Can you lower a wage garnishment if you can’t afford it?

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September 2, 2026 / 10:00 AM EDT / CBS News

For someone already struggling to keep up with their bills, losing part of every paycheck can quickly make a difficult financial situation worse. And, while a wage garnishment may seem like an extreme consequence of falling behind on debt, it may be more common than you think. After all, debt collectors have the option to use this tool in many cases, and with credit card debt still climbing amid inflationary pressures, more borrowers are becoming seriously delinquent on their payments, ultimately putting them at risk of having a portion of their wages garnished.

That doesn't mean everyone carrying unpaid debt will face wage garnishment, however. But it is an option that debt collectors may have when an unpaid debt progresses far enough through the collection process and the creditor has obtained a court judgment for the outstanding balance. When this happens, that judgment can be used to garnish a portion of the borrower's earnings directly from their paycheck to satisfy the debt.

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Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/