"There was a lot of tears and frustration, just based on the length of time."
"But the process should just be quicker, especially in relation to death, when you're already dealing with so much else that it just should be seamless,"Ms Clark said.
"Many of the complaints we read were distressing,"she noted.
"Claimants may incur debt at high interest rates. They may forgo medical treatments or even meals. Financial hardship is also a strong predictor of poor mental health."
"Trustees should not continue to deduct insurance premiums or financial advice fees while processing a death benefit claim,"ASIC said.
"Other trustees should take similar steps to identify issues and improve their practices to deliver the services that members and their beneficiaries expect from superannuation funds,"ASIC said.