Grow your super

Government super co-contributions

The government’s co-contribution scheme is a great way to give your super a boost. If you’re a low or middle income earner and make personal (after-tax) contributions  to your super fund, the government will also make a contribution to your super up to a maximum amount ($500 in 2023-24). This is called a co-contribution.

Am I eligible?

You are eligible for the government super co-contribution if all of the below apply to you.

• You made one or more eligible personal super contributions to your super account during the financial year
• Your total income for the financial year is less than the higher income threshold (this is $58,445 in 2023-24)
• Ten per cent or more of your total income comes from eligible employment-related activities or a business, or a combination of both
• You were under 71 years old at the end of the financial year
• You did not have a temporary visa at any time during the financial year (unless you are a New Zealand citizen or it was a prescribed visa)
• You lodged your tax return for the relevant financial year
• You have not exceeded your non-concessional contributions cap for the year (for more information, see our Contribution caps page and super tax concessions factsheet).
• For personal super contributions made in 2023-24, your total superannuation balance was less than $1.7 million on 30 June 2023

For more information, see the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO’s) eligibility for the super co-contribution page.

If you're eligible for the co-contribution, try and boost your super as much as you can each year by taking advantage of the scheme. You can only receive it once a year, but you are able to receive it each financial year, if you earn under the threshold for that year, make a personal after-tax contribution in that year and meet the other eligibility conditions.

How much will I receive from the government?

How much money you receive as a government co-contribution depends on how much you contribute to your super and how much you earn. The way the co-contribution is calculated depends on the financial year that you made your personal super contributions in. The minimum co-contribution payment is $20.

To work out how much you could receive, use the ATO’s super co-contribution calculator.

What do I need to do?

You don't need to apply for the government super co-contribution. If you're eligible and your super fund has your tax file number (TFN), the government will pay it to your fund account automatically.