How do I claim the surplus of my late spouse?

Question:

How do I claim the surplus of my late spouse/husband? He worked for Ampros Anglo American in Diagonal Str Jhb. He worked there for 21 years until he passed away on 1992-10-06. The pension fund administrator, then Southern Life, is Momentum-Metropolitan. Do I claim the surplus from them? Please advise on what to do.

Answer:

A surplus apportionment assumes that there is a surplus to be apportioned. This is not a given for every retirement fund. If there is a surplus, you need to contact the responsible fund administrator, to prove your claim. You could start with Momentum, and perhaps they can point in you in the right direction. Or you can try the Financial Services Board, or even Anglo American Property Services. The surplus apportionment may have happened some years ago, in which case your late husband's share may have been paid into an unclaimed benefits fund.