The Orana Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association is concerned for the future following a recent announcement about superannuation changes by the federal government.
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Under the former Labor government, superannuation was set to rise steadily to 12 per cent by 2019, however due to a recent announcement by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a superannuation freeze means contributions will not reach 12 per cent until 2025.
Superannuation will instead remain at 9.5 per cent until 2021.
The freeze is part of a deal made with the Palmer United Party and additional cross benchers following the repeal of the mining tax.
Industry Super Australia have calculated for an average 25-year-old income earner, the delay in the superannuation guarantee will cut $100,000 from super over their working life, the equivalent of $36,000 by today's standards.
Nationally, it will mean a loss of $150 billion by 2025.
Orana CPSA President Ken Windsor said the changes were very concerning.
"People on the lowest wage, that's nine per cent, are now worth very little," Mr Windsor said.
He said because superannuation payments were based on a percentage of a worker's wage, those on a high income would see long-term benefits, while those on low wages would suffer.
"The balance between the lower levels and the higher levels needs to be addressed.
"Even at the next election it won't make any difference who you vote for because the legislation will already have been passed."
Mr Windsor said those on the pension would also be hit hard.
"The people retiring in the next five to 10 years will be worse off than the pensioners now, he said.
"Pensioners are going to get lost, especially when they're now going to calculate the pension on CPI (Consumer Price Index). It's going to set the pension back at a great rate of knots. The whole process they just cast into government is not going to be good for pensioners. In a ten-year period we will be losing approximately $100 per week, about $200 per payment, under the current system.
"Pensioners are people who have worked all their lives and they shouldn't be thrown on the scrap heap."
On the positive side, the low-income superannuation contribution, which was expected to be cut, will continue until 2017.
The contribution provides up to $500 worth of super for low income earners to compensate for the higher level of tax on their take-home pay.
"It's pleasing that for the people on lower incomes the $500 is going to continue for a little bit, but generally, overall policy is making a bigger gap between higher and lower income earners," Mr Windsor said.
