Should Australians Be Able To Access Superannuation Before Retirement? Social Media Divided

Former Big Brother star Estelle Landy has sparked a heated debate on social media after claiming that Australia's superannuation system is a scam.

In Australia, employers are required to contribute 11.5% of an employee's earnings to their superannuation, as long as the worker is over 18 and works at least 30 hours a week. The purpose of superannuation is to help Australians build a financial nest egg for retirement, so they won't have to depend on the pension or personal savings.

The 36-year-old former reality TV star, however, criticized Australia's superannuation system and called it "a scam," arguing that it was unfair employees cannot access their superannuation until retirement.

"Think about it. They get to hold onto your money and invest it wherever the f**k they want. It doesn't matter if they lose it," she said in the video posted on Instagram.

The comment section was filled with online users supporting the reality star.

One of them wrote, "I absolutely agree. This is fire Estelle. The truth you speak," while another one noted, "From its inception super was never meant to cover anything more than the first generation. Its mass theft."

Another person argued that they couldn't access their super for an urgent vascular surgery, expressing frustration that if they didn't get the money, they wouldn't even be alive to benefit from their superannuation later.

Others criticized the system as a whole, calling it a way for the government to take people's money, with which someone else can gamble. They believed the system was fundamentally flawed and unfair.

However, there were also comments defending superannuation, with one user pointing out that the fees for some super funds were minimal and that individuals could manage their investments themselves if they paid attention.

They argued that without super, they wouldn't have any savings for retirement, instead likely spending it on unnecessary things, and thanked former Prime Minister Paul Keating for introducing the system.

Earlier this year, a survey revealed that Australia's Gen Z has had to become resourceful and creative with money-saving hacks as the country continues to grapple with rising living costs and soaring.