Can I be garnished if I make below poverty level wage?

Pennsylvania has no wage garnishment. However, you work in Maryland so I presume your employer is in Maryland and there is a Maryland judgment. Maryland does have wage garnishment. I am not licensed to practice in Maryland. I suggest that you direct your question to a Maryland attorney. If you cannot find one, I have a colleague in Maryland and can ask her. I am licensed in Georgia and Georgia also has wage garnishment which follows the federal law. Federal law provides that if you earn below a certain amount then there can be no garnishment, if you make more than a certain amount then garnishment can be at the maximum allowed (its 25% I believe in Maryland) and if you make in between then a lesser sum can be garnished. Telling me that you are at the poverty level is not helpful. Garnishment is based on your disposable pay, which is pay after deductions for things like federal/state taxes. FICA/Medicare/Social Security or other required deductions. Also, I don't know if you are paid weekly, monthly, twice a month or every 2 weeks. The level set by the federal government varies with your pay period. Here is a link to a very handy chart that I use in figuring whether my GA clients can be garnished: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs30.pdf Public assistance benefits usually are not subject to any garnishment; it would just be your wages which would be at risk but if you are at the poverty level, it may be that your disposable earnings are so low that you cannot be garnished at all.