Controversial death benefit allocation overturned

THE decision to allocate a large portion of a death benefit to the financially independent son of a deceased man, while his unemployed life partner and her children only received a fraction of the benefit, was set aside by the Pension Funds Adjudicator.

- ZELDA VENTER

The adjudicator, Muvhango Lukhaimane, recently ordered the pension fund to consider the financial dependency of the complainant (the life partner) and her children. The complainant claimed she was the life partner of the deceased, who was a member of the Private Security Sector Provident Fund.

Following the deceased's passing, a death benefit of R254,609.51 became payable to his beneficiaries. The fund allocated 10% to his unemployed partner, 23% to the deceased's son, who is employed, 25% to his daughter, who is a scholar, 14% to a stepson who is a scholar, 14% to a toddler stepdaughter, and 14% to a toddler stepson.