GESB - When can you access your super

When can you access your super

Your super has tax concessions that are designed to help you save for retirement, so there are rules for when you can access it.

The government has set a minimum age for when you can access super. This is known as the preservation age, because your super is preserved until this time. For most people, access to super is determined by their preservation age.

The following are the conditions for when you can access super:

You reach your preservation age and permanently retire.
You reach your preservation age and start a Transition to Retirement (TTR) strategy, whereby you continue to work and get restricted access to your super.
You reach age 60 and resign from your current employment.
You reach age 65.
For Gold State Super members, super is accessible once you turn 55 and you retire from the WA public sector.
You qualify under limited circumstances to access super before your preservation age, such as severe financial hardship or compassionate grounds (see below).

Your preservation age

Your preservation age depends on when you were born and is shown in the table below.

Date of birth	Preservation age
Born 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 30 June 1964	60

Accessing super before preservation age

Your super may be accessed before you reach preservation age if:

You become totally and permanently disabled.
Your super account holds less than $200 and you no longer work for the employer who contributed to the fund for you.
You receive approval from GESB to release your super on financial hardship or compassionate grounds.
You are diagnosed with a terminal illness by certified medical practitioners.
In the event of your death (in which case your super is paid to your estate).

If you have questions about your eligibility to access super early, please contact your Member Services Centre on 13 43 72.

Tax considerations

There are various rules in relation to tax and accessing your super, depending on your age, how your benefit is paid and whether you have a taxed (GESB Super) or untaxed (West State Super and Gold State Super) fund. For more information, refer to the Tax and super fact sheet.