Evidence required for your application
To submit your application online, you need digital copies of the required evidence. We accept photos of documents. Supported file formats are gif, jpeg, png and pdf.
We need to see different evidence depending on which ground of release you’re applying.
To assess your application, we will also need to see evidence of unpaid expenses that show the amounts you’re seeking to release from your super account. This can include an itemised quote or an unpaid invoice that shows the amount and a description of each component. A single lump sum as a quote or unpaid invoice will be insufficient in many cases. If your application doesn't include all supporting evidence, there may be delays in assessing it or it may not be approved.
Make sure you confirm the evidence requirements for your application as these are different for each ground.
We may undertake checks with your providers to validate evidence provided in your application, including where there is missing or additional information required.
If you submit a paper application you need to ensure you provide copies of your documents. Do not provide original documents as these will not be returned.
Do not include images of a disturbing nature to support your application as they do not form part of the evidence required to assess your application.
If the registered medical practitioner/specialist report is written in a language other than English, it will need to be translated. The translator must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
Find out about evidence required for:
Medical treatment
You must provide:
- a quote or unpaid invoice
- two medical reports
- one from a registered medical specialist
- one from either a registered medical practitioner or a registered medical specialist.
Note that allied professionals, such as physiotherapists, psychologists and podiatrists are not considered as medical practitioners or specialists.
To assess your application, we will also need to see unpaid expenses that show the amounts you're seeking to release from your super account. This can include an itemised quote or an unpaid invoice that shows the amount and a description of each component. A single lump sum as a quote or unpaid invoice will be insufficient in many cases. If your application doesn't include all supporting evidence, there may be delays in assessing it or it may not be approved.
In some cases, you may also need to provide a treatment plan to show how those unpaid expenses are connected to the medical treatment you submit in your application.
The reports should clearly state that you or your dependant requires treatment to:
- treat a life-threatening illness or injury
- alleviate acute or chronic pain
- alleviate an acute or chronic mental illness.
The registered medical specialist must be specialised in the area in which they are giving their opinion. Examples include:
- If you apply for treatment of an acute or chronic mental illness, your application will require a medical report from a psychiatrist.
- If you apply for treatment of a life-threatening illness or injury, one medical report must be from the registered medical specialist who diagnosed or is treating the illness or injury.
The medical practitioner report must be completed, signed and dated less than six months before you submit your application. If you need to submit another application to pay for more medical treatments you will need new medical reports for each new application, unless the subsequent treatment is occurring within six months of the date on the original medical report. Where the treatment is occurring within six months of the medical report, you will need to provide evidence that the prior treatment was completed.
If you normally reside in Australia and need to travel overseas for treatment, your medical practitioner in Australia also needs to advise why overseas medical treatment is required.
You should ask your medical practitioner to use the form below to ensure they provide all the information we need. If the medical reports are incomplete or do not contain enough information, your application may be delayed or not approved.
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments
If you are applying for a second or later IVF treatment, you will need to provide a new or updated quote in each subsequent application. However, the same medical report can be used provided it was completed no more than six months before you submit your application.
If your IVF treatment requires human donor gametes or human embryos, your invoice will need to include a statement from the provider advising they were acquired altruistically and comply with the relevant law and guidelines.
If acquired from overseas, further evidence may be required.
If your application includes third party medical expenses, both medical reports must certify that medical treatment for a third-party forms part of your necessary medical treatment.
Dental treatment
If you are applying for dental treatment we also require:
- a copy of your treatment plan which includes details of all stages of the treatment
- a detailed quote or an unpaid invoice.
Treatment occurring in stages or over an extended period
If you are applying for treatment that is occurring over multiple stages, we may only approve the costs relating to the initial stage of your treatment.
Where you have been approved for the initial stage of a treatment and are submitting another application to pay for subsequent stages, you will need to provide evidence verifying that:
- the initial stage has been completed and paid for, and
- the next stage is still required.
Next steps
Medical transport
You must provide:
- a quote or unpaid invoice
- two medical reports
- one from a registered medical specialist
- one from either a registered medical practitioner or a registered medical specialist.
The reports must advise that you or your dependant are required to travel for medical treatment of either:
- a life threatening illness or injury
- acute or chronic pain
- an acute or chronic mental illness.
The registered medical specialist should be specialised in the area they are giving their opinion.
If you are applying for medical transport only, at least one report must provide details of the locations, frequency and duration of the treatment.
If you are applying for both medical treatment and medical transport, you can use the same medical practitioner reports. However, at least one report must provide details of the locations, frequency and duration of the treatment.
The medical practitioner reports must be completed no more than six months before you submit your application. The reports must be signed, dated and submitted with your application. If your medical reports are incomplete or do not contain enough information it is likely your application will not be approved.
Before we approve a release for medical transport, we will need to consider the most cost efficient and reasonable transport options.
You need to provide the reason you are requesting the type of transport. If you require overseas treatment your medical specialist needs to advise why you can't receive the treatment within Australia.
Suitable medical transport may include:
- public transport
- government or non-government providers offering medical transportation services on a fee-for-service basis
- private taxi
- hire car, ambulance, train, or ferry
- domestic flights, international flights, or air ambulance
- purchasing a vehicle where its primary use (at least 60%) will be for medical transport.
The purchase of a second hand or new vehicle will only be considered when all other means of transport cannot reasonably be used. Vehicle options such as tinted windows or metallic paint will not be considered for release, unless they are medically required.
If you are applying for a vehicle that costs more than $20,000, your application needs to include additional information stating the medical reasons why that specific vehicle is required.
When assessing the purchase of a vehicle, we will consider the:
- frequency of treatments
- period the treatment is required
- distance to treatment locations
- less expensive options to meet your medical transport needs
- any other information provided.
Next steps
Accommodating a disability
If you are applying to pay for modifications to your home or vehicle, or purchase of a disability aid, you must provide a quote or unpaid invoice and one medical report completed by a registered medical practitioner or specialist who treated you or your dependant for the disability.
The registered medical practitioner or specialist needs to:
- certify that you or your dependant have a severe disability, and
- clearly specify the modifications you require to accommodate the severe disability.
If you are seeking modifications, the medical report needs to specify each modification required to accommodate the severe disability, and these must be clearly identified on the quote/s provided.
The medical practitioner report must be completed no more than six months before you submit your application. The report must be signed, dated and submitted with your application. If your medical report is incomplete or does not contain enough information it is likely your application may be delayed or not approved..
Everyday expenses or items not specifically related to accommodating the severe disability are unlikely to be approved.
If you are modifying your home, you need to provide supporting evidence that the property is your principal place of residence. Examples include:
- electricity bills
- gas bills
If you live in a rental property, we can approve a release if your landlord has provided written consent to the proposed modifications.
The quote or unpaid invoice must state the address of the home being modified or the owner of the vehicle being modified.
Next steps
Palliative care for a terminal illness
If you are applying to pay for palliative care for a terminal illness, you must provide a quote or unpaid invoice and one medical report completed by a registered medical practitioner or specialist who is treating you or your dependant.
The registered medical practitioner needs to:
- certify that you or your dependant
- has a terminal illness and has 24 months or less to live
- requires palliative care
- specify the type of palliative care required (for example, in-home or in a hospice).
The medical practitioner reports must be completed no more than six months before you submit your application. The reports must be signed, dated and submitted with your application
If we approve your request for compassionate release of super for you or on behalf of your dependant the amount will be taxable.
You may choose to apply directly to your super fund for early access to your super due to a terminal medical condition, to pay for your own palliative care. In this case, the amount released will not be taxable. You should contact your fund if you have questions regarding accessing your super due to a terminal medical condition.
Next steps
Funeral expenses for your dependant
If you are applying to pay for expenses associated with the death, funeral or burial expenses of your dependant, you will need to provide either:
- a copy of your dependant’s death certificate (this includes a provisional death certificate), or
- a letter from your dependant’s registered medical practitioner or the funeral provider. The letter should be on the letter provider's letterhead, signed and dated less than six months old, and should state
- the dependant has passed away
- the date of death
- the registered medical practitioner's Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency number (for registered medical practitioners only).
You will also need to provide proof of dependency.
Next steps
Preventing foreclosure or forced sale of home
Mortgage payments
If you are applying to pay for mortgage arrears to prevent foreclosure or forced sale of your home (which is your principal place of residence) you need to provide:
- a default notice issued from your mortgagee (bank or other lender) for each loan you secured against your home
- a utility bill (for example, gas or electricity bill) which is less than three months old, in your name
- a letter from your bank or lender for each loan secured against your home.
The bank or lender letter must be addressed to you and state:
- that payment of an amount is overdue, and the mortgagee will foreclose or force the sale of your home if the overdue amount isn’t paid by the due date
- the current amount owing that must be paid in order to stop action to sell your property
- the address of the property under threat of sale
- the amount equal to three months of repayments for the loan
- the amount equal to 12 months interest on the outstanding balance of the loan
- the name of the mortgagee and the loan account number.
If you have more than one mortgage on your home, you need to provide a separate letter for each mortgage under threat by foreclosure or forced sale of home.
The letter must be:
- dated no more than 30 days before the date on your application
- on the bank or lender's letterhead.
If your property is owned by multiple parties, the lender's written statement must specify who is legally responsible for the mortgage. All parties responsible for the mortgage can each apply for access to their super, as long as the sum of the amounts requested by all parties does not exceed:
- the amount equal to three months of repayments for the loan, plus
- the amount equal to 12 months interest on the outstanding balance of the loan.
For more information refer to More than one person applying for the same expense.
Council rates
You may be eligible to apply if you have arrears on council rates and your council has commenced proceedings to take possession or to sell your home, which is your principal place of residence.
You need to provide a letter from the council which states:
- that payment of an amount is overdue, and the council has begun action to foreclose or to sell your home if the overdue amount isn’t paid by the due date
- the current amount owing that must be paid in order to stop action to sell your property
- the address of the property under threat of sale
- the amount in arrears itemised for each year.
You will also need to provide:
- documents supporting that you owe a minimum of two years or more of council rates
- a utility bill (for example, gas or electricity bill) which is less than three months old, in your name.
Next steps
Dependant
Spouse
If you are applying to pay the expenses of your spouse, you don't need to provide any additional documents supporting the relationship in your application.
Child
If you are applying to pay the expense of your child under the age of 18, you don't need to provide any additional documents supporting the relationship in your application.
Interdependent
To prove you are in an interdependent relationship with another person, you need to provide:
- documents showing you both live at the same address (unless you are temporarily living apart)
- this could be a joint bank statement or a phone, power or water bill etc.
- evidence of the financial support provided
- this can include bank statements from either person that clearly shows payments to the other person
- a statutory declaration, which can include
- the reasons you are living apart (if relevant)
- the duration of your relationship
- whether or not a sexual relationship exists to the degree of commitment to a shared life
- what assets you jointly own or share (including property)
- the care and support you provide to each other's children
- the public aspects of your relationship
- the degree of emotional support provided to each other
- the degree to which the relationship is one of mere convenience
- any information that indicates you intend for the relationship to be permanent.
Substantially financially dependent
To prove you are in a substantially financially dependent relationship with another person, you need to provide:
- financial documents that
- clearly demonstrate that you financially support the other person to meet their normal living expenses (groceries, mortgage/rent, transportation costs, utility bills, medical expenses etc.) on a regular basis for a significant period
- show the other person could not meet their living expenses without your financial support.
Evidence that can demonstrate the above may include:
- you and the other person's bank statements for the same period, which show the transfer of money to, or on behalf of the other person, how the money is used and any income the other person is receiving
- receipts for expenses you have paid on behalf of the other person
- identification of any employment or government assistance provided to the dependant that shows any other income they have
- a written statement or letter (this can include a statutory declaration) from yourself and/or the dependant that includes the following information about the relationship
- how regularly financial support is given
- the value of financial support provided
- the duration of the financially dependent relationship
- whether the other person's normal living expenses are financed by these payments
- the level of reliance the other person has on the financial support provided
- whether the other person has any other sources of income and if so, the value.
Quotes and unpaid invoices
When providing a quote or unpaid invoice you will need to ensure it contains all the required information, including:
- the provider's name and contact details
- the provider's letterhead
- being addressed to you or the dependant in your application
- an itemised list of expenses and their respective costs
- being dated
- no more than six months old for quotes
- no more than 30 days old for unpaid invoices.
If your unpaid invoice or quote is in a foreign currency, the amount you are requesting for release must be converted to Australian dollars. If we approve your application, we won't recalculate the conversion at the time of approving.
We may contact service providers to validate unpaid invoices or quotes.
For more information about the requirements of tax invoices refer to Tax invoices.
See also
Next steps