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How to complain about your super fund

A rollover that has taken months, contributions that never landed, an insurance claim inside super going nowhere. Super funds answer to a 45-day complaint clock and to the free financial ombudsman — here is how to use both.

The five steps that get complaints answered

Complain to the trustee first — in writing

Super complaints go to the fund's trustee through its complaints channel, and ASIC's Regulatory Guide 271 requires trustees to respond to most complaints no later than 45 calendar days after receiving them. Email or the online form beats the phone: the written record is what an ombudsman later reads. Ask for a complaint reference number.

Give them the particulars that identify the case

Your member number, the transaction — the rollover, contribution, investment switch or withdrawal — the dates and amounts, and the forms or requests you lodged. Quote the fund's own processing times from its website or product disclosure statement: the gap between what they publish and what they did is the complaint.

State the circumstances precisely, not emotionally

List what happened as claims: the rollover you requested on a date is still incomplete; employer contributions on your payslips never appear in your balance; fees kept being charged after you closed the account; the insurance claim has had no decision and no explanation. Attach statements, payslips, your myGov super records and every acknowledgement they sent.

Say what outcome you want, with a deadline

The transfer completed, the contributions allocated with any lost earnings, the fees refunded, a decision on the claim, or an explanation in writing. Point at the 45-day clock explicitly and say you will take it to AFCA the day the clock runs out.

Escalate to AFCA if they do not fix it

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (afca.org.au, 1800 931 678) holds the superannuation jurisdiction and is free for consumers. If the trustee misses its deadline or the response does not resolve the matter, lodge online. Mind the clock in the other direction too: AFCA applies time limits, and some superannuation complaints have their own — so act on every final decision letter rather than filing it away.

The timeframes that actually apply to super

Superannuation runs on a different clock from the rest of financial services, and knowing which one applies to you is most of the leverage. Under RG 271 a trustee has up to 45 calendar days for most complaints, against 30 for a bank. A complaint about how a death benefit is to be distributed gets up to 90 calendar days — measured from the expiry of the 28-day period you have to object to the proposed distribution, not from the day you complained.

Two things follow. First, quote the applicable number in your complaint: a trustee that knows you know the deadline treats the file differently. Second, diarise it. The day the clock runs out is the day the complaint becomes eligible for the ombudsman, and nothing about that is automatic — you have to lodge.

Insurance inside super

The most common source of a stuck superannuation complaint is an insurance claim — total and permanent disability, income protection, or a death benefit — where an insurer sits behind the trustee. Complain to the trustee. The trustee is the party that holds the policy and is responsible for pursuing the claim on your behalf, and the trustee's handling of it is what AFCA's superannuation jurisdiction reaches.

Note that AFCA replaced the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal on 1 November 2018; the tribunal continued only to finish complaints lodged with it before that date, and ceased operations after 31 December 2020. If a search or an old letter pointed you at the tribunal, the destination now is AFCA. Our guide to who the banking ombudsman is explains the rest of that history.

Or let Trumis do all five steps in one conversation

Tell Trumis what happened in your own words — any language, even screenshots of your statements. It drafts the complaint the trustee's own internal process needs, with the particulars, your confirmed circumstances and your evidence attached, and addresses it to their complaints team. The 45-day response clock is tracked too, so you know exactly when to escalate. Free — no account, encrypted intake records retained for up to 24 months.

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Common questions

How long does a super fund have to respond to a complaint?

Under ASIC's Regulatory Guide 271, superannuation trustees must respond to most complaints no later than 45 calendar days after receiving them — longer than the 30 calendar days that applies to a bank. A complaint about how a death benefit is to be distributed runs on a longer clock again: up to 90 calendar days after the 28-day period for objecting to the proposed distribution has expired. If the deadline passes or the answer does not resolve it, AFCA takes superannuation complaints and is free for consumers.

My insurance claim through super is stuck — who do I complain about?

Complain to the trustee — your fund — even though an insurer sits behind the policy. The trustee is the party responsible for pursuing your claim, and AFCA's superannuation jurisdiction covers the trustee's handling of it.

Is there a superannuation ombudsman, and does it cost anything?

AFCA is the superannuation ombudsman. The Superannuation Complaints Tribunal that preceded it ceased operations after 31 December 2020. AFCA states that its services are free of charge to consumers and small businesses who make a complaint. Time limits apply, and some superannuation complaints have their own, so never sit on a final decision letter — note its date and act promptly.

What about lost or forgotten super accounts?

That is not a complaint. Log in to myGov and use ATO online services: the ATO lets you check for lost member super accounts, see unclaimed super it holds for you, and consolidate multiple super accounts. Complain to a fund only when it mishandles something you actually asked it to do.

Reviewed 28 July 2026. Check your fund's current complaint process, ASIC's RG 271 and AFCA's official guidance before escalating. General information only.