Rep. Grijalva, Sen. Wyden Introduce Bill to Protect Social Security Benefits from Garnishment

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva and Senator Ron Wyden introduced the Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act , legislation to restore protections for Social Security and other earned benefits from garnishment.
The bill would repeal provisions added in 1996 that allowed the federal government to reduce Social Security benefits to collect delinquent federal non-tax debts, such as student loans. The legislation would restore the protections originally provided under the Social Security Act and extend those protections across Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and Black Lung benefits.
“Social Security is not a handout — it is a benefit earned over decades of hard work. Retirees deserve to know that money will be there when they need it,” said Rep. Grijalva. “At a time when the cost of living continues to rise, seniors living on fixed incomes can’t afford to have their Social Security benefits taken away. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Wyden to protect these critical benefits that retirees have earned.”
“Social Security should not be able to garnish benefits that American workers earned over a lifetime of hard work on account of outstanding student debt or other federal loans,” said Senator Wyden. “With inflation and rising costs of living, Congress must take the financial burden off struggling seniors and Americans with disabilities at risk of seeing their Social Security benefits cut. That's why I am proud to introduce legislation that will ensure that Americans’ benefits are protected from garnishment, providing greater peace of mind to seniors in their retirement."
By the numbers:
Read the full text of the bill here .
Read a one-pager of the bill here .
The bill has been endorsed by the following organizations: Social Security Works, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), AFL-CIO, Justice in Aging, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

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