Yes, the SBA through the Department of Treasury can garnish your Social Security. But you do have options to stop the Social Security garnishment.
Book a Consultation CallIf 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. It’s important to act quickly, as time is often of the essence in addressing garnishment issues. If you and your spouse were both personal guarantors, the SBA will subject both of you to a Social Security garnishment or "offset."
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. Understanding these limits is crucial, especially if you rely on Social Security as a primary income source. 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 that can be offset is the lesser of $127.50 (15% of $850) or $100 (the amount by which $850 exceeds $750). This nuanced calculation can cause confusion, so staying informed about the rules will benefit you. In this example, assuming the debt is at least $100, the amount that can be offset is $100 each month.
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. This lack of recourse can leave individuals feeling trapped, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures.
Certain avenues exist that may be available to you 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. A proactive approach can often yield better results, so it’s advisable to explore these options soon. 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. Given the complex nature of these processes, having legal assistance is often vital to navigate successfully. All of these potential remedies require experienced legal help.
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. Their expertise can provide you with the guidance you need to take appropriate action promptly.
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
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
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.
Client personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan balance of $58,000. The client received a notice of Intent to initiate Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) Proceedings. We represented the client at the hearing and successfully defeated the AWG Order based on several legal and equitable grounds.
Client’s small business obtained an SBA 7(a) loan for $150,000. He and his wife signed personal guarantees and pledged their home as collateral. The SBA loan went into default, the term or maturity date was accelerated and demand for payment of the entire amount claimed was made. The SBA lender’s note gave it the right to adjust the default interest rate from 7.25% to 18% per annum. The business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but was dismissed after 3 years due to its inability to continue with payments under the plan. Clients wanted to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which would have been a mistake as their home had significant equity to repay the SBA loan balance in full as the Trustee would likely seize and sell the home to repay the secured and unsecured creditors. However, the SBA lender opted to pursue the SBA 7(a) Guaranty and subsequently assigned the loan and the right to enforce collection to the SBA. Clients then received the SBA Official 60-Day Notice and hired the Firm to respond to it and negotiate on their behalf. Clients disputed the SBA’s alleged balance of $148,000, as several payments made to the SBA lender during the Chapter 11 reorganization were not accounted for. To challenge the SBA’s claimed debt balance, the Firm Attorneys initiated expedited discovery to obtain government records. SBA records disclosed the true amount owed was about $97,000. Moreover, because the Clients’ home had significant equity, they were not eligible for an Offer in Compromise or an immediate Release of Lien for Consideration, despite being incorrectly advised by non-attorney consulting companies that they were. Instead, our Firm Attorneys recommended a Workout of $97,000 spread over a lengthy term and a waiver of the applicable interest rate making the monthly payment affordable. After back and forth negotiations, SBA approved the Workout proposal, thereby saving the home from imminent foreclosure and reducing the Clients' liability by nearly $81,000 in incorrect principal balance, accrued interest, and statutory collection fees.
Small business and guarantors obtained an SBA COVID-EIDL loan for $1,000,000. Clients defaulted causing SBA to charge-off the loan, accelerate the balance and refer the debt to Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service for collection. Treasury added nearly $500,000 in collection fees totaling $1,500,000. Clients were served with the SBA's Official 60-Day Notice and exercised the Repayment option by applying for the SBA’s Hardship Accommodation Plan. However, their application was summarily rejected by the SBA without providing any meaningful reasons. Clients hired the Firm to represent them against the SBA, Treasury and a Private Collection Agency. After securing government records through discovery, we filed an Appeals Petition with the SBA Office of Hearings & Appeals (OHA) court challenging the SBA's referral of the debt to Treasury. During litigation and before the OHA court issued a final Decision and Order, the Firm successfully negotiated a reinstatement and recall of the loan back to the SBA, a modification of the original repayment terms, termination of Treasury's enforced collection and removal of the statutory collection fees.
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