| Campaign Update: We did it! After 13 years, the Low Income Super Tax Offset (LISTO) is being updated. Following advocacy from the Super Members Council and members, the Federal Government has agreed to unfreeze LISTO — a change that will make super fairer for 1.3 million low-paid workers. Find out more about the changes below. |
For 13 years, part of our super system was frozen – and more than a million low-paid workers were missing out.
Now, that’s changing.
The Government has agreed to unfreeze the Low Income Super Tax Offset (LISTO) — a super fairness fix that will deliver a much-needed boost to 1.3 million low-paid workers, most of them wome
For 13 years, part of our super system was frozen – and more than a million low-paid workers were missing out.
From 2027, anyone earning $45,000 or less will receive a bigger super top-up, helping to close the gender super gap and strengthen retirement savings for the people who need it most.
It’s a simple fix we’ve been calling for – and now it’s happening.
What is the LISTO?
Super was built on a core promise: that contributions would be taxed at a lower rate than income, to reward saving until retirement.
But people on low incomes don’t get this benefit. LISTO was designed to fix that — a tax refund paid back into low-paid workers’ super accounts to help level the playing field.
Why LISTO needed fixing:
LISTO hadn’t been updated for 13 years, while everything else has gone up. It meant that each year, fewer workers are eligible for the top-up.
A million workers missing out: Because LISTO’s threshold and rate has been frozen, 1.3 million workers were missing out – more than half women.
Workers losing $60,000: Some workers in a low-paid job until retirement could be short-changed by up to $60,000.
It makes the gender super gap worse: Because most workers missing out are women, freezing the LISTO made the gender super gap worse.
What’s changing?
After being frozen for 13 years, LISTO will be unfrozen and updated.
- Eligibility lifted to $45,000 (up from $37,000)
- Bigger top-up amount from $500 to $810.
These changes will start in 2027, and boost the retirement savings of 1.3 million low-paid workers.
What happens now?
While the Government has agreed to these changes, Parliament still needs to vote for them.
Get in touch with your local MP and encourage them to support the changes to LISTO to give low-paid workers a super top-up