Ascertaining beneficiaries in death benefit cases 1

United Kingdom

Reference: H00533

The case concerned the length to which trustees should go to ascertain beneficiaries of a lump sum payable on death. The Ombudsman was referred to case law saying that trustees need not consider all possible beneficiaries from "China to Peru". He said that the principle of not doing so was all right where there was a potentially large class of beneficiaries, but where there were only, as here, parents and a daughter, the trustees should consider all potential beneficiaries.