What are member contributions?

If you have a Gold State Super account, you need to make regular contributions to the scheme from your pay. These are known as compulsory member contributions.

You can contribute 3, 4 or 5% of your pay

You can make member contributions into your Gold State Super using 3%, 4%, 5%, 6% or 7% of your wage or salary.

How much you can contribute depends on your Average Contribution Rate

Your Average Contribution Rate, which is the average percentage of your salary you contribute to your Gold State Super account, can’t be more than 5%.

For example, if you have been contributing at 5% since you first joined Gold State Super, your Average Contribution Rate will be 5% and you can’t contribute any more than that.

You can only contribute more than 5% to top up your super from a time when you were contributing at a lower rate of 3% or 4%.

Find out if you can increase your contribution rate

You may be able to increase your contribution rate above 5% if one of these applies:

  • You are a Police Officer, a Magistrate or an Industrial Commissioner (as defined in the State Superannuation Regulations 2001) (see ‘Special arrangements’ on page 12 of the Gold State Super essentials brochure)
  • Your Average Contribution Rate has been reduced by a period of contributing at 3% or 4%
  • You have taken periods of Recognised Unpaid Leave and you chose not to make any contributions

In these last two circumstances, you might be able to increase the contribution rate up to 6% or 7%, but only for the period of time needed to bring your Average Contribution Rate back up to 5%.

Taking unpaid leave

Page last updated 23 March 2020