$21 billion in lost super: find yours, fund your future 

THE AUSTRALIAN Taxation Office (ATO) is urging the community to check for any super they may have lost track of, with new data showing over $21 billion is waiting to be claimed.

ATO Deputy Commissioner Ben Kelly said checking for lost super could be the most rewarding five minutes of your life.

“You always want to know where your wallet is. Lost super is much the same. It’s your hard-earned money, and a quick search can reconnect you with that money to make sure you are maximising your retirement savings.”

Super can become lost for a variety of reasons, mostly when an account is inactive due to no contributions, and your contact details are not up to date. When a super fund is unable to contact an individual to reunite them with their super, it may be transferred to the ATO to hold and attempt to reunite.

“We know life gets busy. If you change jobs, move house or switch phone numbers, this can leave super sitting in old or inactive accounts, or result in your super being transferred to the ATO,” Mr Kelly said.

“By updating your contact details with your super fund and the ATO, or letting us know your nominated super account, you may be reunited with money you had long forgotten about.

“Many individuals did not realise their super was lost. For all individuals, but especially at or approaching retirement age, every dollar counts. We are focused on reuniting people with what’s rightfully theirs to help bolster their nest egg and make the most out of retirement.”

Last year, the ATO returned more than $1.1 billion in unclaimed super through consolidations to super accounts and direct payments to eligible individuals.

This included the ATO visiting remote communities, where they contacted a number of individuals aged 56 years and over with significant amounts of lost super, as part of a targeted campaign.

Life-changing amounts were reclaimed  
In one case, the ATO reconnected a married couple approaching retirement with their super accounts valued at over $1 million – this significantly changed their retirement planning.

“The average amount in lost super is around $41,000,” Mr Kelly said.

“Depending on your age, this could grow to hundreds of thousands of dollars if you put it to work for your retirement where you want it.

“Think of lost super as lost opportunities – finding it now could help maximise your savings in retirement.”

As at June 30 of this year, some four million people held two or more super accounts.

“Holding multiple accounts might not sound like a problem, but it could mean you’re paying multiple sets of fees and insurance premiums, which can draw down your retirement savings over time,” Mr Kelly said.

“If you’re logging on to the ATO Online via myGov to lodge your tax return, it is the perfect time for a quick super health check to help you find lost super.”

Visit the ATO website at https://www.ato.gov.au and enter ‘lost super’ in the search tab.