While efforts to claim top dog status for any single life form will always founder on questions of definitions, what such discussions surely highlight is the complex interdependency that exists between the millions of different species of life on Earth.
Supplemental Security Income cannot be garnished under any circumstance. Among the government creditors who can grab a piece of your Social Security check, the strongest arm belongs to the IRS. Via the Federal Payment Levy Program, Social Security benefits are subject to a 15 percent levy to pay delinquent taxes. Unlike nontax debts to other agencies, for which the first $750 of your monthly benefits are off-limits to garnishment, the IRS can take its 15 percent cut regardless of how little money you're left with. Lump-sum death benefits and Social Security benefits paid to children are not subject to this levy.
If you default on a credit card, the credit card company will typically sell the debt to a collection agency. If you are unable to pay the collection (settle the debt for less), the collection agency may try to sue you, file a judgment against you, or possibly garnish your wages in order to collect the debt. Again, they can only garnish your wages if itâs legal in your state. To be sure, check with your state attorney generalâs office to find out if wage garnishment is legal in your state. You can find out if you have a judgment against you by pulling your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.