PART 7
-
PROVISIONS APPLYING ONLY TO REGULATED SUPERANNUATION FUNDS
SECTION 68AAB
BENEFITS PROVIDED BY TAKING OUT INSURANCE
-
LOW-BALANCE ACCOUNTS
68AAB(1)
Each trustee of a regulated superannuation fund must ensure that a benefit is not provided by the fund to, or in respect of, a member of the fund under a choice product or MySuper product held by the member by taking out or maintaining insurance if:
(a)
the member has an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that is less than $6,000; and
(b)
on or after 1 November 2019, the member has not had an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that was equal to or greater than $6,000; and
(c)
the member has not elected under subsection
(2)
that the benefit will be provided to, or in respect of, the member under the product by taking out or maintaining insurance, even if the member has an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that is less than $6,000.
Note:
This section does not apply in relation to regulated superannuation funds with no more than 6 members (see section
68AAD
).
History
S 68AAB(1) amended by No 47 of 2021, s 3 and Sch 1 item 19, by substituting
"
no more than 6 members
"
for
"
fewer than 5 members
"
in the note, effective 1 July 2021.
68AAB(2)
Each trustee of the regulated superannuation fund must ensure that each member of the fund who holds a choice product or MySuper product offered by the fund may elect, in writing, that a benefit specified in the election is to be provided to, or in respect of, the member under the product by taking out or maintaining insurance, even if the member has an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that is less than $6,000.
68AAB(3)
The member is taken to have made an election under subsection
(2)
if the member makes an election under subsection
68AAC(2)
.
68AAB(3A)
A member
'
s election:
(a)
that:
(i)
is given under subsection
(2)
; or
(ii)
because of a previous application of this subsection, is taken to have been given under subsection
(2)
;
to the trustee of a regulated superannuation fund (the
original fund
); and
(b)
that is in force immediately before the transfer of the benefits of the member from the original fund to another regulated superannuation fund (the
successor fund
);
continues in force (and may be dealt with) as if it had been given under subsection
(2)
to the trustee of the successor fund, if:
(c)
the successor fund confers on the member equivalent rights to the rights the member had under the original fund in respect of the benefits; and
(d)
before the transfer, the trustee of the successor fund had agreed with the trustee of the original fund that the successor fund will confer such equivalent rights on the member.
History
S 68AAB(3A) inserted by No 141 of 2020, s 3 and Sch 4 item 71, effective 18 December 2020.
68AAB(3B)
Subsection
(3C)
applies if:
(a)
the benefits of a member of a regulated superannuation fund (the
original fund
) are transferred from the original fund to another regulated superannuation fund (the
successor fund
); and
(b)
the successor fund confers on the member equivalent rights to the rights the member had under the original fund in respect of the benefits.
History
S 68AAB(3B) inserted by No 67 of 2024, s 3 and Sch 5 item 21, effective 10 July 2024. No 67 of 2024, s 3 and Sch 5 item 23 contain the following application provisions:
23 Application of amendments
Application of amendments
(1)
The amendments made by this Division apply in relation to a transfer from a regulated superannuation fund to another regulated superannuation fund that occurs on or after the commencement of this item.
Transitional provision
(2)
For the purposes of paragraph
68AAC(3C)(b)
of the
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
, as inserted by this Division, treat the reference in item 9 of Schedule 1 to the
Treasury Laws Amendment (Putting Members
'
Interests First) Act 2019
to 1 April 2020 as being a reference to the day on which the member began to hold the choice product or MySuper product mentioned in paragraph
68AAC(3C)(a)
, if that day occurred before 1 April 2020.
68AAB(3C)
Subsection
(1)
does not apply in relation to the successor fund providing a benefit to, or in respect of, the member if, immediately before the transfer:
(a)
the original fund provided a benefit to, or in respect of, the member under a choice product or MySuper product held by the member by taking out or maintaining insurance; and
(b)
subsection
(1)
:
(i)
did not apply in relation to the original fund providing that benefit to, or in respect of, the member; but
(ii)
would have applied if paragraphs
(1)(a)
and
(b)
were disregarded.
History
S 68AAB(3C) inserted by No 67 of 2024, s 3 and Sch 5 item 21, effective 10 July 2024. For application provisions, see note under s
68AAB(3B)
.
68AAB(4)
This section does not apply to:
(a)
a defined benefit member; or
(b)
an ADF Super member (within the meaning of the
Australian Defence Force Superannuation Act 2015
) who is:
(i)
a member of the Permanent Forces (within the meaning of that Act); or
(ii)
a continuous full-time Reservist (within the meaning of that Act); or
(c)
a person who would be an ADF Super member covered by paragraph
(b)
of this subsection apart from the fact that the regulated superannuation fund is or was, for the purposes of Part
3A
of the
Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992
, a chosen fund for contributions for the person
'
s superannuation by the Commonwealth; or
(d)
a member to whom the employer-sponsor contribution exception applies (see section
68AAE
); or
(e)
a member to whom the dangerous occupation exception applies (see section
68AAF
).
History
S 68AAB(4) amended by No 45 of 2020, s 3 and Sch 2 items 8 and 9, by substituting para (b) and inserting
"
covered by paragraph (b) of this subsection
"
in para (c), effective 26 May 2020. Para (b) formerly read:
(b)
an ADF Super member (within the meaning of the
Australian Defence Force Superannuation Act 2015
); or
68AAB(5)
Nothing in this section affects a right of a member of a regulated superannuation fund if:
(a)
the right relates to insurance cover; and
(b)
in compliance with this section, an insurance premium in relation to the member for that insurance cover ceases to be paid; and
(c)
the right exists because of insurance premiums paid in relation to the member before insurance premiums cease to be paid as mentioned in paragraph
(b)
.
68AAB(6)
Nothing in this section affects a right of a member of a regulated superannuation fund if:
(a)
the right is a right to insurance cover for a fixed term, subject only to the payment of insurance premiums; and
(b)
that fixed term begins before the time at which a trustee of the fund is required under subsection
(1)
to ensure that a benefit is not provided to, or in respect of, the member under a choice product or MySuper product held by the member by taking out or maintaining insurance.
History
S 68AAB inserted by No 79 of 2019, s 3 and Sch 1 item 1, effective 3 October 2019. No 79 of 2019, s 3 and Sch 1 items 8
-
10 contains the following application provisions:
8 Application of section 68AAB
Application
(1)
Section
68AAB
of the
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
, as inserted by item 1 of this Schedule, applies on and after 1 April 2020 (the
commencement day
).
Notice to members who have a low balance on 1 November 2019
(2)
Each trustee of a regulated superannuation fund that offers a choice product or MySuper product under which a benefit may be provided by taking out or maintaining insurance must ensure that:
(a)
on 1 November 2019, each member of the fund who has an account in relation to one or more of those products with a balance that is less than $6,000 is identified; and
(b)
on or before 1 December 2019, each of the members of the fund identified under paragraph (a) is given notice in writing in accordance with subitem (3).
(3)
The notice must:
(a)
state that, on and after 1 April 2020, a benefit will not be provided to the member under the product by taking out or maintaining insurance if:
(i)
the member has an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that is less than $6,000; and
(ii)
on or after 1 November 2019, the member has not had an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that was equal to or greater than $6,000; and
(iii)
the member has not elected that the benefit will be provided to, or in respect of, the member under the product by taking out or maintaining insurance, even if the account balance with the fund that relates to the product is less than $6,000; and
(b)
set out the method by which the member can make such an election in writing.
(4)
An election under paragraph (3)(b) has effect on and after the commencement day as if it were an election made under subsection
68AAB(2)
of the
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
.
(5)
Despite subitem (2), a trustee of a regulated superannuation fund that offers a choice product or MySuper product does not have to ensure that a notice is given to a member of the fund to whom it would otherwise be required to be given under that subitem if:
(a)
before 1 November 2019, the member has given the fund notice that the member elects to have one or more benefits provided under the product or the products held by the member by taking out or maintaining insurance; and
(b)
the only benefits provided to the member under the product or products held by the member by taking out or maintaining insurance are covered by the election.
The notice mentioned in paragraph (a) has effect on and after the commencement day as if it were an election made under subsection
68AAB(2)
of the
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
.
Notice to members who begin to hold product after 1 November 2019
(6)
Each trustee of a regulated superannuation fund that offers a choice product or MySuper product under which a benefit may be provided by taking out or maintaining insurance must ensure that each person who acquires an interest in the product after 1 November 2019 and before the commencement day is given notice in writing:
(a)
stating that the benefit will not be provided on and after 1 April 2020 if:
(i)
the member has an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that is less than $6,000; and
(ii)
on or after 1 November 2019, the member has not had an account balance with the fund that relates to the product that was equal to or greater than $6,000; and
(iii)
the member has not elected that the benefit will be provided to, or in respect of, the member under the product by taking out or maintaining insurance, even if the account balance with the fund that relates to the product is less than $6,000; and
(b)
setting out the method by which the member can make such an election in writing.
(7)
An election under paragraph (6)(b) has effect on and after the commencement day as if it were an election made under subsection
68AAB(2)
of the
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
.
9 Application of section 68AAC
9
Section
68AAC
of the
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
, as inserted by item 1 of this Schedule, applies in relation to a benefit provided by a regulated superannuation fund to, or in respect of, a member of the fund under a choice product or MySuper product held by the member, if the member begins to hold the product on or after 1 April 2020.
10 Administration of the application and transitional provisions
10
Despite subparagraph
6(1)(a)(iv)
of the
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993
, ASIC not APRA has the general administration of items 8 and 9 of this Schedule.