Question:
Good day, My late father's fund paid out an amount of which his wife got 50% and the rest was split between his adult children. His wife received the surplus that was paid into her bank account in full. Does the money get divided as above or not?
Answer:
Eli,
We take it his wife is not your mother; we would not expect a biological child to begrudge their mother a death benefit. It falls on the Fund trustees to allocate the death benefit, and their primary task is to ensure that your late father's financial dependants are looked after. It is surprising that the trustees gave a half share to his adult children, unless they were not yet in full-time employment. However, in allocating the surplus, they would have looked at the current situation, and at the amounts involved. If the money has been already paid into your step-mother's bank account, then the trustees have decided, and you have no claim on this money.
