The CCPA And Two Wage Garnishments

The CCPA prohibits an employer from firing an employee whose earnings are subject to garnishment for any one debt, regardless of the number of levies made or proceedings brought to collect that debt, because of the single garnishment. The Act does not prohibit discharge because an employee's earnings are separately garnished for two or more debts.

The Consumer Credit Protection Act substantially limits the amount that can be garnished based on the employee's ability to pay, or income level. The less you make, the less they can take.

You may be asking yourself, what are the restrictions on wage garnishment? The amount of pay subject to garnishment is based on an employee's "disposable earnings," which the amount is left after legally required deductions are made. Examples of such deductions include federal, state, and local taxes, the employee's share of State Unemployment Insurance and Social Security. It also includes withholding for employee retirement systems required by law. Deductions not required by law - such as those for voluntary wage assignments, union dues, health and life insurance, contributions to charitable causes, purchases of savings bonds, retirement plan contributions (except those required by law) and payments to employers for payroll advances or purchases of merchandise - usually may not be subtracted from gross earnings when calculating disposable earnings under the CCPA.

The law sets the maximum amount that may be garnished in any work week or pay period, regardless of the number of garnishment orders received by the employer. For ordinary garnishments (i.e., those not for support, bankruptcy, or any state or federal tax), the weekly amount may not exceed the lesser of two figures: 25 percent of the employee's disposable earnings, or the amount by which an employee's disposable earnings are greater than 30 times the federal minimum wage (currently $5.15 an hour). For illustration, if the pay period is weekly and disposable earnings are $154.50 ($5.15 X 30) or less, there can be no garnishment. If disposable earnings are more than $154.50 but less than $206.00 ($5.15 X40), the amount above $154.50 can be garnished. A maximum of 25 percent can be garnished, if disposable income earnings are $206.00 or more. When pay periods cover more than one week, multiples of the weekly restrictions must be used to calculate the maximum amounts that may be garnished. The table and examples at the end of this fact sheet illustrate these amounts.

What about child support and alimony?

Specific restrictions apply to court orders for child support or alimony. The garnishment law allows up to 50 percent of a worker's disposable earnings to be garnished for these purposes if the worker is supporting another spouse or child, or up to 60 percent if the worker is not. An additional 5 percent may be garnished for support payments more than l2 weeks in arrears.

Now lets address the question of; Is there any exceptions to the law? The wage garnishment law specifies that the garnishment restrictions do not apply to certain bankruptcy court orders, or to debts due for federal or state taxes. If a state wage garnishment law differs from the CCPA, the law resulting in the smaller garnishment must be observed. You may be able to claim one or more exemptions and avoid paying the judgment or at least a portion of it.

Bank Account funds that are from:

Veterans Benefits, Child Support Payments, U.S. Government Pension, Unemployment Compensation, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Certain funds in a joint or community account, Other public Assistance or Income allowed by State law.

In order to protect your right to claim these exemptions you must, within 28 days from the date on the Writ of Garnishment, deliver to the court clerk and mail a copy to the plaintiff, the completed Exemption Claim Form. The problem with claiming an exemption is that you allow second and third judgment creditors to hold a garnishment position in addition to the first creditor. Unless you are immune from garnishment.