What types of income Cannot be garnished?
Jackson Reed
Updated on February 16, 2026
What income is exempt?
- Social Security disability and retirement benefits (unless you owe child support, federal student loans, or a federal tax debt)
- Social Security Income (SSI) benefits.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits (state welfare)
- Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) benefits (state disability)
What is exempt from a Judgement?
What Are Exemptions? All states have designated certain types of property as “exempt,” or free from seizure, by judgment creditors. For example, clothing, basic household furnishings, your house, and your car are commonly exempt, as long as they’re not worth too much.
What assets are judgment proof?
With a judgment against you, a home, car, jewelry, bank account, and any other valuable assets may be up for grabs by creditors. If you don’t have any valuable property and you’re not earning any income, you may be “judgment proof.” A judgment proof debtor is safe from a court judgment for collection.
What income is exempt from debt collection?
The exemption amounts are as follows: $75,000 for a single debtor, $100,000 for a family, and $175,000 for those over the age of 65, disabled, or with extremely low levels of income.
What kind of property is exempt from judgment?
All states have designated certain types of property as “exempt,” or free from seizure, by judgment creditors. For example, clothing, basic household furnishings, your house, and your car are commonly exempt, as long as they’re not worth too much. However, any property you have that is not exempt can be taken to pay your debts.
What kind of income is exempt from garnishment?
any other income source, like unemployment benefits, Social Security, and other public entitlement benefits, as well as personal property, is exempt from seizure by judgment creditors. What Kinds of Income Are Exempt From Garnishment? Often, a judgment creditor will seek to garnish your income to satisfy a money judgment.
What does it mean if your income is exempt?
If your income consists only of the exempt funds mentioned above, and you have no assets, some people would call you “judgment proof.” This means that your creditors cannot collect money from you — even if they have a judgment — because all of your income and property is exempt.
What kind of income can a judgment creditor take?
But a judgment creditor can’t take income that you receive from any one or more of the following sources: 1 Social Security benefits 2 Supplemental Security Income benefits 3 public assistance benefits 4 unemployment benefits 5 veteran’s benefits 6 child support, and 7 federal employee and civil service retirement benefits.