Reconciliation

Our work with Indigenous Australians

We work towards reconciliation in Australia because we want all of our members across the country to enjoy financial stability now and in their retirement.

Our conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and further analysis have led us to focus on the following key areas where we believe we can make a difference:

• Improving financial literacy (education about super and finances)
• Promoting awareness of Australia’s Indigenous people and culture
• Increasing access to superannuation services and benefits.

Barriers to accessing super in remote communities

• Many Indigenous communities are several hours’ drive from Australia’s major towns and cities, which makes it hard to access a Justice of the Peace (JP) or get a medical certificate or death certificate.
• Formal ID documents that the superannuation industry uses and expects are not common in remote communities.
• Community members can have kinship and family relationships that extend beyond the definition of eligible superannuation dependants.
• Multiple accounts can be created due to names being spelled different ways and dates of birth being recorded differently.
• Making a claim for a total and permanent disability super or insurance benefit can be difficult if there's no regular access to a doctor.
• For people without access to a computer, mobile phone, or the internet, it's difficult to use Member Online or complete required forms/paperwork.
• Indigenous people may have English as a second or even third language, which can create a language barrier.