When Can I Access My Super?

Preservation age by date of birth

Your preservation age is the earliest age at which you can access your super (subject to meeting a condition of release). It depends on your date of birth:

For most people still working today, their preservation age will be 60. However, reaching preservation age alone does not give you unrestricted access — you also need to meet a condition of release.

Conditions of release

To access your super, you must meet at least one condition of release. The most common are:

Reaching preservation age and retiring

You must have permanently left an employment arrangement on or after reaching preservation age, with no intention of working more than 10 hours per week in the future. This gives you unrestricted access to your super.

Reaching age 60 and leaving employment

If you're 60 or older and leave an employment arrangement (even if you start a new job later), you meet a condition of release for the super accumulated up to that point.

Reaching age 65

At age 65, you have unrestricted access to your super regardless of whether you're still working.

Transition to retirement (TTR)

If you've reached preservation age but haven't fully retired, you can start a transition to retirement income stream. This allows you to supplement your income while continuing to work, potentially on reduced hours.

Key TTR rules:

• You must withdraw between 4% and 10% of your account balance each year
• You cannot take lump sum withdrawals until you fully retire
• Investment earnings in a TTR pension are taxed at up to 15% (not tax-free like a retirement pension)
• Once you meet a full condition of release, the TTR converts to a retirement phase pension with tax-free earnings

Early access to super

In limited circumstances, you may be able to access your super before reaching preservation age:

Severe financial hardship

You may be able to withdraw a limited amount if you've been receiving government income support for 26 continuous weeks and are unable to meet reasonable living expenses. The minimum withdrawal is $1,000 and the maximum is $10,000 per application.

Compassionate grounds

The ATO may approve early release for specific expenses including medical treatment or transport, modifying a home or vehicle for a disability, palliative care, funeral costs, or to prevent foreclosure on your home.

Terminal medical condition

If two registered medical practitioners certify that you have a terminal condition (life expectancy of less than 24 months), you can access your entire super balance tax-free.

Permanent incapacity

If you are permanently unable to work due to physical or mental illness, your fund trustee may release your super. This is sometimes called a “disability super benefit.”

Tax on super benefits

The tax you pay when accessing super depends on your age and the components of your super benefit:

Rates shown are for super benefits from a taxed source (most accumulation funds). Untaxed sources (e.g., some defined benefit funds) have different rates.