There are hidden costs, even when the government is able to collect the money.One of the department’s most successful — and draconian — collection mechanisms is the Treasury Offset Program, which garnishes government payments. In 2019, the Treasury Department seized nearly $4.9 billion from tax refunds and other payments to go toward student loan debt, according to an analysis of Treasury data by the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation. The biggest chunk, nearly $1.7 billion, came in February — the prime filing time for people collecting the earned-income tax credit, a support measure for low- and middle-income families.“The social safety net is intended to protect people from crushing poverty,” said Abigail S …
