3 steps to making a complaint about your super fund

As your super becomes a bigger component of your personal finances, you inevitably begin to pay closer attention to what’s going on with your fund and the service provided by its insurers and administrators.

Media stories about slow payment of death benefits and the rejection of insurance claims can also make it seem like super funds aren’t helping their members. In 2023–24, there were 7,325 complaints about super products made to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

Although this sounds like a lot, it compares favourably to the number of complaints about other financial products. During the same financial year, AFCA received 60,076 complaints about banking and financial products and 29,335 complaints about general insurance.

But if you are unlucky enough to have a problem with your super fund or the information it has provided to you, there is a clear path for making a complaint and getting your fund to review your problem.

How to make a complaint about your super fund

When making a complaint, it’s important to do things the right way if you want to make the process as smooth as possible – and have the best chance of getting your issue resolved successfully.

Step 1: Work out what you are complaining about

Although it sounds silly, it’s important to consider exactly what your super fund has done that you want to complain about: