You might assume that when you die, your super will become part of your Will or estate and be distributed with your other belongings and money. But super doesn’t work like this.

First Super must follow strict super and tax laws to decide who will get your super and insurance payments (known as your ‘death benefit’). This includes considering your wishes for who your money is paid to when you die. The person you want to receive your super is called a ‘beneficiary’. You can have more than one.

There are four types of beneficiaries you can nominate.

In a nutshell, there are four types of ‘beneficiaries’ you can nominate to receive your super and insurance payments if you die. You can select one or more from the options below and assign a percentage of the payment you want them to receive.

Spouse/Partner

Includes married and de facto (same or different sex) relationships.

Children

Your children of any age (including steps, adopted, ex-nuptial or children of your spouse).

Interdependent

Someone who lives with you on a long-term or permanent basis, where one or both of you provide financial and domestic support, and personal care of the other.

Financial Dependant

Someone who relies on you (totally or partially) for financial assistance or support. For example, you pay the bills, rent, etc.

What if I want my super to go to someone else?

You may want your super to go to someone who cannot be nominated as a beneficiary, such as a sibling, friend or aren’t who is not dependent on you.

If that is the case, don’t worry. While super doesn’t automatically become part of your estate, you can nominate a Legal Personal Representative to receive your death benefit and distribute it.

This is the executor of you will, or the person responsible for administering your estate if you do not have a Will. This gives you more options for who gets your super.

There are two ways to nominate a beneficiary: binding and non-binding

Nomination	Non-binding	Binding
What it means	This is a request only. Ultimately, the Trustee (First Super) decides who gets your super.	A legally binding request we must follow if you die (provided it is valid).
Considerations	easy to change doesn’t expire can be broken if it doesn’t meet super/tax laws may forget to update if you change your mind about your beneficiary	locked in for peace of mind so you will know who gets your super requires paperwork to set up must be signed by two witnesses, and expires every 3 years we’ll remind you to update every 3 years and it’s easy to change
How to nominate a beneficiary	Log in to your online account and go to ‘My details’ then ‘Beneficiaries’.	Download and complete the Nomination of Beneficiary Form.