What can a member or former member of a pension fund do to resolve a dispute with the fund, or with their employer about their participation in the fund?
Four main types of disputes arise:
• The fund may exercise its powers improperly, or do something which it is not entitled to do;
• The fund can be poorly administered, causing you prejudice;
• You and the Fund may disagree on an important fact or matter of law;
• Your employer may not be fulfilling its duties where your membership of the Fund is concerned.
The Pension Funds Act sets out the procedure you may follow in order to have your dispute addressed.
First, you are required to send a written complaint to the Fund (or employer, if applicable). You must keep a copy of your complaint as well as your proof that it was sent. They have 30 days in which to respond to your complaint. If they do not respond, or if their response does not resolve the dispute to your satisfaction, you may take the matter to the Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA).
The PFA has a simple online form which enables you to submit your complaint to them quickly and easily. It is found on their website at www.pfa.org.za. You can only submit a complaint to the PFA once you have first complained to the Fund (or employer) and 30 days have elapsed.
The online form helps ensure that you submit all necessary information. In brief, this includes your personal details, the Fund’s details (or employer’s), your dates of joining and leaving the Fund (or employer), your complaint in detail, the outcome you desire, as well as proof that you first complained to the Fund (or employer). Copies of all relevant documents must be supplied.
The PFA may require a written response from the Fund (or employer) and may also investigate the matter further by phoning the parties or engaging in correspondence. A decision will be made in writing and communicated to the parties, and this decision has the force of a judgment of a court. If the PFA rules that the Fund must make a payment to you of money, then this is enforceable via the sheriff of the Court in the same way as a court order.