Access your super

Other limited circumstances

There are some limited circumstances where you can access your super before you reach your preservation age or retire. These are if you:

• Become permanently incapacitated.
• Suffer from a terminal medical condition.
• Die (your dependants).
• Terminate employment and your preserved amount is $200 or less.
• Meet the criteria and receive Government approval for the release of some of your super on compassionate grounds (this includes covering expenses for you or your dependants relating to severe ill health, palliative care, death or funeral costs, and loan repayments on your principal place of residence where failure to do so would result in foreclosure of the loan).
• Meet the criteria and receive Trustee approval for the release of some of your super due to severe financial hardship (which requires you to have been in receipt of Commonwealth income support payments for more than 26 continuous weeks – 39 weeks if you are over your preservation age).
• Permanently depart Australia after being a temporary resident (after visiting Australia on an eligible temporary resident visa which has expired or been cancelled).

Government legislation sets out a maximum amount per year that can be paid if you qualify for payment under severe financial hardship or compassionate reasons. The Australian Taxation Office must approve the release of benefits on compassionate grounds.

As strict criteria apply to the release of super under these limited circumstances, we suggest you contact us to discuss your options. More information on accessing your super can be found in our Super account guide.