Claiming your super
Super is a long-term investment for future you. That’s why the government has set rules about when you can withdraw it, known as conditions of release.
Reasons you might be able to access your super
- You reach preservation age, or reach age 60 and stop working, or reach age 65
- You’re in severe financial hardship
- You’ve been given approval by the government on compassionate grounds
- You’re a temporary resident permanently leaving Australia
- You suffer from a terminal illness or injury that reduces your life expectancy to less than 24 months
- You participate in the First home super saver scheme.
Read Accessing your super to find out more about the conditions of release and accessing your super.
Making a claim
Your circumstances will determine:
- If you can access your super, and
- How to make a claim.
We’re here to help you navigate this process. So if you’re unsure which form to complete or what you need to do, get in touch with us and we’ll help you get the necessary paperwork sorted out.
Providing your proof of ID
Take a clear photo (or scan) of your driver licence (both sides), passport* or proof of age card^ plus a clear photo of you holding your selected ID. Then upload your photos to the ‘Contact us’ section of your MemberOnline account or via our Get in touch page.
We need to be able to clearly see your face and your ID details. Please upload high resolution .jpeg, .jpg, .png or .pdf photos. You can upload six files (max 10MB per file, combined 14MB) via MemberOnline, or one file at a time (max 10MB per file) via our Get in touch page.
Confirming your identity is an important security measure to protect you and your super. For more info, refer to our Privacy Policy. For more info on providing selfie ID, please refer to our Providing your selfie ID fact sheet.
Alternatively, you can provide original certified copies of your ID documents – but you’ll need to send these to us via post.
Submitting your claim
Details for how to submit your claim and any supporting documents you need to provide are available in the forms below.
Before you submit your claim ensure you’ve:
- Completed the relevant form
- Provided proof of your identity
- Provided any supporting documents as outlined in the form.
Time taken to process your claim
The length of time it takes to process your claim will depend on your individual circumstances.
Once we receive your application we’ll:
- Make sure you’ve completed your form correctly and have provided any supporting documents
- Contact you within 5 business days if we need any further information from you
- Aim to complete your claim within 7 business days.
If we need further information from you, this may delay your claim. So let us know if you need a hand so we can work through your claim as quickly as possible.
If we approve your application, your funds will be available in your bank account within 5–10 business days of receiving your approval notice.
Making an insurance claim
If you have insurance with us, you or your beneficiaries may be entitled to a death, terminal illness or total and permanent disablement (TPD) insurance benefit in addition to your super account balance. This is separate to the government’s rules around accessing your super and is subject to the insurer accepting your claim.
This page relates to accessing your super account balance only. If you’d like to make an insurance claim you’ll need to contact us to commence the insurance claims process.
Claiming a death benefit
Looking to claim a CareSuper member’s super balance, any insurance payable (where eligible) or pension income following their death? Read our Claiming a death benefit fact sheet to find out more about the process of claiming a CareSuper member’s death benefit.
We’re here to help
We understand that applying to access your super isn’t always easy. That’s why we’re here to help. If you have questions about accessing your super or completing a form, call us on 1300 360 149, 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday (AET).
*We can accept an Australian passport that’s expired within the last 2 years. Foreign passports must be current and, if not written in English, you’ll need to provide an English translation by an accredited translator (we’ll accept an original document or certified copy of the translation).
^Proof of age card must be issued by a state or territory government and be in your name with your photo and signature.
Download and complete this form if you fulfil one or more of the below eligibility requirements. Please note this doesn’t guarantee that your claim will be approved.
- You’ve reached preservation age and permanently retired from the workforce
- You’re age 60 and ceased an employment arrangement
- You’re age 65 or above
- You’re a temporary resident departing Australia permanently. Depending on your situation you may be able to apply to access your super through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), more information is available on the ATO website. If you can’t apply via the ATO website, you can complete this form. Note, certified identification is required when claiming super balances greater than $5000.
- You’re transferring your super to another fund or a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF)
- You’re applying for early release of super under compassionate grounds and you’ve received an approved letter from the ATO. Visit the ATO website for more information.
If you want to open a CareSuper Pension account, you don’t need to complete this form. Instead, see our Pension Guide or contact us and we’ll help you get started.
Before submitting your claim, ensure you’ve:
- Completed the Claim your super form
- Provided proof of identity. See our Certifying your identification documents fact sheet for more information
- Provided any relevant supporting documents.
Download and complete this form if you fulfil one or more of the below eligibility requirements. Please note this doesn’t guarantee that your claim will be approved.
- You’ve been permanently incapacitated
- You’re suffering from a terminal illness or injury that reduces your life expectancy to less than 24 months.
You have insurance cover
If you have insurance cover with us, contact us before completing this form as there may be other forms you need. Not sure if you have insurance with us or your current level of cover? In MemberOnline, you can check the details of any insurance cover you have.
Please note, any decision made by CareSuper to accept a permanent incapacity claim is independent of any claim on CareSuper’s insurance policies and any decision made by our insurer.
Early access to super to pay for medical treatment(s)
Use our Claim your super form (details above) to apply for early release of super under compassionate grounds (if you’ve already received an approval letter from the ATO).
Before submitting your claim ensure:
- You’ve completed the Claim your super on medical grounds form
- Two doctors have completed the Permanent incapacity or terminal illness certificates. For a terminal illness claim, one of these doctors must be a specialist practising in a field related to the illness or injury suffered
- You’ve provided proof of identity. See our Certifying your identification documents fact sheet for more information
- You’ve provided any relevant supporting documents.
Download our Claim your super on grounds of Permanent Incapacity form
Download our Claim your super on grounds of Terminal Illness form
If you’re eligible, there are two ways you can make a financial hardship claim for early release of part or all (if eligible) of your super. To make a claim, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, have held money with CareSuper for 12 months or more, and satisfy the criteria outlined in either Claim Type A or Claim Type B. Please note this doesn’t guarantee that your claim will be approved.
Claim type A
- If you’re under preservation age* and you’ve been receiving eligible^ Commonwealth income support payments for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks, and
- You’re able to demonstrate that you’re unable to meet reasonable and immediate living expenses. To make a claim, you must also provide sufficient evidence of debt in arrears/overdue debt. Examples of evidence that may be accepted are provided in the Making a financial hardship claim form.
CareSuper can, in any 12-month period, release a single lump-sum payment to you of between $1,000—$10,000 before tax or your total benefit if it’s less than $1,000 before tax.
Claim type B
- If you’re over preservation age* and you’ve been receiving eligible^ Commonwealth income support payments for a cumulative period of 39 weeks since reaching your preservation age, and
- CareSuper is satisfied you aren’t gainfully employed on a full-time or part-time basis as of the date of application for early release of the preserved or restricted non-preserved benefits.
Under Claim Type B, there’s no restriction on the amount that can be released.
If you haven’t been with CareSuper for 12 months and would like to make a claim, please contact us.
*See Accessing your super for preservation age tables
^ Not all income support payments qualify. Contact Services Australia to find out if your income support payments meet the requirements.
Before submitting your claim ensure:
- You’ve completed the Making a financial hardship claim form
- You’ve provided proof of identity. See our Certifying your identification documents fact sheet for more information
- You’ve provided any relevant supporting documents.