From 1 July 2026, super will start being paid at the same time as wages, not quarterly.
This reform – known as payday super – is one of the most important improvements to Australia’s super system in decades. It’s designed to make sure workers are paid the super they have earned, on time and in full.
For most people, nothing about their job or pay will change day to day. What will change is when super moves from an employer to a worker’s super account – and that timing matters.
The problem payday super is fixing
Unpaid super has been a quiet but enormous problem for years.
Analysis by the Super Members Council shows Australians missed out on $24.4 billion in super over the five years from 2018 to 2023. That’s money people earned through their work but never received.
Around one in four workers is affected each year. Women, younger workers and people on lower incomes are hit the hardest. Even small underpayments can have big, long‑term consequences – missing just $1,700 in super in a single year can mean more than $30,000 less at retirement, because that money never gets the chance to grow.
How paying super on payday helps
At the moment, super is usually paid quarterly. This separation from wages creates problems.
When super is paid months after wages, it can get treated as less urgent and sometimes that means it gets used to manage cash‑flow, sometimes delayed unintentionally, sometimes not paid at all.
Payday super fixes this by linking super payments directly to wage payments.
Paying wages and super together means:
- super is managed at the same time, and with the same importance, as pay
- underpayments are easier to spot and fix
- unpaid super is much harder to hide
- super starts earning investment returns sooner.
It’s a simple change, but a powerful one.
Why super matters so much
Australia’s super system is one of our greatest social and economic achievements.
Not long ago, most people retired with little more than the Age Pension. Today, many Australians retire with more than $200,000 in super, and over the next 30 years average balances are expected to grow towards $500,000.
That’s life‑changing money. It gives people more dignity, security and choice in retirement.
As super balances grow, reliance on the Age Pension falls. That means future governments can direct more public funding to other priorities like health care, education and infrastructure, instead of relying so heavily on Age Pension spending.
Payday super helps protect and strengthen this system by making sure money meant for retirement actually reaches workers’ accounts.
What’s changing from 1 July 2026
Two key changes matter for workers:
1. Super must be paid within seven days of wages. From 1 July 2026, employers will generally need to pay super no later than seven days after wages are paid.
2. What counts towards super is being updated. The definition of earnings used to calculate super – known as “qualifying earnings”, is being clarified to reduce confusion and underpayment. Details are available on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website.
What workers should do
From 1 July 2026, it’s a good habit to check your super. You will want to make sure everything is working as it should.
Check your super account
» Look to see whether super is being paid within seven days of your wages
» Check that the amount looks right for your pay
Check what should be included
» Visit the ATO website to understand what earnings should be included in super calculations
If something doesn’t look right
» First, speak to your employer
» If the issue isn’t resolved, contact your super fund
» If it’s still not fixed, report it to the ATO
This order helps give issues the best chance of being resolved quickly and correctly.
A fairer system for the future
Payday super is about fairness, transparency and making sure super works the way it was always intended.
For workers, it means getting paid what you’re owed, when you earn it – and giving your retirement savings the best chance to grow.
Want information about payday super for employers? Read more here.
