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Frequently Asked Questions

Q:

Can federal benefits be garnished?

A:

Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:

Social Security Benefits

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits

Veterans’ Benefits

Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits

Service Members’ Pay

Military Annuities and Survivors’ Benefits

Student Assistance

Railroad Retirement Benefits

Merchant Seamen Wages

Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Death and Disability Benefits

Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Benefits

Compensation for Injury, Death, or Detention of Employees of U.S. Contractors Outside the U.S.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance

But federal benefits may be garnished under certain circumstances, including to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support, or student loans.

Make sure these exempt funds are in a separate bank account. If they are co-mingled with non-exempt funds, they lose their "exempt" status.