My aged father will be spending his last months/years in a nursing
home.  His only "income" is his Social Security check.  Check gets
sent directly to me.  From this:
  - $30 is withheld for monthly pocket money
  - $149 pays for his AARP Health Insurance Premium
  - Balance goes to Nursing Home.
  - MediCaid picks up whatever more is needed to keep him in the home.

Dad has no savings.
He owes $3,500 on a VISA card.
There's no way to pay this debt.

Question:
Can VISA "attach" his Social Security income to pay down this debt, or
in any other way jeopardize his regular receipt of same?

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Clarification of Question by thedocker-ga on 03 Oct 2005 14:29 PDT

Correction:
Check gets direct-deposited into dad's checking account.
Then, I write the checks, on his account, to nursing home and to AARP insurance.

So, I'd also be concerned if VISA could garnish that checking account.

Sorry for confusion.
I'm actually submitting this for a computer-illiterate friend.

My mother talked to an lawyer about bankruptcy and when they found out
her income was social security they told her not to file because her
checks could not be garnished. She owed on various credit cards etc..
this was a couple of years ago so it may no longer apply.