Report – A fair retirement: Removing barriers in super for First Nations peoples

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people rightly expect a super system grounded in cultural safety— one that actively respects, honours, and safeguards every person’s economic wellbeing.

Yet the super system in Australia was not designed with the unique experiences and needs of many First Nations people front of mind. Originally envisaged around the needs of white, male, full-time workers, super data from across the country still reveals an ongoing financial toll of historical employment discrimination, and socio-economic barriers still faced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. Across the super system, rigid identity verification requirements, challenges in accessing customer services, and gaps in cultural safety can make it harder for First Nations peoples to truly experience the full benefits of super in its purpose to deliver a transformative uplift in retirement incomes to millions of everyday Australians who would otherwise have to survive on a very modest income from the Age Pension alone.

Across the continent, First Nations people today still earn up to 30% less than non-Indigenous people and experience higher rates of insecure work and lower rates of full-time work. This leads to lower super contributions and having less money in super over the course of people’s working lives.