The following topics will guide you through when you can access your super:
You can also learn about:
Retirement and accessing your super
To access your super savings, generally you need to have permanently retired from work and have reached your preservation age.
| Date of birth |
Preservation age |
| Before 1 July 1960 |
55 |
| 1 July 1960 - 30 June 1961 |
56 |
| 1 July 1961 – 30 June 1962 |
57 |
| 1 July 1962 – 30 June 1963 |
58 |
| 1 July 1963 – 30 June 1964 |
59 |
| After 1 July 1964 |
60 |
Learn more about:
Accessing your super at other times
There are other situations where you may be able to access your super. These are:
- Reaching age 65
- Changing employers once you turn 60 or when you have less than $200 in your account
- Using a transition to retirement strategy to open an account-based pension
- Permanently leaving Australia after being a temporary resident
- Becoming totally and permanently disabled
- Suffering from a terminal medical condition
- Experiencing severe financial hardship
- Qualifying on compassionate grounds
- Genuine retirement at or after age 55; or
- Death.
All these situations relate to the preserved part of your super account. Any unrestricted non-preserved amounts – usually after-tax contributions made before 1 July 1999 – can be withdrawn at any time. Both preserved and non-preserved super may be subject to tax if you withdraw it before turning 60.
Compassionate grounds
You may qualify to access your benefits on compassionate grounds if you need to cover expenses that you or your dependants incur for:
- Medical expenses (including medical transportation)
- Foreclosure on your mortgage or home Modifications to your house or car due to severe disability
- Palliative care or funeral expenses.
Decisions on the release of benefits on compassionate grounds are made by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), phone 1300 131 060.
Download an Application for early release of benefit - Compassionate grounds.
Severe financial hardship
To be considered eligible for early release of your benefit on severe financial hardship grounds, you must first satisfy the following criteria.
If you are under age 55 and 39 weeks, you need to be:
-
In receipt of Commonwealth income support, and have been so for a continuous period of a least 26 weeks (you will need to show us a letter from Centrelink confirming this); and
-
Unable to meet reasonable and immediate family living expenses.
If you are aged over 55 years and 39 weeks you need to meet the above criteria or be:
-
In receipt of Commonwealth income support payments for a cumulative period of at least 39 weeks after reaching your preservation age; and
-
Not gainfully employed, either full-time or part-time, at the time of application.
Decisions on the release of benefits on severe financial hardship grounds are usually made by AustralianSuper where the eligibility criteria is met.
Download an Application for payment of benefit - Financial hardship.
Note: you may be required to provide proof for claims on compassionate grounds or financial hardship.
How to withdraw your super
To withdraw your super benefit you need to call AustralianSuper on 1300 300 273, weekdays 8 am-8 pm (AEST) and we will organise:
The application form needs to be completed and returned along with your proof of identification and any other documents requested.
Proving your identity
To safeguard the security of your benefit, we will request certified copies of documents that prove your identity (ID).
The easiest way for most people to certify documents is to follow these three steps:
Step 1:
Go to your local post office or police station
|
Step 2:
Ask them to certify your ID |
Step 3:
Send it all back to us |
Take with you:
-
Either your CURRENT driver’s licence or passport
- AND
a photocopy of this ID
You need to take both the original ID and the
photocopy – if you have a new address on the back of your driver’s
licence, you’ll need to photocopy both sides.
|
To certify your ID they need to:
- Compare the photocopy to the original
- Stamp or write ‘This is a true
and correct copy of the original’ followed by their signature,
printed name, qualification (eg Australia Post employee*, Police Officer)
and the date.
|
Send the original certified copies of your ID back to us, attached to your transfer form using this reply paid address:
AustralianSuper
Reply Paid 1901
MELBOURNE VIC 8060
Because
we need to see original signatures on your form and certified ID you
must send these documents to us, you cannot fax or email them. |
Other ways to prove your identity
If you don’t have a driver’s licence or passport you will need to have two documents certified:
One of these:
- Birth certificate or birth extract
- Citizenship certificate issued by the Commonwealth
- Pension card issued by Centrelink that entitles the person to financial benefits.
And one of these:
- A letter from Centrelink regarding a Government assistance payment
- Notice issued by Commonwealth, State or Territory Government or local council within the past three months that contains your name and residential address. For example:
– Tax Office Notice of Assessment
– Rates notice from local council.
If you can’t get to a post office or police station
These other people are allowed to certify documents:
- A finance company officer with five or more years of continuous service (with one or more finance companies)
- An officer with, or authorised representative of, a holder of an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL), having five or more years continuous service with one or more licensees
- A notary public officer
- A registrar or deputy registrar of a court
- A Justice of the Peace
- A person enrolled on the roll of a State or Territory Supreme Court or the High Court of Australia, as a legal practitioner
An Australian consular officer or an Australian diplomatic officer
- A judge of a court
- A magistrate, or
- A Chief Executive Officer of a Commonwealth court.
If you have changed your name or are signing on behalf of another person
You’ll need to prove the link between you and the other person, or your name change. You can use one of the documents below as well as your other certified ID (such as a driver’s licence or passport).
If you have changed your name you’ll need one of these:
- Marriage certificate
- Deed poll, or
- Change of name certificate from the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Office.
If you are signing on behalf of another person you’ll need one of these:
- Guardianship papers
- Power of Attorney.
Our legal responsibilities
Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Act 2006, superannuation funds are required to identify, monitor and mitigate the risk that the fund may be used for the laundering of money or the financing of terrorism.
Because of this, you may be required to provide proof of identity before you withdraw your benefit from the fund or commence an income stream.
At a minimum, you may be required to provide the fund with evidence that verifies your full name, your date of birth and your residential address.
Since 12 December 2008, we have been required to monitor transactions for potential money laundering or terrorism financing activities and to report any suspicious matters to the AML/CTF regulator AUSTRAC. In following these procedures, AustralianSuper ensures that members' privacy entitlements are respected.
The easiest way for most people to certify documents is to follow these three steps:
