Death Benefit Policy for Widows

Phillip Sweeney made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Crime Commission

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was successful.

Phillip Sweeney

Dear Australian Crime Commission,

The Chairman of ASIC is a member of the Board of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (formerly the Australian Crime Commission).

ASIC has been given a directive by the Minister responsible for ASIC to investigate the non-payment or delayed payment of life insurance products in response to the CommInsure scandal reported by Fairfax Media.

This is what the Minister Responsible for ASIC, the Hon Kelly O'Dwyer MP, said to Michael Brissenden of the ABC on 8 March 2016:

"We're getting ASIC to do an investigation as to whether those practices that have been raised in relation to CommInsure are more widespread; whether there is a broader systemic issue within the industry"

Life insurance products can be obtained either via a life insurance company or via a superannuation fund.

ASIC has been provided with a document that might be described as a "group death benefit policy" document dated 20 November 1974 that added Regulation 30A to the provisions of an occupational pension scheme established by a Trust Deed executed on the 23 December 1913 in the State of South Australia.

Regulation 30A provides a death benefit to widows in the form of a survivorship pension following the death of their late husband.

It is important to note that a copy of this document that forms part of the governing rules of the 1913 Fund was not lodged with the Regulator APRA as required by Section 29L of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. The earliest Deed lodged with APRA was dated 26 August 1986.

The document dated 26 August 1986 bears the signature of a company Director who had pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to act honestly as an officer of the sponsoring employer between April 1986, and June 1990 before Justice Coldrey in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

In 1974 the name of this fund was The Provident Fund, however in 1982 the name of the fund was changed to the Elders IXL Superannuation Fund. This fund was more recently known as the AusBev Superannuation Fund.

Since 20 January 2014 the Trust Estate of this occupational pension scheme has been under the control of subsidiary companies of the National Australia Bank (NAB).

The death benefit for widows is not being paid by the National Australia Bank.

The Defined Benefit pension scheme was closed to new members on the 30 November 1997, so there will be still widows alive until 2060 to 2070 who have a prima facie right to receive a survivorship pension pursuant to the provisions of Regulation 30A.

Given the important of Regulation 30A, I am now seeking confirmation that the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has possession of a copy of the Deed of Variation dated 20 November 1974 which recites the original Trust Deed dated 23 December 1913.

If the Commission has possession of this document of evidence then this document will be available to be submitted by the ACIC to a Royal Commission into the banks, along with additional evidence ether lodged with the ACIC or obtained by the ACIC.

The document I seek is a copy of the Deed of Variation dated 20 November 1974 that amends the provisions of an occupational pension scheme established by a Trust Deed dated 23 December 1913 to add Regulation 30A and where the original sponsoring employer was a company called Elder Smith & Co Ltd.

The Deed of Variation dated 20 November 1974 was executed by a majority of the Directors of Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort Ltd.

The search period is from 1 July 2016 to 1 August 2016

Yours faithfully,

Phillip Sweeney

foi, Australian Crime Commission

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Sweeney,

Please see the attached correspondence in relation to your request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Kind regards,

Shelby Simadas
FOI Coordinator
Legal Services
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
P: 02 6243 6871
E: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Phillip Sweeney [mailto:[FOI #2124 email]]
Sent: Saturday, 13 August 2016 5:26 PM
To: foi
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Death Benefit Policy for Widows

Dear Australian Crime Commission,

The Chairman of ASIC is a member of the Board of the Australian
Criminal Intelligence Commission (formerly the Australian Crime
Commission).

ASIC has been given a directive by the Minister responsible for
ASIC to investigate the non-payment or delayed payment of life
insurance products in response to the CommInsure scandal reported
by Fairfax Media.

This is what the Minister Responsible for ASIC, the Hon Kelly
O'Dwyer MP, said to Michael Brissenden of the ABC on 8 March 2016:

"We're getting ASIC to do an investigation as to whether those
practices that have been raised in relation to CommInsure are more
widespread; whether there is a broader systemic issue within the
industry"

Life insurance products can be obtained either via a life insurance
company or via a superannuation fund.

ASIC has been provided with a document that might be described as a
"group death benefit policy" document dated 20 November 1974 that
added Regulation 30A to the provisions of an occupational pension
scheme established by a Trust Deed executed on the 23 December 1913
in the State of South Australia.

Regulation 30A provides a death benefit to widows in the form of a
survivorship pension following the death of their late husband.

It is important to note that a copy of this document that forms
part of the governing rules of the 1913 Fund was not lodged with
the Regulator APRA as required by Section 29L of the Superannuation
Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. The earliest Deed lodged with APRA
was dated 26 August 1986.

The document dated 26 August 1986 bears the signature of a company
Director who had pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to act
honestly as an officer of the sponsoring employer between April
1986, and June 1990 before Justice Coldrey in the Supreme Court of
Victoria.

In 1974 the name of this fund was The Provident Fund, however in
1982 the name of the fund was changed to the Elders IXL
Superannuation Fund. This fund was more recently known as the
AusBev Superannuation Fund.

Since 20 January 2014 the Trust Estate of this occupational pension
scheme has been under the control of subsidiary companies of the
National Australia Bank (NAB).

The death benefit for widows is not being paid by the National
Australia Bank.

The Defined Benefit pension scheme was closed to new members on the
30 November 1997, so there will be still widows alive until 2060 to
2070 who have a prima facie right to receive a survivorship pension
pursuant to the provisions of Regulation 30A.

Given the important of Regulation 30A, I am now seeking
confirmation that the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
has possession of a copy of the Deed of Variation dated 20 November
1974 which recites the original Trust Deed dated 23 December 1913.

If the Commission has possession of this document of evidence then
this document will be available to be submitted by the ACIC to a
Royal Commission into the banks, along with additional evidence
ether lodged with the ACIC or obtained by the ACIC.

The document I seek is a copy of the Deed of Variation dated 20
November 1974 that amends the provisions of an occupational pension
scheme established by a Trust Deed dated 23 December 1913 to add
Regulation 30A and where the original sponsoring employer was a
company called Elder Smith & Co Ltd.

The Deed of Variation dated 20 November 1974 was executed by a
majority of the Directors of Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort Ltd.

The search period is from 1 July 2016 to 1 August 2016

Yours faithfully,

Phillip Sweeney

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #2124 email]

Is [ACC request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Australian Crime Commission? If so, please
contact us using this form:
http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=1460&am...

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know.
This message and any reply that you make will be published on the
internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found
at:
http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=1460&am...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your
web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.


-------------------------------------------------------------------

######################################################################
Warning

This email message and any attached files may contain information
that is confidential and subject of legal privilege intended only
for use by the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If
you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient be advised that
you have received this message in error and that any use, copying,
circulation, forwarding, printing or publication of this message or
attached files is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the
information contained therein. If you have received this message in
error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your
Inbox.

ACIC Web Site: www.acic.gov.au
######################################################################

hide quoted sections

foi, Australian Crime Commission

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Sweeney,

Please see the attached correspondence in relation to your request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Kind regards,

Shelby Simadas
FOI Coordinator
Legal Services
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
P: 02 6243 6871
E: [email address]

-----Original Message-----
From: Phillip Sweeney [mailto:[FOI #2124 email]]
Sent: Saturday, 13 August 2016 5:26 PM
To: foi
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Death Benefit Policy for Widows

Dear Australian Crime Commission,

The Chairman of ASIC is a member of the Board of the Australian
Criminal Intelligence Commission (formerly the Australian Crime
Commission).

ASIC has been given a directive by the Minister responsible for
ASIC to investigate the non-payment or delayed payment of life
insurance products in response to the CommInsure scandal reported
by Fairfax Media.

This is what the Minister Responsible for ASIC, the Hon Kelly
O'Dwyer MP, said to Michael Brissenden of the ABC on 8 March 2016:

"We're getting ASIC to do an investigation as to whether those
practices that have been raised in relation to CommInsure are more
widespread; whether there is a broader systemic issue within the
industry"

Life insurance products can be obtained either via a life insurance
company or via a superannuation fund.

ASIC has been provided with a document that might be described as a
"group death benefit policy" document dated 20 November 1974 that
added Regulation 30A to the provisions of an occupational pension
scheme established by a Trust Deed executed on the 23 December 1913
in the State of South Australia.

Regulation 30A provides a death benefit to widows in the form of a
survivorship pension following the death of their late husband.

It is important to note that a copy of this document that forms
part of the governing rules of the 1913 Fund was not lodged with
the Regulator APRA as required by Section 29L of the Superannuation
Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. The earliest Deed lodged with APRA
was dated 26 August 1986.

The document dated 26 August 1986 bears the signature of a company
Director who had pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to act
honestly as an officer of the sponsoring employer between April
1986, and June 1990 before Justice Coldrey in the Supreme Court of
Victoria.

In 1974 the name of this fund was The Provident Fund, however in
1982 the name of the fund was changed to the Elders IXL
Superannuation Fund. This fund was more recently known as the
AusBev Superannuation Fund.

Since 20 January 2014 the Trust Estate of this occupational pension
scheme has been under the control of subsidiary companies of the
National Australia Bank (NAB).

The death benefit for widows is not being paid by the National
Australia Bank.

The Defined Benefit pension scheme was closed to new members on the
30 November 1997, so there will be still widows alive until 2060 to
2070 who have a prima facie right to receive a survivorship pension
pursuant to the provisions of Regulation 30A.

Given the important of Regulation 30A, I am now seeking
confirmation that the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
has possession of a copy of the Deed of Variation dated 20 November
1974 which recites the original Trust Deed dated 23 December 1913.

If the Commission has possession of this document of evidence then
this document will be available to be submitted by the ACIC to a
Royal Commission into the banks, along with additional evidence
ether lodged with the ACIC or obtained by the ACIC.

The document I seek is a copy of the Deed of Variation dated 20
November 1974 that amends the provisions of an occupational pension
scheme established by a Trust Deed dated 23 December 1913 to add
Regulation 30A and where the original sponsoring employer was a
company called Elder Smith & Co Ltd.

The Deed of Variation dated 20 November 1974 was executed by a
majority of the Directors of Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort Ltd.

The search period is from 1 July 2016 to 1 August 2016

Yours faithfully,

Phillip Sweeney

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #2124 email]

Is [ACC request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to Australian Crime Commission? If so, please
contact us using this form:
http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=1460&am...

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know.
This message and any reply that you make will be published on the
internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found
at:
http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=1460&am...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your
web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.


-------------------------------------------------------------------

######################################################################
Warning

This email message and any attached files may contain information
that is confidential and subject of legal privilege intended only
for use by the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If
you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient be advised that
you have received this message in error and that any use, copying,
circulation, forwarding, printing or publication of this message or
attached files is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the
information contained therein. If you have received this message in
error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your
Inbox.

ACIC Web Site: www.acic.gov.au
######################################################################

hide quoted sections