You can withdraw super early in Australia, but only if you fit one of six situations set out in federal law: severe financial hardship, compassionate grounds, terminal illness, permanent or temporary incapacity, departure from Australia on a temporary visa, or the First Home Super Saver Scheme. Outside those pathways, your super stays locked until you reach your preservation age and meet a condition of release. For anyone born after 30 June 1964, preservation age is 60.1Australian Taxation Office. Accessing Your Super to Retire Each early-release pathway has its own eligibility test, application route, and tax treatment, and the differences matter.
Severe Financial Hardship
This is where most early-release claims begin, and the rules split sharply by age.
If You Are Under Preservation Age Plus 39 Weeks
You need to satisfy all three of these conditions:
- You have received eligible government income support payments (such as JobSeeker or Parenting Payment) continuously for at least 26 weeks.
- You were still receiving those payments when your evidence was issued.
- You cannot meet reasonable and immediate family living expenses through other means.
If you qualify, your fund can release a lump sum of between $1,000 and $10,000. If your balance is under $1,000, you can withdraw whatever is left after tax. Only one hardship withdrawal is permitted in any 12-month period.2Australian Taxation Office. When You Can Access Your Super Early
If You Are Preservation Age Plus 39 Weeks Or Older
A different test applies. You need to have received eligible income support payments for a cumulative total of 39 weeks since reaching preservation age, and you must not be employed full-time or part-time when you apply. There is no cap on the amount your fund can release — your entire balance is available if you meet both conditions.3Australian Taxation Office. Conditions of Release
Evidence and Tax
Your fund will want proof of your payment history. Services Australia can issue a letter confirming it, sometimes called a Q230 or Q251 letter, and some funds can verify the same information electronically through Centrelink Confirmation eServices with your consent.4Services Australia. Early Release of Superannuation The letter is valid for 21 days, so wait until you are ready to lodge before requesting it.5Services Australia. If You Need Evidence of Severe Financial Hardship for Early Release Superannuation
Tax depends on your age. Under preservation age, the taxable component is taxed at 22% (including Medicare levy) or your marginal rate, whichever is lower. Between preservation age and 60, the first $260,000 of the taxable (taxed element) component sits within the low rate cap and is tax-free, with amounts above taxed at 17% including Medicare levy. Over 60, the payment is generally tax-free.6Moneysmart.gov.au. Tax and Super
Compassionate Grounds
Compassionate grounds applications go to the ATO, not your fund.7Australian Taxation Office. How to Apply for Release of Super on Compassionate Grounds The ATO will only approve the amount reasonably needed for the specific expense, plus any tax that will be withheld. Five expense categories qualify.
Medical Treatment or Transport
You can apply for the cost of medical treatment or medical transport for yourself or a dependant. Two medical reports are required, and they must show the treatment is necessary to treat a life-threatening illness or injury, or to alleviate acute or chronic pain.8Australian Taxation Office. Expenses Eligible for Release on Compassionate Grounds The practitioners must be appropriately trained and qualified to assess your condition and the proposed treatment.9Australian Taxation Office. Compassionate Grounds – Health Practitioner Information
Mortgage Assistance
If your home loan is in arrears and the lender is about to foreclose on your primary residence, you can apply for a release to prevent the sale. Your lender must provide formal documentation showing the mortgage is in arrears and that foreclosure or forced sale is imminent.
Other Categories
The remaining grounds are funeral expenses for a dependant, and modifications to your home or vehicle to accommodate a severe disability affecting you or a dependant. Disability modifications must address mobility or daily functional needs. In every category, you need formal quotes, invoices, or notices that state the exact dollar amount.
Tax treatment mirrors hardship withdrawals: up to 22% under preservation age, the low rate cap between preservation age and 60, and generally tax-free after 60.6Moneysmart.gov.au. Tax and Super
Terminal Medical Condition
If you have a terminal illness, you can access your entire balance as a tax-free lump sum. Two registered medical practitioners must certify that you have an illness or injury likely to result in death within 24 months of the certification date, and at least one must be a specialist in a field related to your condition. Neither certification period can have expired at the time of payment.10Australian Taxation Office. Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 – Regulation 6.01A
The payment is non-assessable non-exempt income. Your fund should not withhold anything and does not need to issue a payment summary.11Australian Taxation Office. Access to Super for Members With a Terminal Medical Condition Any balance you keep after the 24-month certification window ends can still be withdrawn, but it may no longer qualify for tax-free treatment.
Permanent or Temporary Incapacity
Permanent incapacity is a separate pathway from terminal illness. Your fund’s trustee must be satisfied that you are unlikely ever to return to gainful employment in a role you are reasonably qualified for. The focus is your long-term work capacity, not life expectancy. If approved, the full balance can be released.
Temporary incapacity works differently. Rather than a lump sum, your fund makes periodic income replacement payments while you cannot work due to illness or injury. These are typically funded by insurance held inside your super account, not from your investment balance.2Australian Taxation Office. When You Can Access Your Super Early
Leaving Australia On A Temporary Visa
If you worked in Australia on a temporary visa, you can claim your super as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) after you leave. You qualify once your temporary visa has expired or been cancelled and you have left permanently.12Australian Taxation Office. Departing Australia Superannuation Payment DASP
The tax is steep. For standard temporary visa holders, the taxable (taxed element) component is taxed at 35% and the untaxed element at 45%. Working holiday makers on 417 or 462 visas pay a flat 65% on the taxable component.13Australian Taxation Office. Working Holiday Makers The tax-free component is not taxed. DASP is a final tax and does not form part of your assessable income in Australia.
First Home Super Saver Scheme
The First Home Super Saver (FHSS) scheme lets you withdraw voluntary contributions you have made to your super to help buy your first home. Only voluntary concessional and non-concessional contributions count. Employer contributions and compulsory super guarantee amounts are not eligible.
The limits are $15,000 of eligible voluntary contributions in any single financial year and $50,000 in total across all years from 1 July 2017 onwards.14Australian Taxation Office. First Home Super Saver Scheme When working out how much of those limits you have used, all voluntary contributions count at face value. For the actual release amount, however, only 85% of concessional contributions are counted.
Watch the timing. If your FHSS determination was made on or after 15 September 2024, you have 90 days after signing a property contract to request the release. Miss that window and, even if a valid request follows, you will be hit with FHSS tax on the released amount.14Australian Taxation Office. First Home Super Saver Scheme
FHSS withdrawals attract a 30% tax offset for concessional contributions, which generally makes the effective rate lower than your marginal income tax rate. The ATO issues a payment summary, and you must include the assessable and tax-withheld amounts in your tax return for the year you made the release request.
Small Balances Under $200
If your employment has ended and your super account balance is less than $200, you can withdraw the whole amount. The same applies if you find a lost super account held by the ATO with a balance under $200. No tax is payable.2Australian Taxation Office. When You Can Access Your Super Early
Where To Apply
Compassionate grounds and FHSS applications go through the ATO. Financial hardship and incapacity claims go directly to your super fund.
For compassionate grounds, you apply online through your myGov account linked to ATO online services. From the ATO online services home page, select Super, then Manage, then Compassionate Release of Super. You will need digital copies of your supporting evidence.7Australian Taxation Office. How to Apply for Release of Super on Compassionate Grounds Never share your myGov login details with anyone, including health practitioners or registered agents. Online applications are typically processed within 14 days; paper applications take up to 28 days. If approved, the ATO sends a copy of the approval letter to your fund, but you still need to contact your fund to arrange the actual payment.
FHSS applications also run through ATO online services. You first request a determination to find out how much you can withdraw, then submit a release request when you are ready.
Financial hardship and permanent or temporary incapacity claims are assessed by your fund’s trustee.2Australian Taxation Office. When You Can Access Your Super Early You apply to your fund directly with the required evidence. Processing times vary, but larger funds generally aim to transfer payments within five to ten business days of approving the claim.
If Your Application Is Refused
A rejection is not always the end. For compassionate grounds, the ATO will send a letter explaining why and usually call to discuss. Insufficient evidence is the most common reason, and the right response is usually a fresh application with better documentation rather than a review of the old one. If you believe the ATO made an error on the information you actually provided, you can request a formal review. The deadline is generally 14 days from the date on the original decision letter, and your request must set out why you think the decision was wrong.7Australian Taxation Office. How to Apply for Release of Super on Compassionate Grounds
For hardship claims refused by your fund’s trustee, use the fund’s internal dispute resolution process first. If that fails, you can lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which can issue a formal determination that binds both you and the fund.
What Early Withdrawal Costs You Later
Every dollar you take out early is a dollar that stops compounding. On a $10,000 hardship withdrawal at age 35, the lost growth over 25 years at a modest return can easily exceed the withdrawal itself.
Insurance is the other risk people miss. Most super accounts include default life cover, total and permanent disability cover, and sometimes income protection, with premiums drawn from your balance. If a withdrawal drops your balance too low to cover premiums, cover can lapse. Some funds cancel cover once no contributions have arrived for 16 consecutive months and the balance falls below $6,000. Getting that cover back usually means a fresh application with medical underwriting, which can be expensive or, if your health has changed, out of reach. Ask your fund before you apply whether the withdrawal will affect your insurance.