Case Studies for AI Agent Training: Complex Death Benefit Scenarios

Case Study A: The Blended Family Dispute

• Deceased: Sipho Dlamini (45)
• Fund Credit: R500,000
• Beneficiaries:
  • Nominee: Sarah Dlamini (40), legal spouse.
  • Dependants:
    • Thandi (15) and Themba (10), children from the marriage with Sarah.
    • Zodwa (22), an adult child from a previous relationship, currently employed but struggling financially.
• The Challenge: The deceased's nomination form allocates 100% of the benefit to his spouse, Sarah. However, Zodwa has submitted a claim and has been identified as a factual dependant due to past financial support from the deceased. Sarah is arguing that Zodwa is no longer dependent.
• Trustee Action: The AI agent must recognize that while the nomination form is a factor, Section 37C of the Pension Funds Act requires a "fair and equitable" distribution among all dependants. The agent would recommend an allocation that considers the greater financial needs of the minor children and the spouse, but also allocates a portion to Zodwa to acknowledge her factual dependency, possibly as a once-off payment. The recommendation should be well-documented, explaining why the nomination form was not followed implicitly.

Case Study B: The Untraceable Factual Dependant

• Deceased: Fatima Khan (60)
• Fund Credit: R350,000
• Beneficiaries:
  • Nominee: None.
  • Dependants:
    • Rizwan (35), an adult son, financially independent.
    • Lindiwe (18), a niece who the deceased was supporting, but has not been contactable for 6 months.
• The Challenge: The trustees have identified Lindiwe as a factual dependant, but she cannot be traced. The adult son, Rizwan, is pressuring the fund for the full payment.
• Trustee Action: The AI agent must follow the fund's procedural guidelines. It should prioritize the use of a tracing agent to locate Lindiwe. It must not make a distribution to Rizwan for the full amount, as this would violate the obligation to all dependants. The AI agent's documentation would clearly record the attempts to trace Lindiwe, the communication with the tracing agent, and the decision to either hold Lindiwe's portion in an Unclaimed Benefits Account or, if all efforts fail after the prescribed period, to transfer it to the Guardian's Fund.