Coronavirus and your super

From 20 April, the Government is allowing individuals in financial stress to access up to $10,000 of their super this financial year (2019-20) up to 30 June 2020, and a further $10,000 next financial year (2020-21) up to 24 September 2020. If eligible, you won’t pay tax on the withdrawal/money and it will not affect your Centrelink or Veterans’ Affairs payments.

To apply for early release of your super, you must satisfy one or more of the following requirements set by the Government:

• You are unemployed, or

You’re eligible to receive:

• A job seeker payment
• Youth allowance for jobseekers
• Parenting payment (including the single and partnered payments)
• Special benefit, or
• farm household allowance.

OR

On or after 1 January 2020, you:

• were made redundant, or
• had your working hours reduced by 20% or more, or
• are a sole trader and your business was suspended or there was a reduction in your turnover of 20% or more.

Certain temporary residents may also be able to apply for early release of up to $10,000 of their super this financial year (2019-20) up to 30 June 2020.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, go directly to the ATO through the myGov website. You’ll need to certify you meet the above eligibility criteria.

After the ATO has processed your application, they’ll advise us to release your super payment. We’ll then make the payment directly to you.

Please don’t apply to UniSuper directly.

For more information, please refer to the ATO website on Early Release, and the Government’s fact sheet (PDF, 208 KB).

THINGS TO CONSIDER

If you’re in financial distress and considering withdrawing your super, please consider this option carefully. You may wish to check if you’re eligible for any other forms of support. Taking money from your account now could leave you worse off in the long run. Additionally, any insurance cover you have may be cancelled if there’s not enough money in your account to cover the cost of insurance premiums. If you need help or want to discuss how early withdrawal could impact you, please speak to UniSuper Advice.

BEWARE OF SCAMS

There are currently COVID-19 (Coronavirus) themed phishing emails and Text Messages in circulation. The ATO is managing all applications for Early release, there is no need to apply through any other third party.

See our FAQs further down this page for more information.

In a move to support retirees, the Government proposes to reduce the minimum drawdown requirements for pension payments by 50% for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years.

This is available to Flexi Pension and Transition to retirement pension members if these measures proceed as outlined.

The reduction applies for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years.

Age	Default minimum drawdown rates (%)	Reduced rates by 50% for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years (%)
Under 65	4	2
65-74	5	2.5
75-79	6	3
80-84	7	3.5
85-89	9	4.5
90-94	11	5.5
95 or older	14	7

We’ll write to any affected pension members about this change in the coming weeks.

HOW TO APPLY

If you’ve elected to receive the minimum annual pension and you’d like to take advantage of the reduced rate, you can either:

Log in to your online account

OR

Complete the Change of details form – pension members (PDF, 633 KB).

Please make it clear on your form that you’d like this change implemented before 30 June 2020.

Once completed, please send the form to pensionsmailbox@unisuper.com.au.

There have also been proposed reductions in the assets test deeming rates which may increase Centrelink entitlements for some. These changes will take effect from 1 May 2020.

For more information, please refer to the Government’s fact sheet (PDF, 136 KB).

How long are applications open for early access to super?

Applications for this financial year can be made until 30 June 2020.
Applications for the 2020/21 financial year can be made from 1 July 2020 to 24 September 2020.

Can I withdraw funds from more than one account?
Yes. The ATO will advise where you can withdraw funds from as part of their application process.
For example, you can apply to withdraw $1,000 from one fund, and $9,000 from another fund if it’s part of the same application.

How long will it take to receive an approval or rejection from the ATO?
The ATO has indicated it will take 4 business days. You’ll receive an email in your MyGov inbox and may receive an SMS notification. The ATO will let us know if your application is approved.

How will I get my money?
The ATO will let us know if your application is approved.
We’ll send you a confirmation SMS and/or email. We’ll also send a confirmation letter through the post.
The payment will go directly into the bank account we have on record for you as soon as possible. Please ensure your personal details (name, residential address, email address, phone number) are up-to-date by logging into your online account.

Am I able to access my super if I’m living overseas?
Yes, but you still must meet the eligibility criteria.

Why is myGov showing a different super balance?
Balances as at 30 June are provided to the ATO on an annual basis, this is the balance that appears on your myGov account. This should not hinder your application for the COVID-19 early release. We recommend checking your super balances before submitting your early release request. You can log in to your account to check your UniSuper balance.

What if I’m a Defined Benefit Division member?
If you’re a Defined Benefit Division member, you can still apply for early access to your super if you meet the eligibility criteria. Note that some or all of your defined benefit component may be used to provide the total withdrawal amount that you have requested if you do not have a sufficient balance in your accumulation component. There may be significant implications to your defined benefit. Please contact us if you need more information.

Can temporary residents apply?

Yes, if you’re a temporary resident, you can apply to release up to $10,000 of your super this financial year (up to 30 June 2020) if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You’ve held a student visa for 12 months or more and you’re unable to meet immediate living expenses.
• You hold a temporary skilled worker visa and are employed and you cannot meet immediate living expenses. 
• You hold a temporary resident visa (excluding a student or skilled worker visa) and you cannot meet immediate living expenses.

Can you request money from a pension account?
No. Super can’t be released from a pension account under the coronavirus early access arrangements.

How can I find out more?
Visit the ATO website for more information about early access to super.

All pension payments are planned to be processed as usual. Our operations team will also continue to process lump sum benefits, insurance claims and contributions. However, as a result of our modified working conditions, some processing may take a little longer than normal, and we ask you to bear with us while we do our best to deliver a quality service to you.

Super is a long-term investment, and our expert team is used to working with fluctuating markets. At this time, as our investments team’s role is of utmost importance to our members' retirement outcomes, we’ve put additional measures in place to ensure the team can continue to function effectively, from any location, through the COVID-19 crisis.

If you're considering your investment options or are curious about switching, we recommend you make sure you’re aware of the investment basics of risk and return before deciding to make a switch. You’ll find more information on our Investment switching page.

If you'd like more information or help with switching your investments, contact us.  

For help with choosing the right investment option for you, contact UniSuper Advice to speak to a financial adviser.

In the interests of minimising risk to members and UniSuper staff, we’ve made the considered decision to cancel all our upcoming seminars until further notice. We’ll keep you updated as we look for alternative ways to keep you informed about your super and post further updates here.

You can access our online webcasts to take advantage of previously recorded seminars and information sessions.

Insurance through your super can provide important financial protection if you become seriously ill and are unable to work. The Death & Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance provided through our insurer TAL, doesn’t have any exclusions related to COVID-19. Therefore, the usual claims process would apply, if a claim is required.

Scammers have been taking advantage of the Coronavirus crisis to exploit Australians, using fake emails, phone calls or text messages to try and obtain personal data.

These are also known as ‘phishing’ scams. They look like a genuine email or text message and contain links or attachments leading to malicious software or fake websites.

Be on the lookout for phishing emails or phone calls impersonating the ATO, Centrelink, the World Health Organisation as well as other government authorities and legitimate companies.
 
UniSuper will never call you to ask for your personal details or to request a payment.

Always access your UniSuper online account via the UniSuper website (don’t use links in emails or SMS). Be particularly wary of anyone asking for your tax file number or trying to pressure you into something over the phone.

Scammers are also targeting Australians by offering ‘COVID-19 assistance’ payments if they complete an application form attached in the email. Opening the attachment may download malicious software onto your device.
 
The government’s early super access scheme does not start until mid-April, so anyone calling you about accessing your super before then is likely to be a scammer.

Visit the Scamwatch website for more information.

If you’ve experienced a reduction in work hours, a reduction in your salary or redundancy, you may have some questions. We’re here to help. Our fact sheets on Redundancy and Salary reductions and working less might help, or you could talk to a super consultant. There’s no extra charge for an appointment, it’s all part of being a UniSuper member. Book an appointment with a super consultant