When Can I Access My Super?
Enter your birth month and work status to see your preservation age, the common path available now, and the 4%–10% transition-to-retirement range where relevant.
Published by GrowThenDraw Editorial Team · Editorial policy · Methodology & sources
Access milestones
| Milestone | Age | Month | What it generally changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preservation age | 60 | January 2026 | TTR or retirement access may begin if conditions are met |
| Age 60 | 60 | January 2026 | Leaving a job can satisfy an unrestricted condition; taxed-fund payments are generally tax-free |
| Age 65 | 65 | January 2031 | Unrestricted access generally applies whether working or not |
Preservation age is necessary, but it is not always enough
Preservation age is 55 to 60 depending on date of birth. Everyone born from 1 July 1964 has a preservation age of 60. Reaching that age does not by itself create unrestricted lump-sum access while you continue working.
At preservation age, someone who has not met an unrestricted condition of release may be able to start a transition-to-retirement income stream. It must make regular pension payments and is generally limited to between the applicable minimum and 10% of the opening balance for the financial year.
The common unrestricted conditions are retirement, leaving a job after 60, or turning 65
After preservation age, retirement can satisfy a condition of release when the legal retirement test is met. From age 60, ceasing an employment arrangement can release benefits linked to that condition even if you later work elsewhere. At 65, super can generally be accessed whether or not you are still working.
The tool uses the status you select as a planning signal. It cannot decide whether the legal facts of retirement, cessation or a fund's governing rules are satisfied.
Early-access grounds are separate and tightly controlled
Compassionate grounds, severe financial hardship, terminal medical condition, permanent incapacity, temporary-resident departure and the FHSS scheme have their own tests and restrictions. They are not shortcuts to ordinary retirement access.
Promoters who offer to unlock super for debts, holidays or general spending before a condition of release may be proposing illegal early access. Confirm eligibility directly with the ATO and your fund.
Preservation age is not Age Pension age
Super access and Services Australia Age Pension eligibility are different systems. Reaching preservation age or 65 does not by itself qualify someone for an Age Pension, which has separate age, residency, income and assets tests.
Frequently asked questions
What is my preservation age if I was born after June 1964?
Your preservation age is 60.
Can I access all my super at 60 while still working?
Not merely because you turned 60. You may have TTR access while working. Unrestricted access generally needs another condition, such as retirement or ceasing an employment arrangement after 60, unless you have reached 65.
What is the maximum TTR withdrawal?
A transition-to-retirement income stream generally cannot pay more than 10% of its account balance in a financial year and must also meet the applicable minimum.
Can I access super automatically at 65?
Generally yes, whether you are working or not, subject to your fund's payment process and any fund-specific rules.
Is super tax-free after 60?
Payments from most taxed super funds are generally tax-free from age 60. Untaxed public-sector funds and defined benefit pensions can be different.
Does this assess compassionate or hardship release?
No. Those grounds require separate evidence and statutory tests. Use the official ATO process.
Rules verified 2 August 2026 against official Australian sources:
- MoneySmart: account-based pensions and minimum withdrawal rates
- Federal Register of Legislation: Schedule 7 minimums and rounding
- MoneySmart: when you can access super
- MoneySmart: transition-to-retirement limits
- MoneySmart: retirement income and tax
- ATO: transfer balance cap
Scope: ordinary taxed super funds and the common retirement, cessation and age-65 conditions. Excludes defined benefits, untaxed schemes, early-release eligibility, Centrelink means testing and personalised fund rules. Educational estimate only.