As lifetime says above, if your only income is social security, that money is "judgement proof." No judge is going to allow anyone to take any of your social security check from you.

There is a statute of limitations on debt, but the time period doesn't start until you default on the debt. Each state has their own rules on the limitations period, but it's not all that long.

Just make yourself a broken record to collectors, if you really don't have the means to pay. They are trying to get you shook up, but you don't have to let them do that. And you don't have to answer questions like, "Do you have a TV set?" You don't have to answer any questions, for that matter. They are not the police investigating a crime. You have not committed any crime.

Barclays Bank started the process of suing me, and I received a court summons. I ignored the whole thing, and nothing ever happened. Actually, I think it is illegal for them to threaten to sue you, if they are not serious. That's considered illegitimate intimidation. When I didn't even respond to it, they called and asked if my only income was still SSDI. I said yes, and I haven't heard from them since. There is no point in them suing me when I have nothing they can take.

The summons looks scary, but actually, if your situation is like mine was, you can ignore it. That means they win by default, but they are going to win anyways. The suit is just to get a judge to declare that you do owe the money. Well, you know you do. So they are going to get that judgement anyway. But the judge declaring that, "Yes, this debt is legitimate." doesn't mean the judge must order anything to be done about it. If all you got is income from Social Security, it will be a pointless judgement.

As the poster above said, tell your creditors exactly what your income and assets are, if you are truly poor. Then they won't bother to sue you.