Super payments more than double in big win for Aussie workers

The number of super payments going into the accounts of Aussie workers has more than doubled since the Payday Super rule started on July 1.

Vismaya V
Oct 12, 2026

Employees of some of the smallest businesses in Australia - including hairdressers, builders and cafes - are benefiting the most. EPA/Piroschka van de Wouw

Monthly super contributions for Aussie workers have more than doubled since the Payday Super rule started on July 1.
Before the rule, around 7 million workers were paid super quarterly – now they get it paid with their wages.
Workers can now spot missing super within weeks rather than months, after unpaid super left Australians nearly $6.2 billion short in 2022-23.

Aussie workers have seen the number of super contributions going into their accounts more than double following a new rule that forced employers to pay super at the same time as wages, rather than quarterly.

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) said in a research paper released Monday that around 7 million workers have moved from quarterly to mainly weekly or fortnightly payments since the rules took effect on 1 July.

Since that rule took effect, the number of super payments has jumped from around 25 million a month to 54 million a month.

ASFA CEO Mary Delahunty said the huge jump in payments showed that rules are working – and employees at some of Australia’s smallest businesses will benefit the most.

“Payday Super was designed to make sure super is paid at the same time as wages. Two months in, the data shows that is happening for millions of workers,” she said.

“When super is paid sooner, it is invested sooner and earns returns for longer. A 25-year-old on average wages will have around $5,000 more in retirement just from more frequent payments.

“It has also made it less likely that workers will miss out on being paid the super they are entitled to.”

cash — Under the new rule, employers must pay super when they pay wages – not quarterly.

A 2022 employer survey quoted in the research found that 49 per cent of businesses with one to four staff paid super quarterly, compared to 13 per cent of those with 200 or more employees, though ASFA notes habits may have changed since.

These businesses included cafes and restaurants, building and construction, road transport, hairdressing and cleaning, all sectors that are dominated by small operators.

Delahunty said that under the old system, “workers often noticed missing super four to six months after they earned it. By then the business may have gone into liquidation, and the super may never be recovered”.

Employers now have seven business days after payday to deposit contributions, but the paper warns that “sham contracting, cash economy and employer insolvencies” can still leave some super unpaid.

Delahunty urged workers to “check that your super is actually being paid into your account, and not just being listed on your payslip”.

Topics: Employees, superannuation, Work