PROVIDENT FUND OF LATE FATHER

Seems like old Mutual is not living upto their company policy or standards & " Section 37C of the Pension Funds Act 24 of 1956 (“the Act”) regulates the distribution and payment of lump sum benefits payable on the death of a member of a pension fund, provident fund, pension and provident preservation fund and retirement annuity fund. This is Old Mutual company policy "Please note that your estate cannot be nominated as a beneficiary on a retirement annuity as it is not a legal person. It should also be noted that the death benefits of a retirement annuity do not form part of the assets of a deceased member’s estate and can thus not be bequeathed by will, nor can it be ceded" According to the law of Act 24 section 37c it states "Section 37C imposes a duty on the trustees of the fund to allocate and pay the benefit in a manner that it deems fair and equitable. This duty requires that the trustees identify the dependants and nominees of the deceased member, effect an equitable distribution of the benefit amongst the said dependants and nominees, taking into account relevant factors, and to select an appropriate mode of payment for the benefit." My father who has passed away this year in January 2021. My father's contract ended in September 2020 and was informed by he's financial manager or assistant that it will take 8 weeks for he's provident fund to be paid out by November 2020. There was a whole mess up between the financial advisor and Old Mutual with he's ID number as they have sent the incorrect information to Old Mutual superfunds department. In January 2021 they requested the correct ID number from my father which I helped my father to have it sent off to one of the consultants in the superfunds department. Then there was a back and forth and my father at the time still not get any good feedback that he's funds would be paid out. On the 29th of January 2021 my father passed away. We then closed he's bank account and I reported to Old Mutual that my father have passed away and no funds should be transferred to he's bank account as it has been closed. I requested a follow up as to wanted to know what happens next etc etc etc. I didn't contact Superfunds department again as the staff are of no use. I just left it off and decided to that it should be the surviving spouse to deal with this query. I don't know quite sure what was the conversation or the agreement between my mother and Old Mutual. I received a mail last month 14th and the 24th of September 2021 from one of the employees Sakeena Sadan from the superfunds department and was requesting for the late Estate account banking details. I responded stating by law this is not the case as I am also a client with Old Mutual which I'm considering of no longer wanting to have a provident fund with them. I have not received any response on that mail and it's been almost a month already. I then called yesterday 13th October 2021 through to Old Mutual and spoke to Samantha Solomons (who was very helpful and assisted with my query) and I asked her what is the procedure for in an event of a death how does it work for the provident fund to be paid as I also have 1 with Old Mutual. She then responded by saying the procedure is that death forms will be filled out the case would be escalated to the trustees department and from there they will investigate and who ever the is listed on the beneficiary list will be contacted and the funds does not transfer to the late Estate account the beneficiary or beneficiaries will be paid out. She then told me that this case will be escalated to her manager because she is not sure why I received a mail requesting for the late Estate account banking details. The consultant sent me a mail stating the account has been escalated and then I responded to her mail. She also said her manager will give me a call. Today is the 14th of October 2021 and no manager called me. Later during the day which was the 13th of October 2021 I received another mail stating that the matter is in process but in the meantime forward the late Estate account banking details. I called today again 14th of October 2021 and spoke to a consultant by the name of Elisa. She then said that my mother filled out death forms and the trustees made that decision by wanting to pay out the funds to the late Estate account. I find this strange, if you are liaising with a particular person then should not continue to make with that person? Why is Old Mutual staff harassing me for bank details for the late Estate account where they should be contacting the living spouse since they have been liaising with her? Why are the trustees not contacting the nominees listed on the beneficiary list?