Get Your Money And Run.

The National Consumer Law Center last week sent a letter to leaders of both parties asking they act with urgency to protect stimulus payments from debt collectors which such protections are not included in the third relief package, the American Rescue Plan; these protections were not in the first stimulus bill ($1,200 checks) but the $600 payments were protected in the second relief bill.

Democratic lawmakers were prevented from including protections in the bill because of provisions in the Senate budget reconciliation process.

A private debt collector with a judgment against you can take steps to garnish these latest stimulus payments. Medical and credit card debt are usually what the collectors go after first.

If your payments are garnished, you have a short time to go to court to contest the action or seek an exemption.

Lauren Sanders at National Consumer Law Center said that “if [consumers] think they’re at risk of garnishment, they should watch their account and take out the money immediately.”