Links
There are a number of government agencies that can help with your questions and problems about superannuation. Some of these include:
Australian Securities and Investment Commission
www.moneysmart.gov.au
ASIC is responsible for protecting consumers and checking that superannuation funds are meeting the rules relating to what they need to tell their members. It can provide help if you believe your fund is providing inadequate, misleading or deceptive information, or if you are concerned about misconduct, fraud or dishonesty.
Email: infoline@asic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 300 630 (local call rate)
Superannuation Complaints Tribunal
www.sct.gov.au
The SCT is an independent tribunal set up by the Commonwealth Government to deal with complaints about superannuation, annuities and deferred annuities, and Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA). It will try to use conciliation to resolve the complaint, but where this is not possible, the SCT may formally review the fund's conduct or decision.
The SCT can only deal with certain complaints and issues relating to superannuation. These include the decisions and conduct by:
- trustees of funds and approved deposit funds;
- insurers in relation to the insurance benefits provided by funds and RSAs;
- life companies as providers of immediate and deferred annuities;
- providers of RSAs (Retirement Savings Accounts);
- people acting on behalf of the trustee, life companies and RSA providers.
Before the SCT can help, you must first make a complaint to your fund to try and resolve the matter under its internal complaints arrangements. After you have made a complaint to the fund and are not satisfied, or you do not receive a response within 90 days, you can then lodge a complaint with the SCT.
Email: info@sct.gov.au
Phone: 1300 884 114 (local call rate)
Australian Tax Office
Individuals Superannuation Essentials | Employers Superannuation Essentials
The ATO is responsible for regulating self-managed superannuation funds, employer contributions for their employees (Superannuation Guarantee contributions) and superannuation tax concessions. In most cases, if you are concerned about missing or incorrect employer contributions, you should talk to your employer first before contacting the ATO.
The ATO can also assist you with finding lost superannuation (see Super Guru's Finding lost super page) and you can also search online using the ATO's SuperSeeker service.
Phone: 13 10 20 (local call rate)
Centrelink
www.centrelink.gov.au
Centrelink can provide you with free information, seminars and booklets on superannuation, as well as government welfare benefits, the Age Pension and investing.
Phone: 13 23 00 (local call rate)
Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority
www.apra.gov.au
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is the prudential regulator for the financial services industry. It oversees banks, credit unions, building societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance and friendly societies. APRA also supervises complying superannuation funds other than self-managed superannuation funds (DIY funds), which are supervised by the Australian Tax Office.
Aside from providing statistics on the superannuation industry, APRA is also responsible for determining the early release of superannuation benefits on certain specified grounds (visit the APRA website for details on early release of superannuation benefits).
Email: visit the APRA website for email contact details
Phone: 1300 131 060 (local call rate)
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