The ATO holds billions in unclaimed super across millions of accounts. Finding yours takes under 5 minutes through myGov. This guide explains how to search, consolidate, and claim any lost super — including from deceased estate or overseas work.
Lost and unclaimed superannuation accumulates for several reasons:
The result: the ATO estimates over $17 billion in lost and unclaimed super across approximately 6 million accounts. Many Australians have multiple accounts with small balances being eroded by fees that exceed investment returns.
See how annual fees on multiple small accounts can erode your total super balance over time.
Open Superannuation Calculator →Once you've identified all your super accounts, consolidating them into your preferred fund:
Benefits of consolidating:
This is the most important warning about consolidation. Many super accounts — especially older accounts you have forgotten about — hold insurance cover including life insurance, total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance, and income protection. When you close an account by rolling it out, the insurance cover may be cancelled automatically.
When a super fund cannot locate a member for 5 years, it transfers the balance to the ATO. The ATO holds this as "ATO-held super" which accumulates at an earnings rate determined by legislation. To claim it:
The two terms are used interchangeably in conversation and mean different things in practice, which matters because they are recovered differently.
Lost super is money still held by a superannuation fund, where the fund has been unable to contact you, or where the account has become inactive. It is still invested, still incurring fees, and still yours. You recover it by contacting the fund or by consolidating through myGov.
ATO-held super has been transferred out of a fund to the Australian Taxation Office. This commonly happens with small inactive low-balance accounts, unclaimed super for members over a certain age, and super belonging to former temporary residents. Money held by the ATO is not invested in a market fund, though interest may be applied in some circumstances.
The practical implication is that ATO-held super is generally not growing the way a fund balance would. Leaving it there indefinitely is a decision, not a neutral default.
If an old account does not appear, it may have been reported under a former name, a previous address, or without your tax file number. Contact the fund directly with whatever employment details you can recall.
This matters most for the people it is easiest to overlook. If your health has changed since the policy began, if you have taken up a hazardous occupation, or if you now work in a role that a new insurer would rate differently, the cover you hold may be genuinely irreplaceable at any price.
Some older policies also contain terms more generous than those currently offered. Before consolidating, contact each fund and ask what cover exists, what it costs, and whether it can be transferred. Where cover is valuable, keeping the account open and paying the fee may be the correct decision even though it looks inefficient on a balance sheet.
Schemes promoting early access outside those rules are illegal. Promoters commonly charge substantial fees, and participants can face significant tax consequences and penalties, on top of losing the money. The ATO has repeatedly warned about these arrangements.
You do not need to pay anyone to find or consolidate your super. Doing it through myGov is free.
Lost super sits with a fund; ATO-held super has been transferred out and generally is not invested the same way. Both are yours, and both are recoverable free of charge through myGov.
Consolidating usually reduces duplicate fees and duplicate insurance premiums, which is why it is worth doing. It also cancels the insurance attached to any account you close, which is why it must never be done before you check what cover you hold.
This page provides general information only and is not financial advice. Speak with a licensed financial adviser before consolidating if you hold insurance inside superannuation, and report anyone offering illegal early access to the ATO.
How do I find my lost superannuation in Australia?
Log into myGov at my.gov.au and link your ATO account. Go to Super → Search for lost super. The ATO will search its database and display all super accounts held in your name, including any unclaimed super the ATO is holding directly. The search is immediate and free.
How much lost super does the ATO hold?
The ATO estimates it holds over $17 billion in lost and unclaimed superannuation across approximately 6 million accounts (as of 2024-25). Many Australians have multiple small accounts from different jobs that they lost track of when changing employers. The average unclaimed balance has been growing due to investment returns accumulating on forgotten accounts.
How do I consolidate multiple super accounts?
After finding all your accounts through myGov, you can consolidate them directly through ATO online services — no paperwork required. You select which fund to keep as your active fund and the ATO will transfer other balances electronically. Before consolidating, check whether any accounts hold insurance cover (life, TPD, income protection) that may be cancelled when the account closes.
Can I claim super from a deceased family member?
Super is distributed by the super fund according to the member's binding or non-binding death nomination. It is not automatically part of the deceased estate. If a family member had unclaimed super with the ATO, the legal personal representative of the estate can claim it. If no death nomination exists, the trustee decides distribution to eligible dependants or the estate.
Illustrative. The same annual contribution started fifteen years earlier has fifteen extra years of earnings compounding on top of it.