Verify income?

Can creditors do income verification checks?
Will they straight ask you what your salary is? How do you respond?
My income is fairly decent but it is all relative.
I still cannot pay my bills due to extenuating circumstances (upside down on my house, ongoing medical bills, paycut, bonus elimination, and unfortunately what looks like a pending divorce). I am negative every month.

Thanks

Yes, the creditors can ask you about your income, especially when you're negative every month. You can show them the copy of your pay stubs to prove that you're facing financial hardship.

I assume they can ask anything they want.
My question is more what am I required to answer (what do they have access to, and if I am not required to answer anything, how have others approached questions with regard to salary. How do you respond without coming off as evasive even though I am not lying about my inability to cover my minimum payments.
Also, what should one avoid saying?
I do not want to put my foot in my mouth.

Thanks for any assistance..

You're not required to answer any of their questions.

If they're trying to put you on a hardship plan, however, it would benefit you to cooperate. I suggest you sit down and writie it all out. Show them that you are negative each month and maybe they can work out a harship plan for your that will help you out and you can afford.

I'm assuming this is credit card debt.