Defined Benefit
Account

Defined Benefit Accounts are accounts where the benefits are linked to the length of your membership and your final average salary (over last three years). More specifically, your benefits are calculated as a membership multiple times your final average salary. Your FES Super membership multiple is 18% per year (which may be increased by you to 21.5% by making extra contributions) for each year of defined benefit membership.

If you have a Defined Benefit Account your employer will contribute 11.75% of your salary each year to your account and you will have to contribute a minimum of 6.25% of your after tax salary to this account. In return for this commitment to contribute you will receive a lump sum benefit at retirement based on your salary history and length of FES Super membership.

Firefighters are required to commence with a FES Super Defined Benefit Account.  Non-firefighter permanent employees of DFES or an associate employer must also become a FES Super Defined Benefit Account member (default) unless they elect on commencement of employment to be an Accumulation Account member or, if they were already a member of a fund provided by the Government Employees Superannuation Board (GESB), they may choose to continue with that GESB fund.  Temporary or casual employees of DFES or an associate employer can elect to become a FES Super Accumulation Account member.

Most FES Super members hold a Defined Benefit Account.