Editor’s note: The Education Department has announced a pause on the garnishments of Social Security benefits.

A group of Social Security beneficiaries may notice their June payment has been garnished when it arrives in their bank account this week. Beneficiaries in default on their federal student loans are now at risk of seeing their monthly payments trimmed as the Education Department continues efforts to collect on late payments.

Last month, the Treasury Department began issuing notices to an estimated 195,000 Social Security beneficiaries alerting them that they are in default on the loans and are subject to garnishments through the Treasury Offset Program. That program allows the Treasury Department to collect debts through the garnishment of wages and other benefits like Social

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