FAQs

When you’re working out how much super you might need when you retire, you might want to think about:

• How your lifestyle and annual expenses will change
• Other income you may receive
• Your partner's income
• The age you will retire
• How long you want your money to last

Try our online tool to help estimate how...

If you were initially employed on a casual basis, and you are later made permanent or employed on a contract (not as a casual) with the same employer, we may provide you with insurance cover, subject to certain eligibility rules from a date determined by GESB and the Insurer. If...

Yes, our Sustainable Balanced investment plan has been available for GESB Super, West State Super and Retirement Income Allocated Pension members since 27 September 2023.

At GESB, we believe it’s important to consider and manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk across all investments. For this reason, we integrate ESG into...

Death cover provides a one-off lump-sum payment in the event of your death (and includes a terminal illness benefit¹).

TPD cover provides a one-off lump-sum payment if you are totally and permanently disabled and can’t work because of that condition.

1 Death cover also entitles you to claim for a terminal...

If you voluntarily withdraw your Gold State Super membership, you cannot re-join the scheme, as it was closed to new members on 29 December 1995.

However, you may apply to continue your Gold State Super membership in either of the following circumstances:

• Your membership ended because you stopped working in the WA...

If you work in the Australian Defence Forces, being on military leave for Reserve or Active service can have an impact on your super.

The impact can depend on a number of factors including the type of leave and the type of super account you have with us. The following conditions...

We believe effective stewardship can play a role in improving investee companies’ ESG practices as well as enhancing the long-term risk-adjusted returns of investments. Voting and engagement are important avenues to influence companies in which we invest.

Engagement seeks to have a positive influence on outcomes, rather than merely avoiding investments...

You can add to your super when you can afford to commit to a regular contribution, or whenever you have a one-off lump sum that you'd like to put into super. It’s worth knowing:

• The earlier you start contributing, the more chance your super has to grow
• There are no extra fees...

A fossil fuel exclusion is applied to the Sustainable Balanced plan, with varying definitions and revenue thresholds adopted across asset classes.

For example, within the Australian Shares asset class for the Sustainable Balanced plan, the portfolio does not invest in companies which directly extract or explore fossil fuels (i.e, coal, oil...

There are a few ways to make an after-tax personal contribution to your super. For step-by-step instructions select your preferred option below:

• Pay through your employer’s payroll department
• Use...

Our Retirement Income Pension can be taken as either:

• An RI Allocated Pension - a standard allocated pension product
• A Transition to Retirement Pension - a transition to retirement income stream that allows you to access your super as an income stream while you’re still working

Here’s a summary of the...

GESB incorporates ESG considerations throughout the investment process, starting with setting the investment strategy through to engaging with investee companies and proxy voting.

For the Sustainable Balanced plan, Pendal is the investment manager. Pendal’s integration of ESG considerations is an extension of our approach to responsible investing. When determining the...

Once you reach your Commonwealth preservation age, you can use your super money to start a transition to retirement strategy.

Your...

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 make member contributions into your Gold State Super using 3%, 4%, 5%,...

Once you have met a condition of release (either permanently retiring or reaching age 65), your maximum pension amount restriction is lifted and you can:

• Continue to receive the income stream
• Withdraw a lump sum
• Roll it back into super

Important note: you need to provide written...

Making an after-tax contribution to your super could help you:

• Increase your super balance - rather than relying on the amount your employer contributes, adding to your balance can lead to more money in your super when you retire, depending on market changes, which can impact your balance before and at...

If you’re like most GESB Super and West State Super members, your Death cover, Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) cover and Salary Continuance Insurance (SCI) cover will be provided as:

• Basic cover - which is the standard level of cover provided to eligible members. The amount of cover is explained below.
• Voluntary...

Each of our schemes has its own Australian Business Number (ABN). While you may not need this number most of the time, when you access your super information through the myGov website, your super will be listed with the relevant ABN and scheme...

Here are some reasons you might decide to salary sacrifice:

• You’ll pay less income tax
Your taxable income is reduced by the amount you salary sacrifice, which means you could pay less income tax.
• There could be other tax benefits
Super is generally taxed¹ at what’s known as a concessional rate...

Yes – we exclude direct investments in tobacco companies, controversial weapons and nuclear weapons (including shares and bonds). For further details, see our ESG and Responsible Investment Policy.

GESB will generally only consider excluding a particular company or industry where it is unlikely to impede the long-term risk and return...

If you've worked for a number of different employers, you might have a number of super accounts. Combining your super funds into your GESB Super or West State Super account means:

• You can stop paying fees for all of your other accounts and could save money with our fees being below...

In most cases, you can open an RI Allocated Pension account if:

• You are eligible for an immediate payment of a benefit from your super. You can generally access your super if you meet a condition of release - e.g. you are retiring permanently and have reached your Commonwealth preservation age¹
• You...

If you have other super accounts, it could be worth rolling these into your GESB account before investing in our Retirement Income Pension (including RI Allocated Pension and Transition to Retirement Pension). You could save on fees and simplify your finances.

To combine super from other funds into your GESB Super...

If you’re a GESB Super or West State Super member, the cost of Death and TPD insurance cover depends on your age, if you're male or female, occupation category, type and amount of cover. If you need to be assessed by our Insurer, the Insurer may also consider other factors.

Occupations...

We believe that taking ESG risks into account during the investment process can improve returns and reduce risk for our members over the long term. Here’s how we do this:

• Investment strategyWe carry out annual scenario analysis to help understand and assess the potential impact that adverse climate change scenarios could...

You might have lost track of some of your super if you've ever changed your name, address or job. After some time, if any of your super accounts have not received contributions, then your super could be held by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on your behalf.

Here we’ll look at...

If you work in the Australian Defence Forces, being on military leave for Reserve or Active service can have an impact on your super.

The impact can depend on a number of factors including the type of leave and the type of super account you have with us. The following conditions...

First, you need to make an after-tax personal contribution to your super before the end of the financial year.

Each year, we report members' contributions to the Australian Tax Office within 10 business days of the event or allocation to your account. The ATO uses this information, together with your tax...

There are several differences between the Sustainable Balanced plan and GESB’s balanced options, namely My West State Super and GESB Super Balanced plans.

The Sustainable Balanced plan has a higher risk level than our balanced plans, with a more growth-orientated mix of investments. However, it remains within the SuperRatings defined range...

If you entered Australia on an eligible temporary work visa that has ceased to be in effect (for example, it has expired or been cancelled and you’re leaving permanently), you could access your super benefits. This payment is known as a departing...