Trustees on Savings Account

Neato

I have a savings account (with my money in) with Santander that my previous adopted parents are trustees on.

Will I have to get them to sign if I want to withdraw the money?

I'm 21 if that makes any difference.

I'm not sure how the trustee legislation works, or why they are trustees on it at all since it was never their cash to begin with but I'm hoping to move house soon and the cash would certainly help with that.

I went to the bank when I was 19 and the teller said it was possible I might be able to withdraw without my trustees but I've been in twice this year and spoke to different tellers who have said different things.

System

It depends what sort of trust it is. If it's an absolute trust then you have an absolute entitlement to demand the money from the trustees when you are 18.
If it is a discretionary trust then the trustees are not obliged to pay you anything, ever, if they don't want to.

In between those extremes anything might happen - it depends on the wording of the trust deed. But Santander can only act on instructions from the trustees.