Superannuation Complaints Tribunal


Please note: The Australian Financial Complaints Authority is now the one-stop-shop for all Australian financial complaints. You can no longer lodge a complaint with the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal.
The Superannuation Complaints Tribunal is an independent statutory body established by the Australian Government to deal with complaints about superannuation.

History

The Superannuation Complaints Tribunal was established under the Superannuation Act in 1993. It was established at the same time as a new prudential and disclosure framework was put in place under the Superannuation Industry Act 1993, protecting employees compulsory superannuation contributions.

Operation of the Tribunal

In order for the Tribunal to deal with a complaint, a member of a superannuation fund must first make a formal complaint to the Trustee of that fund. If the complaint is not resolved to the member's satisfaction then a complaint can be made to the Tribunal.
The Tribunal will only deal with complaints as they relate to a trustee decision affecting an individual member. The Tribunal cannot deal with complaints about the fund as a whole.
The Tribunal will first try and resolve the complaint through conciliation.
If conciliation is not successful, the Tribunal will make a "review" decision that is binding on all parties.
From July 1, 2018, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority will replace the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal and the Credit and Investments Ombudsman.