The Superannuation Complaints Tribunal experienced a significant drop in complaint numbers across most categories for the December quarter, new figures have shown.
From October 2009 until December 2009, the total number of written complaints decreased by 11.5 per cent, with the number of telephone enquiries falling by 16.5 per cent, the figures found.
The number of complaints relating to fund administration as a percentage of total complaints fell to 47.8 per cent of all complaints during the quarter, compared to 50.9 per cent in the prior quarter.
In the same period, the tribunal finalised 571 written complaints, the figure down from 659 or 13.4 per cent from the previous quarter.
Of the 571 finalised complaints, 2.1 per cent were finalised at review, 52.7 per cent were finalised prior to a review hearing and 45.2 per cent were outside the tribunal's jurisdiction.
The tribunal issued 12 determinations in the quarter, down from 20 previously.
The largest category of complaints determined at review was death complaints and disability complaints, followed by administration complaints.
Despite the decreases, the tribunal experienced a 35.2 per cent increase in the total number of complaints about death benefit distributions.
Complaints about disability benefits remained static, at 10.6 per cent of total complaints.
