If you have a tax lien will or can IRS take back pay etc or stop your ssi

If there is a huge back payment of SSI or any other Social Security, they CAN and WILL confiscate a portion of that payment to satisfy any back taxes that are owed. Any argument that the money is needed to maintain a appropriate standard of living would be hard to make because you are currently living without the money.

However, monthly SSI payments are a different matter. If you can show that these payments are necessary for your survival, i.e. they are your only income and are needed to pay for rent, utilities and food, the IRS cannot touch it. However, YOU must be pro-active and PROVE that the SSI is needed for your survival.