Can your Social Security be garnished after age 70?

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money Can your Social Security be garnished after age 70? We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Angelica Leicht Angelica Leicht Senior Editor, Managing Your Money Angelica Leicht is the senior editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing roles at The Simple Dollar, Interest, HousingWire and other financial publications. Read Full Bio Angelica Leicht May 28, 2026 / 12:19 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Your Social Security benefits aren't automatically off-limits once you've reached a certain age, but there are caveats to know. Richcano/Getty Images For millions of retired Americans, turning 70 is an important milestone. At that age, there's typically a little more financial certainty, as many retirees are claiming their maximum Social Security benefit and have adjusted to living on a fixed income. By that point, most retirees have also fully mapped out how their retirement savings will support them in the years ahead. The problem is, though, that even the most well-thought-out retirement plan is becoming harder to sustain.In today's economic landscape, persistent inflation, elevated borrowing costs and rising healthcare expenses are putting extra strain on people's budgets, and that's having a particularly big impact on those carrying debt into retirement. And, there are quite a few retirees with this issue, as credit card balances among seniors have climbed in recent years, meaning more seniors are trying to fit their growing debt payments into a tight budget well after leaving the workforce.That increased financial pressure has led to growing concern about what assets creditors can and can't access later in life. For r...