If you are receiving Social Security Disability Income or Veterans Disability Income and are behind on payments for any kind of debt, there is help out there for you! Are you behind on a payday loan, student loan, credit card, state and federal taxes, or any other type of consumer debt? Did you know that your disability income payment is protected against debt collection? Does this mean that you can stop paying your old debts? MAYBE…
Social Security Disability Income and Veterans Disability Income are Federal payments. Federal payments are protected by law from garnishment and debt collection. This article will help you to understand more about the laws that are in place to protect your federal disability payments and where you can find FREE or nearly FREE help to make debt collections stop.
What is the nature of debt for those receiving a disability income? How does this happen to a “good person” who never intended to be overrun by debt collectors? Well, as the saying goes, “life happens”. Unfortunately, if you are receiving disability benefits you have probably also experienced some sort of financial strain as a byproduct of becoming disabled or from simply being disabled.
There are several things that often happen like a domino effect to people who are receiving disability income. If you have saved up funds or “rainy day money”, this will often be the first thing to become depleted. You will spend your savings! Then a full-time working income may have decreased to part-time working income or maybe go down to no income at all. Then, there is the time that goes by after you apply for disability and wait for it to be processed and then approved. This could take months or even years before it will start paying you a monthly disability benefit.
Help is available if you have been denied Social Security Disability benefits, Heermans Social Security Disability Law Firm focuses on putting their extensive advocacy experience to work for disability claimants. Whether you’re applying for disability for the first time, or appealing an SSD or SSI denial. Having an experienced disability attorney by your side can make all the difference. Heermans serves clients throughout Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi & Louisiana.
We all know that the monthly bills keep coming and rent/mortgage still needs to be paid and food needs to be put on the table and you still need to pay to live. This is how so many people who receive disability benefits also find themselves suffering from past due collections and creditor debts.
According to the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act there is a difference between a collector and a creditor of consumer debt . A creditor is the original person/entity that the debt (loan, credit card etc) originated from. A collector is a person/business that purchased the debt from the creditor or is collecting on behalf of the original creditor for the full or partial amount of the debt. Different rules apply depending on who is trying to collect from you or who you are currently paying. It also makes a difference if you owe or are making payments for personal debt or business debt.
So where is the bright light at the end of the debt tunnel you might be asking yourself?
Well, it comes in the form of help available from a 501 ©(3) charitable organization called Helps Nonprofit Law Firm. Helps Nonprofit Law Firm (Help Eliminate Legal Problems for Seniors and Disabled) was founded by Eric Olsen, a bankruptcy attorney with more than forty years of practice in the area of consumer debt. During his years of law practice, Eric met a lot of lower income senior and disabled citizens struggling with debt. He also knew their retirement and disability incomes and minimal assets were protected by law. Creditors could not take what little income these folks had and that a bankruptcy was not always necessary. Being able to tell seniors and the disabled that they could keep their limited funds felt like good news. It was also the truth.
HELPS was founded to provide legal representation to seniors and those receiving disability benefits. Their purpose is to provide legal representation retained specifically to stop collectors from making harassing phone calls and from sending emails and letters to their clients. HELPS also provides ongoing legal representation for the purpose of communicating with debt collectors.
HELPS serves clients in all 50 U.S. states but does not give legal advice pertaining to the state where you live. If you are in need of a local attorney where you live, they will assist you in obtaining an attorney willing to help you on a pro bono basis. HELPS Nonprofit Law Firm charges a nominal monthly fee on a sliding income scale but they never turn down a qualified senior or disability recipient in need. This means that many of their clients are receiving legal services for FREE.
Here are 10 ways HELPS can help you.
- Send Letters to debt collectors.
- Give you an attorney to call if you are scared, worried, or have questions about old debt.
- HELPS provides services even if you have low or no income.
- Help eligible disability income recipients obtain uncollectible status with the IRS.
- Help with Student Loan Income Contingent Repayment Plans and Discharges.
- Provide Information regarding transportation and housing.
- Counsel you if you have feelings of guilt because of inability to pay your old debts.
- Help you with suspected scams.
- Will do a conference call with you and a trusted friend or family member.
- If you are sued for an old debt they will answer your questions, provide help, and remind you that your disability income is PROTECTED.
Don’t give your disability income away to debt collections. You can contact HELPS and get more information by visiting their website or watching their YouTube videos. For assistance with SSI and SSDI benefits or application process (ssi lawyers near me), call (901) 244-0057 or send a message to Heermans Social Security Disability Law Firm.
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