Beneficiaries have affectations, we hear (5)
I believe the answer is:
heirs
'beneficiaries' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I don't see?
'affectations we hear' is the wordplay.
'affectations' becomes 'airs' (I've seen this in another clue).
'we hear' indicates a 'sounds like' (homophone) clue.
'airs' sounds like 'HEIRS'.
'have' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for heirs that I've seen before include "They inherit property or rank" , "They get rank, property etc from others, perhaps their parents" , "Inheritors" , "Successors" .)