Around $1 billion of unclaimed superannuation will have been received by Australians by the end of the year, according to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA).
ASFA said it estimated that 700,000 Australians stood to receive a payment as a result of the latest round of consolidation of lost and small inactive super account balances.
ASFA deputy chief executive, Glen McCrea, said: “The amount of money to be transferred back into people’s super accounts will vary from small amounts up to thousands of dollars. We estimate that the average amount will be around $1,600.
“Last year the Australian Taxation Office [ATO] transferred a number of large unclaimed super payments, including $600,000 to a woman aged over 65 who had recently lost her house in a fire, and to a retired man who received a payment of $120,000.”
The association said inactive super accounts with less than $6,000 would see that balance automatically transferred into the member’s current active super account.
If the balance was less than $200 it would be sent to their bank account, and if the person was aged over 65 and the ATO had correct details the cash would be sent to their bank account regardless of the amount.
Australia’s largest super funds have deepened private markets exposure, scaled internal investment capability, and balanced liquidity as competition and consolidation intensify.
The ATO has revealed nearly $19 billion in lost and unclaimed super, urging over 7 million Australians to reclaim their savings.
The industry super fund has launched a new digital experience designed to make retirement preparation simpler and more personalised for its members.
A hold in the cash rate during the upcoming November monetary policy meeting appears to now be a certainty off the back of skyrocketing inflation during the September quarter.