# Do the benefits of trust count against your ssa retirement benefits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-benefits-of-trust-count-against-your-ssa-retirement-benefits/918119 "2020-08-14T20:06:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-benefits-of-trust-count-against-your-ssa-retirement-benefits/918119/1 "2020-08-14T20:06:18Z")
OK my aunt’s relatives had some sort of trust fund set up for the kids of the family by a relative when she passed … she had money (she leased her farmland out to a commercial vegetable concern ) and a permanent medical condition and always though shed not make it to middle age … well thanks to a new med or two over the decades she made it to 98 Now the “kids” are retirement age and my aunt gets SSA retirement benefits is getting this money going to affect her ? it seems it will be a one-time payout all i can find on the web is ssi/disability info which she doesn’t get … can anyone help ? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-benefits-of-trust-count-against-your-ssa-retirement-benefits/918119/2 "2020-08-14T20:07:40Z")
If I understand your question, the answer is no. There is no means testing for Social Security retirement benefits. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-benefits-of-trust-count-against-your-ssa-retirement-benefits/918119/3 "2020-08-14T20:15:52Z")
ok thanks …i know it counts as income aka a “resource” against the ssi income limit which is why she was wanting to know … ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-benefits-of-trust-count-against-your-ssa-retirement-benefits/918119/4 "2020-08-14T20:19:10Z")
Yes, SSI is for lower income people. It’s different. > **[Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | SSA](https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/)** > > Learn how the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. Benefits also are payable to people 65 and older without disabilities who meet the financial limits. Social Security Requirement pays you even if you’re Bill Gates. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-benefits-of-trust-count-against-your-ssa-retirement-benefits/918119/5 "2020-08-15T13:55:56Z")
The retirement part of SS, as said above, is NOT reduced by any trust or investment income. But … Simplifying mightily … The amount of basic retirement benefit one receives is based on lifetime _wage_ earnings. Someone who worked for _wages_ very little of their life and/or for only low _wages_ will have very little benefit. There is a threshold test of the equivalent of 10 years-worth of work for _wages_ to get anything. Said another way, Bill Gates gets SS because he worked for _wages_ for a bunch of years. Really huge trust fund babies who just live off the investment income may never work for _wages_ and never get SS retirement benefits. All the above is further complicated by benefits possibly available because of being a spouse, ex-spouse, or a widow(er) of somebody who did work for _wages_ and does have SS benefits. And all the above says nothing about SSI or SSDI. Which each have completely different rules. ---
**Author:** ![Carlarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Carlarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlarm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-benefits-of-trust-count-against-your-ssa-retirement-benefits/918119/6 "2020-08-16T18:51:11Z")
Additional income can increase the percentage of SSA benefits that are subject to federal income tax. Up to 85% of SSA can be subject to federal income tax. If additional income is very large, you may also be subject to a surcharge on on your Medicare payments. Google IRMAA for more information. Most people are not affected by IRMAA.