Hi everyone,
I am 62, fully and permanently disabled, and cannot and refuse to pay card debt one thin dime. I am on SSDI. I simply cannot afford to pay cards debt on ssdi income. I know they cannot garnish it so I had to stop paying. It was cutting too much into our food budget. When you’re on fixed income, rent and bills take most of it and you have to do the remainder of the month on what’s left.
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I’m so sorry you are dealing with this @Nanaof2
You are not alone. I’m not super familiar with all the ins and outs of this type of situation, but if you truly are judgement proof this seems like a perfectly reasonable way to deal with the situation. If the collectors start to bother you let us know and we will help file a dispute. I can’t guarantee what the result will be, but it won’t hurt to file a dispute. And if you are judgement proof there is not much they can do about that anyway.
You deserve better. Everyone does.
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Thanks Thomas. I sent letters the other day to one collection agency over private student loans and mailed one today over card debt. I know my ssdi cannot be garnished, so I’m not overly worried about them in court. I just want to get the harassment stopped. It gets old after a while.
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Bankruptcy! It’s easy to do yourself, really. Just do it!
Well, we’re getting collection letters now. I wrote a cease and desist note on one today and explained that we’re on fixed social security incomes now and cannot afford to pay it. We’ll see if they keep hassling us.
You can file a dispute through the Debt Collective if you would like. Dispute Any Debt in Collections — The Debt Collective
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Thank you for this. It will be an option if they insist on pusuing it. I wrote them that we are both on fixed social security and are aware they cannot garnish it i told them to cease desist letters. I have call blockers on the phones and don’t answer unknown numbers. If they don’t leave a message, oh well.
Without the card debt on us, we’re managing bills and rent well and usually have enough money to buy groceries all month. If we had to pay my private student loans and these card bills, we’d likely be in the street or sick from hunger. So something had to give.
Not true if your student loans are federally insured and you didn’t receive a TPD Discharge from the DOE, they most certainly will garnish Social Security or Disability income, take tax refunds and any assets you own and if you default on your student loans, they can cut your Social Security/Disability and Medicare benefits off.
You should have applied for Deference with your lender and file for Bankruptcy, however student loans cannot be discharged. The only way to have student loans discharged on a Disability claim is with the DOE and if your disability review is not within 5 to 7 years, you don’t qualify for a discharge
If the DOE did not automatically send you a discharge notice, then you do not qualify and still have to pay your student loans. Simply writing a Cease and Desist won’t work and they don’t care if you’re on Disability…I know, I’m disabled and still have to pay mine.
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Hello, I am new to the union. I am also on SSI and owe a parent plus loan for my daughters college education. In Massachusetts where I am from, Parents have to be denied a loan before their children can take out a student loan through Department of Education. They are considered dependents until age 21
I have $8000 is debt for her first two years of school at U mass Lowell. College should be for everyone, and I feel this is to high a price to ask a parent who what to see their child/children succeed. It will take me years to pay back, or return to work which would be a struggle for me … I am sure would suit them just fine!
Didn’t know where to post my story and why I am happy to be with all of you in this fight. Thanks for reading, Lynn
Hi! I am on SSDI, which is a bit different from Ssi, but here is one huge difference. SSDI can be garnished for outstanding federal loan debt. SSI absolutely cannot be garnished for any debt, federal or private.
Since you are disabled, you can also apply for a loan discharge. I did that with mine.
Use this website to apply for discharge.
https://www.disabilitydischarge.com/
I know federal loans will be garnished from SSDI. They were discharged though. I have paper work on that.
Even fed loans and such will not garnish SSI though.
I had private loans and debt which cannot under any circumstances garnish social security or SSDI or SSI. I got behind on card debt when my husband had to retire due to his heart issues. We had no choice but to stop paying so we’d have money to eat all month.
Thank you, I went to linked site, and will try it out.
You’re welcome!