Modifications to your home and/or motor vehicle
To pay for modifications required to accommodate special needs if you or one of your dependants has a severe disability.
Important information
You need to complete the modifications to a home or vehicle to accommodate a severe disability form if you would like to apply for the early release of your superannuation on specified compassionate grounds for any of the following expenses, for you or a dependant:
- modifications to your home or vehicle to accommodate a severe disability, or
- disability aids required to accommodate a severe disability.
Are you eligible?
To check whether you are eligible, ask yourself the following questions about possible early access to your superannuation on specified modifications grounds:
- Do you and/or your dependant suffer from a severe disability?
- Do you/and your dependant require home/vehicle modifications or disability aids, to accommodate the severe disability?
- Are you unable to pay for the required modifications by any means other than accessing your superannuation?
What supporting documentation will I need?
The supporting documentation is dependent upon the type of expenses you are applying for.
You must obtain the required documentation prior to submitting your application to avoid delays in processing your application.
For modifications to your home and/or vehicle, you should provide:
- A letter from a registered medical practitioner who has treated you/your dependant for your/their medical condition, which states:
- that you/your dependant’s medical condition can be categorised as a severe disability
- that you/your dependant require/s modifications be made to your home or vehicle to accommodate your/their needs arising from a severe disability, and
- the specific modifications to be made.
The letter must also:
- be on the doctor’s letterhead and signed
- clearly show the doctor’s qualifications, and
- be dated and not more than 6 months old.
- Quotes and/or outstanding invoices and/or receipts from relevant service providers which demonstrate the amount required to be paid for every expense you are claiming.
The quotes, invoices and/or receipts provided must:
- indicate any amounts claimable through private health insurance, and
- be dated and not more than 30 days old.
Note: It is important that all expenses are substantiated by quotes, invoices or receipts from the required service providers. Without these, we can’t process your application.
For disability aids to accommodate a severe disability, you should provide:
- A letter from a registered medical practitioner who has treated you/your dependant for your/their medical condition, which states:
- that your/your dependant’s medical condition can be categorised as a severe disability
- that you/your dependant require/s disability aids to accommodate your/their needs arising from a severe disability, and
- that the required aids are not readily available to you or your dependant through the public health system, Government program or non-Government organisation.
- Quotes and/or outstanding invoices and/or receipts from relevant service providers which demonstrate the amount required to be paid for every expense you are claiming.
The quotes and/or invoices and/or receipts provided must:
- indicate any amounts claimable through private health insurance
- be dated, and
- be not more than 30 days old (except in the case of receipts).
Note: It is important that all expenses are substantiated by quotes, invoices or receipts from the required service providers. Without these, we can’t process your application.
If you have borrowed money to pay expenses
If you have borrowed money to pay expenses and are claiming early release of superannuation on specified compassionate grounds to repay this loan, you must provide specified supporting documentation.
This information must be provided in addition to the information listed above.
- If the money was borrowed from an individual, such as a family member or a friend, you must provide:
- a statutory declaration written by the person you borrowed the money from which confirms:
- the date they gave you the money
- how much they gave you
- their understanding of what the money was needed for
- how much you still owe them
- the agreed date the loan was to be repaid by
- documented evidence that the loan took place (this could be demonstrated by bank statements, money transfer receipts, cheque stubs, or credit card/bank statements in the lender’s name showing the payment of your expenses), and
- receipts showing how the borrowed funds were spent.
- If the loan was provided by a financial institution, you must provide:
- a written statement from the institution which gave you the loan which states:
- the amount of the loan
- the date the loan was given
- the purpose of the loan (if known)
- the date by which repayment was required
- the amount still owing
- the repayment amount and frequency
- the amount of arrears owing (if any), and
- receipts showing how the borrowed funds were spent.
- If the expenses were paid using a credit card, you must provide:
- copies of your credit card statements showing the payment of the claimed expenses
- receipts showing the payment of the claimed expenses
- a currently dated credit card statement which details the:
- current balance owing
- minimum monthly repayment
- arrears owing (if any), and
- total credit limit.