Protecting Your Super – what it means for West State Super

If your client’s West State Super account no longer receives employer contributions, it could be at risk of being closed under the Protecting Your Super (PYS) legislation.

PYS was introduced by the Australian Government to protect members’ super account balances from erosion by excessive fees or unnecessary insurance.

At GESB, we aligned with these changes in June 2025.

Because members generally can’t reopen a West State Super account once it’s closed, it’s important you are aware of how this could impact your clients.

For example, your client might like to keep this account open for the following reasons:

  • They are a contributing Gold State Super member and want to make extra contributions to their West State Super account
  • They work in the private sector, but want to keep their account open in case they return to the WA public sector, so it can receive employer contributions
  • They want to keep the insurance cover they have through their West State Super account

If your client’s West State Super account has not received a relevant contribution or is at risk of being transferred to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), we will notify them by letter, email and/or SMS.

How your clients can keep their West State Super account active

When we notify members that their account has become classified as an inactive low balance account, they can advise us then if they would like to keep their account open.

They can also take any of these actions before the end of the 16-month period of inactivity to stop their account being classified as inactive low balance:

  • Make a contribution or roll money into their account
  • Make changes to their insurance or elect to maintain insurance
  • Make changes to their investment options
  • Set up or change a binding death nomination
  • Advise GESB that their account should not be treated as an inactive low balance account

For more information about PYS, including definitions and criteria, read our Significant Event Notification.

To learn more about the unique features of West State Super for your clients, contact Greg Stewart at greg.stewart@gesb.wa.gov.au.

Page last updated 06 October 2026

Thank you for printing this page. Remember to come back to gesb.wa.gov.au for the latest information as our content is updated regularly. This information is correct as at 06 October 2026.