Underpaid super affects one in four workers, with billions never recovered
One in four Australian workers have been underpaid their super — many, along with industry experts, are calling on the tax office to be more "proactive" in addressing the billions that goes unrecovered each year.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) faces criticism for its handling of unpaid superannuation claims, with data revealing that one in four workers are underpaid. Despite this, the ATO recovers only 15 percent of the unpaid super, which totals approximately $6 billion annually. Workers like Pauline Devin and Angela Noack, who were shortchanged by their employers, have waited years for the ATO to recover the unpaid funds and remain frustrated by the lack of progress.
The ATO has stated its commitment to ensuring employer compliance and is utilizing various tools, such as single touch payroll, to proactively identify unpaid super. However, industry experts argue that a more transparent and proactive approach is needed to support workers who are often left in limbo.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
