Worried about Offset

[phoenixbennu]

I will probably not get any of my refund. I was supposed to get around 7K this year, but I owe over 8K in student loan debt. I filed taxes tonight, and they were accepted within an hour or so. I called the offset line and it said that I had an offset by the department of education. I checked the website for myeddebt.ed.gov and it says over 8K.
My wife, who has more loan debt than me, has no offset.
It bothers me, because we needed this money to get many things caught up. We are a family of 4 with a third child on the way.
I NEVER got anything in the mail stating that they were going to offset this year. I tried to setup a payment arrangement about 6 months ago, but being as low income as we are I couldnt go through the proposed arrangement. We get collections calls all the time for my wife’s student loans, but not for mine.
I know I owe, and I would be happy to do an arrangement if we could afford it, but for right now we cannot afford to lose our refund.
Does anyone know how likely it is that they will take the whole refund? If there any chance that it can say there is a potential offset on the hotline but have nothing taken?

[Amanda]

Look up the treasury offset program website and file for hardship you might get some of your refund and then set up a new arrangement you can bring it out of default that way

[Latoya]

The same here guys my husband owe the US dept of justice and I owe state unemployment plus my husband is totally disabled now we are also a low income family with only his ssi for income. So looks like we won’t be getting anything either

[Ifeelya]

I feel your pain. I am in the same boat. I filed my taxes and then found out about the offset line. We’re weeks from being homeless and if we don’t get the return, we’re completely screwed. They’re never going to get their money if they never let us get on our feet. :( I have my fingers crossed for both of us. Update here if you find out anymore info, I will as well.

[phoenixbennu]

If I had gotten notice of them trying to garnish my federal return I would have challenged it on the basis of hardship, but I never got anything for it. I work as a pizza delivery driver right now. I make very little money. I used to have a decent job, but I got sick and had to move cross country in order to survive. This delivery job was the only thing I have been able to find.
I have an interview for a decent job here in less than a week, but it will still be a couple months, if I get the job at all, before we start getting income from it. In the meantime we are sinking further and further. Our bank account balance is over 500 bucks over drawn, we are behind on rent, and we are trying to get other bills paid off.

This return would have taken care of everything we needed and given up a leg up. Now, I am worried that it will all be gone.

[Author]

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