You must generally contribute 6% of your super salary (after-tax) into Division D – these are your basic (compulsory) contributions.

The retirement benefit in Division D is generally an indexed lifetime pension, calculated based on your age, super salary near retirement and number of years of service.

Instead of the pension, you can choose to take your benefit as a lump sum or as a combination of pension and lump sum.

Benefits are payable upon retirement from age 55.

If your retirement benefit has become payable because you have left employment with the Group after reaching age 55 and you choose a pension, you can begin receiving pension payments immediately, even if you have not reached your preservation age.

Read more about retirement benefit options.

Resignation, retrenchment or super choice before age 55

If you resign, are retrenched or exercise Choice of Fund before age 55, you will be entitled to a withdrawal lump sum, calculated based on your contributions.

Instead of the withdrawal lump sum, you can choose a Pro Rata Age 60 Retirement Benefit, which is a lump sum calculated as a proportion of the retirement benefit you’d have received if you had worked to age 60.

You can generally leave some or all of your benefit in Division D.

Read more about benefit options payable upon resignation, retrenchment or super choice.

Disability before age 60

If you make a claim for disability that occurs before age 60 and that claim is accepted, you will receive an indexed pension, calculated as if you had continued working until age 60. A child allowance may also be payable where relevant.

Read more about benefit options payable upon disability.

Death

If you have a spouse, they will receive a reversionary lifetime pension upon your death. Instead of the pension, your spouse can choose to receive a lump sum or a combination of pension and lump sum. 

A child allowance may also be payable where relevant. 

If you do not have an eligible spouse or dependent children, your total contributions adjusted for earnings, plus the Superannuation Guarantee Benefit, less any Surcharge Account balance, are payable as a lump sum to your legal personal representative, i.e. the executor or administrator of your estate. 

Read more about benefit options payable upon death.

Leave without pay (LWOP)

Generally, your contributions will automatically cease after you begin LWOP. Your LWOP will not count as service or fund membership for benefit calculation purposes and you will not accrue any new benefits.

When you return from LWOP, your contributions will recommence at the rate that applied before your LWOP and your benefits will begin accruing as normal. Benefits in the event of retirement, death or disablement will be lower if contributions cease.

Instead of ceasing contributions entirely, you can notify us in writing of your choice to either:

• Contribute at a reduced rate only to ensure that you continue to be entitled to receive death and disability benefits, although these benefits would remain lower than normal as you’ll have no benefit accrual during LWOP, or
• Continue all personal contributions, generally at a higher rate than usual, in which case your LWOP is counted as fund membership and all benefits continue to accrue as normal.

For more information, please refer to the Leave without pay: Division D fact sheet.

Working part-time

The final average salary (FAS) used to calculate your benefit is the full-time equivalent of your part-time salary, so FAS does not ordinarily depend on the hours you work. The period of service used in your benefit calculation will include an adjustment reflecting your part-time period, which will reduce your benefit growth.

Benefits in the case of resignation or retrenchment will generally be lower, based on either a reduced period of service reflecting your part-time period or a lower contribution value.

Changing your working hours does not have any immediate effect on your benefit accrual up to the time of the change, but will affect the rate at which you accrue new benefits, including benefits in the event of death or disablement, going forward.

For more information, please refer to the Working part-time: Division D fact sheet. 

The rules for Division D determine who can receive a benefit in the event of your death – you cannot nominate a beneficiary for this division. Read more about these rules in your Member Booklet.

You cannot contribute to your deferred/post-employment benefits in Division D.

The benefit upon withdrawal, permanent incapacity or death is generally a lump sum equal to the benefit you deferred in Division D, adjusted for returns or indexation depending on the lump sum option you chose, until the date of payment.

You can withdraw your benefit at any time. Note: if you have a pro-rata benefit, you must withdraw it from Division D when you turn 60.

Read more about deferred/post-employment benefit options.

The rules for Division D determine who can receive a benefit in the event of your death – you cannot nominate a beneficiary for this division. Read more about these rules in your Member Booklet.