Reporting period: July-December 2022

Independent Assessor: Melissa Dwyer

Key messages

• I received 133 complaints during the six months to 31 December 2022, 28 more compared to the previous six months.
• A total of 133 complaints were closed during the period, 37 of which were closed upon the issue of an assessment. The other 96 were closed because they were specifically excluded from my jurisdiction by the Independent Assessor’s Terms of Reference or the complainant failed to respond to correspondence.
• I substantiated 58 issues, of which 49 (84.5%) had not been appropriately dealt with by AFCA prior to being raised with me.
• During the period I recommended:
  • apologies be made to 26 complainants
  • a total of $13,700 non-financial compensation be paid
  • five other actions be taken.
• Some examples of complaints that were substantiated are:
  • delays in considering a complaint and not providing updates during the delay
  • failure to adequately respond to correspondence
  • failure to follow AFCA’s process, such as to enable a complainant to object to a jurisdictional decision.

Analysis

Complaints to the Independent Assessor

Assessments Issued

Snapshot of Outstanding Assessments (By Age)

Complaints about AFCA’s service July - December 2022

• AFCA received 479 complaints about its service in the six months to 31 December 2022. 484 service complaints were investigated, responded to and finalised during the period.
• The average age of service complaints closed in the six-month period was 24 days.
• Service complaints received between July and December 2022 represented 1% of financial firm complaints that AFCA received in the period.
• 86% of issues raised in service complaints finalised during the period were not substantiated (923 issues). 14% of issues raised in finalised service complaints were substantiated (153 issues).
• Of the service complaint issues that were substantiated, most related to standard of services issues, with the three most common issues substantiated being delay (66), failing to reply to calls or correspondence (19) and discourteous conduct (11). 12 service issues relating to determinations issued were substantiated, with the predominant issues being a lack of procedural fairness (6) and an error made in a determination (5).
• Clarification of our process or a decision we issued or providing an apology for any service related issues upheld were the most common outcomes for services complaints finalised in the period. Prioritising a number of complaints was also an outcome we provided.

Summary of service complaints received and closed July – December 2022

Service issue outcome summary July – December 2022

Some service complaints have more than one issue raised. This means that the number of complaint issues are greater than the number of complaints received or closed.