."

How Much Can the SBA Take from My Social Security?

The SBA can take up to 15% of your Social Security benefits.  So, if you receive $1,000 a month, you could lose $150.  However, by statute, your benefit payments of up to $9,000 per year—or $750 per month—are exempt from offset. That is, the aggregate amount of your monthly benefit payments must exceed $750 to qualify for offset.   Congress imposed the 15% limitation by regulation in response to the concerns some members of Congress expressed when enacting the Debt Collection Improvement Act, which authorizes the offset scheme.  Congress worried that  federal benefit recipients may depend on the Social Security benefit payments for a substantial part of their income. With these concerns in mind, the Department of Treasury imposed the 15% limit on the offset of Social Security benefit payments.

In other words, the amount of a Social Security payment eligible for offset is the lesser of:

(i) the amount of the debt;

(ii) an amount equal to 15% of the monthly covered benefit payment; or,

(iii) the amount, if any, by which the monthly covered benefit payment exceeds $750.

For example, if you receive a monthly Social Security payment of $850, the amount which can

be offset is the lesser of $127.50 (15% of $850) or $100 (the amount by which $850 exceeds $750). In this example, assuming the debt is at least $100, the amount which can be offset is $100 each month.

What If the Social Security Garnishment Causes Me Financial Hardship?

Unfortunately, Congress and the Department of Treasury already accounted for a hardship with the offset limits discussed above.  Even though the $100 garnishment in the example above may constitute a financial hardship for you, the government provided no mechanism to appeal the garnishment or have it reviewed based on financial hardship or reduced.

Can I Stop a Social Security Garnishment?

Certain avenues exist that may be available to you in order to stop the Social Security garnishment.  These avenues include forcing the SBA to "recall" the debt from the Department of Treasury and submitting an offer in compromise with the SBA to settle the debt.

Another available strategy may include an appeal to the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals if you do not believe you owe the debt, but only if you exhaust certain other administrative avenues first.

Lastly, you may be able to appeal to your Federal District Court.  Again, you may need to exhaust certain administrative prerequisites before you can go to Federal District Court.

All of these potential remedies require experienced legal help.

Contact Protect Law Group for a consultation

Please contact Protect Law Group today and schedule a free initial consultation with one of our experienced, assertive attorneys.  Our attorneys have years of experience dealing with Social Security garnishments and resolving your SBA loan default situation.

Why Hire Us to Help You with Your Treasury or SBA Debt Problems?

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Millions of Dollars in SBA Debts Resolved via Offer in Compromise and Negotiated Repayment Agreements without our Clients filing for Bankruptcy or Facing Home Foreclosure

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Millions of Dollars in Treasury Debts Defended Against via AWG Hearings, Treasury Offset Program Resolution, Cross-servicing Disputes, Private Collection Agency Representation, Compromise Offers and Negotiated Repayment Agreements

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Our Attorneys are Authorized by the Agency Practice Act to Represent Federal Debtors Nationwide before the SBA, The SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals, the Treasury Department, and the Bureau of Fiscal Service.

$300,000 SBA 7A LOAN - SBA OIC TERM SETTLEMENT

$300,000 SBA 7A LOAN - SBA OIC TERM SETTLEMENT

Clients personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan balance of over $300,000.  Clients also pledged their home as additional collateral.  SBA OIC accepted for $87,000 with full release of lien against home.

$150,000 SBA 7A LOAN - SBA OIC CASH SETTLEMENT

$150,000 SBA 7A LOAN - SBA OIC CASH SETTLEMENT

Client personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan balance of over $150,000.  Business failed and eventually shut down.  SBA then pursued client for the balance.  We intervened and was able to present an SBA OIC that was accepted for $30,000.

$350,000 SBA 7A LOAN - NEGOTIATED STRUCTURED WORKOUT AGREEMENT

$350,000 SBA 7A LOAN - NEGOTIATED STRUCTURED WORKOUT AGREEMENT

Client personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan for $350,000. The small business failed but because of the personal guarantee liability, the client continued to pay the monthly principal & interest out-of-pocket draining his savings. Client hired a local attorney but quickly realized that he was not familiar with SBA-backed loans or their standard operating procedures. Our firm was subsequently hired after the client received the SBA's official 60-day notice. After back-and-forth negotiations, we were able to convince the SBA to reinstate the loan, retract the acceleration of the outstanding balance, modify the original terms, and approve a structured workout reducing the interest rate from 7.75% to 0% and extending the maturity date for a longer period to make the monthly payments affordable. In conclusion, not only we were able to help the client avoid litigation and bankruptcy, but we also save him approximately $227,945 over the term of the workout.

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