The short answer
You may need to contact the GEPF to follow up. A child who is financially dependent on the member can receive a GEPF child pension until they are 22 years old.
The whole question
Dear Athalie
My father passed away during the Covid pandemic. He was married and had other children, so I didn't expect any inheritance because I was conceived out of wedlock and don't have his surname. I was contacted by his old employers at the air force (he was a warrant officer) and they asked me to fill out some forms so that I may get some money.
It has been several years and there has been no payout. I see his widow and children living their best lives, so I assume they were paid. I asked the widow if she knew whether I should inherit anything and she said she didn't know.
The long answer
As your father was a warrant officer, he would have been a member of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF). The GEPF does not fall under the Pension Funds Act (PFA), but has its own rules, which may differ.
In the GEPF, a member must nominate beneficiaries who will benefit from his pension fund when he dies. But the GEPF trustees must still identify all legal or financial dependants and see that the death benefit is distributed fairly among the dependants, even if they have not been nominated by the member.
Maya Fisher-French, in a Maya on Money article on GEPF on 1 February 2021, says that legal dependants include a spouse, parents, children, etc. But this could also include a child or partner from another relationship, whether out-of-wedlock or not. And it could include anyone who could prove that they were financially dependent on the member. The trustees will do an investigation into whether any of the surviving legal dependants were financially dependent on the member. If they were, they would stand to inherit something.
A child who is financially dependent on the member can receive a GEPF child pension until they are 22 years old.
But Maya Fisher-French goes on to explain that “A financial dependant does not include an adult child who is not receiving financial support from the member.”
She gives the following example:
Scenario 1: A member has adult children from a previous relationship who are not receiving financial support. The member is married and has young children with the current partner.
Likely outcome: The trustees will only consider the spouse and minor children as beneficiaries for distribution
The fact that your late father’s work contacted you may mean that the trustees wanted to assess your dependence on him. But if you were not dependent on him financially, it may be that you would not qualify for a benefit.
But it would be worth contacting the GEPF and asking them directly if you are entitled to a share of your father’s benefit or not. You would need to have your ID and birth certificate at hand in case they want proof of your relationship with your late father.
These are the contact details for the GEPF:
Toll-Free Number: 0800 117 669
Email: enquiries@gepf.co.za
Website: www.gepf.co.za
Wishing you the best,
Athalie
Answered on April 14, 2025, 4:06 p.m.
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