Looking for clarity on student loan garnishment freeze

[jen-CCW]

Hi all, I'm trying to get clarity on the new ruling to halt garnishments for student loans.

1. I'm assuming that freezing garnishment doesn't change the amount owed. So if the employee owes $5000 now, she will still owe $5000 in 2 months or whenever the freeze ends - just no additional interest/penalties. Correct?

2. Our employees are continuing to work and their pay is not being affected (yet). Shouldn't the freeze be optional? If it were me, I would want to keep making payments and get the balance paid down. But it sounds like employers are required to stop the garnishments.

3. How can they make this "retroactive" to March 13? We've had two payroll since then and already withheld the garnishment, one of which I have paid to the Dept of Education and which we will never get back. So should I reimburse both garnisments to the employee anyway?

Any thoughts/input would be helpful! I've left a message with the collections agency, but I don't really expect a call back...

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

I think those are all questions that need to be directed at the student loan company..Im sure plenty of people have the same questions as you!

[jen-CCW · Accepted solution]

I never heard back from the collections department, but I did find this page, which helped somewhat, in case anyone else is looking for answers on this issue:

 https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/coronavirus