Retirement rip-off: 1 in 5 Australians have missed out on super contributions they were entitled to
Key takeaways
- 21% of Aussies say they've had an employer not pay their superannuation correctly.
- 1 in 12 claim an employer never paid their super at all.
- Your super deserves the same attention as your bank account.
Millions of Australians have been short-changed on their retirement savings, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,011 respondents revealed 1 in 5 (21%) Aussies say they have had an employer not pay their superannuation correctly.
The research found 7% were paid the wrong amount of super from an employer, while 6% say an employer missed multiple super payments.
Even more concerning, 1 in 12 Australians (8%) say an employer never paid their super.
Another 4% say they had an employer miss a single super payment.
Richard Whitten, money expert at Finder, said unpaid super can quietly erode Australians' retirement savings.
"Super is part of your pay. It isn't a perk or an optional extra.
"When employers fail to pay super correctly, workers are missing out on years of potential investment growth that could make a substantial difference to their retirement savings."
Worryingly, almost 1 in 5 Australians (18%) admit they have never checked whether their employer has paid their super correctly.
Whitten said a big concern is that missing super can go unnoticed for years.
"Your super deserves the same attention as your bank account.
"Aussies should regularly check their payslips and super statements to make sure contributions are being paid correctly. If something doesn't add up, it's important to act quickly and investigate what you may be owed."
Have you ever had an employer not pay your super correctly?
| Yes, they never paid it | 8% |
| Yes, they paid an incorrect amount | 7% |
| Yes, they missed multiple payments | 6% |
| Yes, they missed a payment | 4% |
| I've never checked | 18% |
| No, I've always been paid super correctly | 52% |
| I've never worked/been eligible for super | 9% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,011 Australians, July 2026 |  |
Credits
- PR & Insights research team: Taylor Blackburn, Kate Boddington, Natascha Kwiet-Evans, William Capada
- Survey operation: Qualtrics
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