Settle complaints yourselves: SCT
Super fund trustees should try to resolve complaints internally before they reach the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT), chairperson Jocelyn Furlan said.
The comments come as the SCT carried out 359 conciliation conferences for the first six months of this financial year, an 89 per cent increase on last year.
There were 424 conciliation conferences last financial year.
Furlan is concerned trustees only start thinking about complaints, and resolutions, when they find out complaints have been lodged with the SCT, and are required to act.
"Trustees who don't already do so are encouraged to fully investigate and attempt to resolve complaints through their internal complaints resolution processes," she said.
The SCT also noted many trustees are requesting extensions to come up with documents and information as stipulated in a section 17 notice of the Superannuation (Resolution of Complaints) Act 1993.
This happens even when the fund recently dealt with the complaint internally.
"Currently new complaints received are allocated for investigation around a month after jurisdiction has been established," Furlan said.
"In this environment, trustees should not need to request extensions of time for the provision of information."
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Staff Writer
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