A trust is a legal arrangement involving property and ownership interests. Property
held in trust may or may not be considered a resource for SSI purposes. The general
rules concerning resources apply to evaluating the resource status of property held
in trust.
Trusts are often complex legal arrangements involving State law and legal principles
that field personnel may not be able to apply without legal counsel. Therefore, when
field offices discusses SSI trust policy with members of the public, do not advise
a claimant, recipient, representative payee, or legal guardian on how to invest funds
or hold property in trust. Remember that field personnel cannot provide the kind of
financial guidance that attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors are usually
able to provide. Above all, do not attempt to provide legal advice.