THE FACTS
Ntombifuthi Sigasa from Zola, Soweto, said when her aunt died in 2004, she had no children of her own, nor was she married.
Ntombifuthi said she received a letter from the bank after her aunt died, confirming she was a beneficiary in her estate.
When she contacted the bank to submit the claim, she was told she couldn’t claim, as she wasn’t the deceased’s biological child.
ADVICE You are allowed to nominate any living and natural person as a beneficiary, including children, friends, family members, spouses and partners. A beneficiary doesn’t have to be a blood relative. Anyone can be appointed, subject to certain conditions.
If a person dies and he or she has appointed her beneficiary, then that person is the one who must to receive the benefit unless there is a legal reason why that can’t happen. Ntombifuthi should provide the bank with proof she’s a beneficiary. and submit to the bank all document required to process the claim.
