Can a senior lose their SSI Benefits if they have a supplemental trust?

Whether a trust affects someone's eligibility for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) depends on the terms of the trust. SSI eligibility is based on a person (of qualifying age or disability) having very low income and assets. So, whether a trust affects that eligibility depends specifically on whether the person receives any income from the trust, and whether any of the funds or other assets in the trust are actually available to the person. If the trust only provides that a person may receive funds at some indefinite future time, it might not affect SSI eligibility. On the other hand, if the trust provides any current income, or allows the person immediate access to trust funds, that income or funds would be counted by the SSI program in determining the person's eligibility. Also, funds to which a person has access are counted even if the person does not actually remove funds from the trust.