Super
05 May, 2023

Super payments set to align with pay day

After listening to a broad group of stakeholders including unions, employer groups and consumer bodies, the federal government has mandated that employers must now make super payments to their employees at the same time they pay their wages.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said that millions of workers would benefit in retirement from the new rule.

‘This simple change will strengthen Australia’s superannuation system and help deliver a more dignified retirement to more workers’, they said in a joint statement.

By switching to payday super, a 25-year-old median income earner currently receiving their super quarterly and wages fortnightly could be around $6,000 or 1.5% better off at retirement.

Industry Super Australia said that the 4.2 million Australians who are paid super quarterly will now get thousands more at retirement due to more frequent payments earning compound interest for longer.

The change will particularly benefit those in lower paid, casual and insecure work who are more likely to miss out when super is paid less frequently. Women are overrepresented in this group.

Industry Super Australia Chief Executive Bernie Dean said, ‘This is a big win for three million mostly young and lower paid Australians unfairly deprived the super they’ve earned and will give them a better shot at building a good nest egg for retirement.’

More frequent super payments will also make employers’ payroll management system smoother with fewer liabilities building up on their books.

The change is hoped to start from 1 July 2026.

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