How it works

Each year the government tops up thousands of super accounts through the co-contribution scheme.

If you earn less than $60,400 in the current financial year and make one or more post-tax contributions to your super, you may be entitled to receive a co-contribution of up to $500 from the government. Eligible members earning $45,400 or less per financial year will receive a maximum entitlement of $500 applied to your account. For those on incomes over $45,400 per financial year the benefit works on a sliding scale, phasing out at an income of $60,400.

Am I eligible?

You can get an estimate of your potential eligibility for the government co-contribution by using our calculator.

See how much you could get

You may be eligible for a co-contribution provided you:

• make personal contributions to your super from your post-tax income
• earn a total income of less than $60,400 in this financial year (total income is assessable income plus reportable fringe benefits and reportable employer superannuation contributions)
• lodge an income tax return for the financial year
• don’t hold an eligible temporary resident visa at any time during the financial year
• are less than 71 years old at the end of the financial year in which the contribution was made
• are employed full-time, part-time or casually
• earn at least 10% or more of your total income for the financial year from eligible employment
• haven't made non-concessional (after-tax) contributions that exceed the cap for that financial year
• don't have a total superannuation balance, at 30 June of the previous financial year, equal to or exceeding $1,900,000.
• don't claim a tax deduction for your contribution as it will then no longer eligible for a government co- contribution.

If you're starting your career break or only worked part of the year on reduced hours, you may be eligible for the government’s co-contribution. So if your salary has reduced, now's a great time to take advantage of topping up your super with a co-contribution. 

It's easy to make a contribution

There are two ways to make a contribution: