Girlfriend recognised: Sister fights for brother's entire R8.3m death benefit despite inheriting R5.8m estate

Sister's claim to R8.3 million pension fund denied as long-term partner receives 45%.

A woman who inherited assets worth R5.8 million from her late brother's estate has lost her bid to prevent his long-term life partner from receiving nearly half of his R8.3 million pension fund death benefit after the Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator ruled that the fund had correctly recognised the long-term girlfriend a legal dependant.

The dispute centred on the distribution of a death benefit of over R8.3 million following the death of a member of the Corporate Selection Umbrella Retirement Fund in May 2024.

The deceased's sister, together with her two children, challenged the fund's decision to award 45% of the benefit to a woman identified only as "M", whom the trustees found to be the deceased's permanent life partner.

Instead, the complainants argued that the deceased had nominated his sister as the sole beneficiary in 2005 and that "M" did not qualify as a permanent life partner under the law.