Social Security benefits are off–limits to creditors, such as credit–card companies and banks. But the U.S. can collect debts to federal agencies by "offsetting," or withholding Social Security and disability payments. The Treasury currently withholds benefits of 3.1 million Social Security recipients to recover defaulted student–, farm– and small–business loans, unpaid income taxes, amounts veterans owe for health care, and other debts to the government. Previously, the U.S. hasn't been able to withhold Social Security payments to recover most debts delinquent for more than ten years. But a provision in the 2008 Farm Bill lifted the ten–year statute of limitations...
