Super to be paid on payday

Employers will need to pay super on employees’ regular payday, under Australian Government superannuation reforms.

From 1 July 2026, employers will be required to pay their employees’ super at the same time as their salary and wages.¹

Currently, employers need to pay super to eligible employees at least four times a year. Payment due dates occur quarterly.²

The Australian Government announced the payday super reform in May, three years before the change is proposed to start. It said that the move was expected to benefit millions of Australians.

What the reform could mean for employees

For many employees, the reform potentially means receiving super payments more regularly.

The Government said that 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. 1

The Government said payday super would make it easier for all employees to keep track of their super payments to check they were being paid the right amount and on time.

The Government said the change would particularly benefit those in lower paid, casual and insecure work. These are the employees it says are more likely to miss out when super is paid less frequently.

Women are overrepresented in this group.

Women in Australia retire with around 23% less super than men. This is based on super balances for individuals aged 60 to 64 in June 2019. The average balance for males was $359,870 with a median of $178,800. Women had an average super balance of $289,180 with a median balance of $137,050.³

What the reform could mean for employers

The Government said more frequent super payments would make employers’ payroll management smoother with fewer liabilities building up on their books.

The 1 July 2026 start date aimed to provide employers, superannuation funds, payroll providers and other parts of the superannuation system enough time to prepare for the change, it said.

What else is changing

As part of the Government reforms, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) will receive additional resourcing to help it detect unpaid super payments earlier. The Government is also setting enhanced targets for the ATO for the recovery of payments.

The ATO estimates $3.4 billion worth of super went unpaid in 2019–20.

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1. Media Release, 2 May 2023, Australian Government, Treasury, Introducing super payday, at ministers.treasury.gov.au, accessed 2 May 2023.
2. Australian Tax Office, Super payment due dates, at ato.gov.au, accessed 2 May 2023.
3. Media Release, 18 March 2022, Association of Super Funds of Australia, Compulsory superannuation is delivering, but more needs to be done for women and the low paid, at superannuation.asn.au, accessed 13 February 2023.