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Commonwealth act
This is one of Australia's oldest surviving pieces of legislation, and it establishes a retirement savings scheme (superannuation fund) specifically for Commonwealth public servants and employees of certain government bodies who joined the workforce before the scheme was closed to new contributors on 1 July 1976.
1. Sets up the Fund: Establishes the Superannuation Fund into which employees and the Commonwealth both contributed, and out of which pensions are paid.
2. Defines who qualifies: Spells out in detail who counts as an 'employee' eligible for the scheme — including permanent Commonwealth staff, certain contractors who worked full-time for 3+ years, staff of approved authorities (like the ABC and ANU), and some ASIO employees.
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Direct links to the current provisions in Superannuation Act 1922.
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View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
3. Governs contributions: Employees paid into the fund based on their salary in 'units of pension' — a specific measurement used to calculate their eventual retirement payout. The higher your salary, the more units (and therefore larger pension) you earned. Contributions stopped being accepted from new members after 1 July 1976.
4. Calculates benefits: The pension you receive on retirement depends on the number of 'units of pension' you contributed for, your age at retirement, and your salary. Special rules apply for early retirement, invalidity (disability), and death.
5. Protects families: If a contributor or pensioner dies, their spouse and dependent children (up to age 25 if studying full-time) may receive ongoing pension payments.
6. Handles transfers: Contains complex rules for people who moved between State government jobs and Commonwealth jobs, or who came from overseas superannuation schemes, allowing their prior service to count.
7. Review rights: Decisions by CSC can be challenged through a Reconsideration Advisory Committee and then the Administrative Review Tribunal.
Even though no new members have joined since 1976, thousands of Australians are still receiving pensions under this Act today. The Act remains 'in force' because it continues to govern the rights of existing pensioners and their families. It has been amended dozens of times over the decades to keep pace with changes in government structure, other legislation, and social norms.