Australian Superannuation: Your Questions Answered

Superannuation guarantee – or pension, as it is called in some countries – is currently paid at 9.5% on top of your hourly rate or fixed salary into your superannuation fund account. These funds accumulate from the day you start working in Australia and can only be accessed when you either retire or leave Australia permanently.

Why didn't I get paid superannuation on this payslip?

There is an requirement to fulfil before you earn superannuation. You must earn $450 or more per calendar month to earn superannuation, and, if you don't, an employer is not required to make superannuation payments on your behalf.

I'm earning over $450 per month and still haven't been paid super. Why?

Employers are required to pay the superannuation guarantee levy amount to the super funds on a quarterly basis, by the 28th of the months of January, April, July and October for the previous three months.

What if I don't have a super fund account set up?

If you do not have a super fund account, don't worry, because each employer has an arrangement with their industry super fund to set up a new superannuation member account for you. All employers are required to give you a Superannuation Choice Form (although some large employers would only pay into their own preferred industry fund), and if you are already a member of a super fund, then you can fill in those details. If not, then you select to choose the default super fund provided by your employer.

What do I do about super if I start working for a new employer?

When an employer makes the superannuation payment for a new employee for the first time, the fund would create an account and send you a welcome pack in the mail to your residential address. So, the next time you start working with another employer, you can just grab that welcome pack and fill out the Super Choice Form that you are given. These days, most super funds have provided online access to their members, so you can keep track of which employer(s) has made the super guarantee payment on your behalf.