Early access to super
Super is designed to provide income for you when you retire—that’s why it’s generally not accessible until you reach age 60. However, you may be able to withdraw your super early in certain circumstances
There are limited situations when you can withdraw some or all of your super prior to age 60:
- severe financial hardship or eligible on specified compassionate grounds.
- if you change jobs and your super account balance is under $200.
- if you are a temporary resident permanently leaving Australia.
- terminal illness or permanent incapacity.
- changing jobs and your super account balance is under $200.
Financial hardship
Eligibility for early release on financial hardship
You can apply to access your super on grounds of severe financial hardship:
-
Criterion 1
If you have received Commonwealth income support payments for at least 26 continuous weeks and you are able to demonstrate financial hardship. Financial hardship means you are unable to meet your reasonable and immediate family living expenses. You need to provide evidence of bills or expenses.
One aspect of financial hardship is whether you own assets that could reasonably and realistically be sold to meet your expenses. This will be determined by guidelines issued by Services Australia. We may not release money on hardship grounds if you have more than $50,000 in assets (excluding your home). For this purpose, any assets should be valued at their resale value, not their replacement value. For example, if you sell your car the value is the likely sale price (market value), not the cost to buy a new or similar car.
-
Criterion 2
If you have received Commonwealth income support payments for 39 cumulative weeks since reaching your preservation age and you are not gainfully employed at the time you lodge your application.
If you apply under Criterion 1, a maximum of $10,000 gross (less tax) may be released in any 12-month period. Only one payment may be made in any 12 month period. If you apply under Criterion 2, there is no maximum withdrawal amount or limit to the applications you make.
Income support payments must be made by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Included eligible payment types
Centrelink:
- Age Pension
- Carer Payment
- Disability Support Pension
- Farm Household Allowance
- JobSeeker Payment
- Parenting Payment
- Partner Allowance
- Sickness Allowance
- Special Benefit
- Widow Allowance
DVA:
- Age service pension
- Invalidity service pension
- Partner service pension
- Income support supplement for war widows or widowers
- Incapacity payments from DVA are not considered eligible.
How to apply for early release on financial hardship grounds
To make a claim, you need to complete and submit a form, together with information to support your claim including:
- Written evidence from either Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs confirming you are receiving an eligible Commonwealth income support payment
- Evidence of financial hardship
- Proof of identification.
Check the form for details of the supporting documentation required. Your claim will be assessed against relevant guidelines.
If approved, CSC will then determine how much of your super will be released.
Compassionate grounds
If you don't qualify on grounds of severe financial hardship, you may be able to apply to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to access your super on specified compassionate grounds.
Compassionate grounds include:
- Medical treatment for you or a dependant;
- Modifications to your home or vehicle for the special needs of you or a dependant with a severe disability;
- Mortgage payments to prevent loss of your home;
- Expenses associated with the death of a dependant.
How to apply for early release on compassionate grounds
To apply for early release of super on compassionate grounds, you must first apply to the ATO. If the ATO approves your application, you will then need to complete the Early Access (specified compassionate grounds) form and send this to us with a copy of your approval letter.
Information on how to apply is available on the ATO website.
Early Access forms
EAFR02 Early access – severe financial hardship
Use this form if you're an eligible member of our schemes, and wish to apply for early release of your benefit on the grounds of severe financial hardship.
EAFR01 Early access – specified compassionate grounds
Use this application if you are an eligible member and the ATO has approved an early release of benefits on compassionate grounds.