The benefits are yours
You can access your KiwiSaver savings when you reach your qualifying date (this is usually your 65th birthday) and there are also some other limited circumstances where you may be eligible for an early withdrawal from your KiwiSaver savings – see below.
Buying your first home
One useful reason to contribute is when you come to buy or build your first home you can withdraw money from your account to go towards the cost of buying your house or land. The money can be applied towards a deposit (subject to conditions) or paid at settlement. This allows you to borrow less from your mortgage provider.
To qualify for a First Home Withdrawal, you must:
- be 18 years of age or older;
- have been a KiwiSaver member for at least three years (or at least three years must have passed since Inland Revenue first received a contribution to a KiwiSaver scheme for you);
- intend to live mostly in the home you’re buying;
- have never before owned your own property (very limited exceptions apply); and
- have never before made a withdrawal to buy a first home.
You must leave a minimum balance of $1,000 in your account and you cannot withdraw any amount transferred to KiwiSaver from an Australian superannuation scheme.
If you have owned a property before, and your financial position is considered to be the same as a first home buyer, you may be able to apply to Housing New Zealand to be considered for a withdrawal as a previous home buyer.
You may also qualify for Housing New Zealand’s KiwiSaver HomeStart grant. The eligibility criteria for the HomeStart grant are different to those for the First Home Withdrawal.
Withdrawals from age 65
Once you reach New Zealand Superannuation age (currently 65), provided you have also been in KiwiSaver for at least five years you have made it to your qualifying date! This is when you are eligible to withdraw some or all of your money in your KiwiSaver account.
After reaching your qualifying date, your options as a Scheme member are:
- Keep your Scheme account open
You can arrange regular fortnightly or monthly withdrawal amounts or make occasional one-off withdrawals. A $200 minimum applies to each regular withdrawal and a $1,000 minimum applies to a one-off withdrawal. We can change the minimum withdrawal amounts at any time. Also, you have the option to make further contributions to your account (though from your qualifying date you will no longer be eligible for employer or Government contributions).
- Close your Scheme account
You can choose to withdraw all of your money. You will cease to be a member and will not be able to re-join KiwiSaver.
Withdrawals before age 65
There are a few circumstances where you may be able to withdraw part or all of your funds earlier than your Qualifying Date.
These are:
Buying your first home
See above.
In order to access the money in your Scheme account, you will need to verify your identity and your residential address.
Financial hardship
You can apply to your KiwiSaver scheme to withdraw savings to alleviate significant financial hardship. Significant financial hardship includes significant financial difficulties that arise when you are:
- unable to meet minimum living expenses;
- unable to meet mortgage repayments on your family residence, resulting in the mortgagee seeking to enforce the mortgage;
- modifying your home to meet special needs arising from your or a dependant’s disability;
- receiving (or needing) medical treatment for an illness or injury to you or a dependant;
- funding a funeral for a dependent; or
- funding palliative care for you or a dependent.
If you are a member of our Scheme, you need to fill in the Significant Financial Hardship form and return this form to us with proof of the costs causing hardship and any other supporting documents. The form requires the disclosure of your personal financial information and includes a statutory declaration.
In order to access the money in your Scheme account, you will need to verify your identity and your residential address.
Serious illness
In the event of serious illness, you can apply to withdraw your savings. Serious Illness means injury, illness or disability that:
- results in your being totally and permanently unable to engage in work for which you are suited by reason of experience, education or training (or any combination of those things); or
- poses a serious and imminent risk of death.
If you are a member of our Scheme, you need to fill in the Serious Illness Withdrawal form and return it to us. The form includes a statutory declaration. Your doctor also needs to fill in and return their section of the form (the Medical practitioner’s form) along with supporting documents.
In order to access the money in your Scheme account, you will need to verify your identity and your residential address.
Permanent emigration
If you move permanently to Australia, you may be able to transfer your money to a qualifying Australian scheme that agrees to accept the transfer. We cannot pay your savings directly to you. Please contact us for more information or visit the KiwiSaver website.
If you have emigrated to anywhere other than Australia, you may apply for a withdrawal not less than one year after the date of your permanent emigration from New Zealand. If you are a member of our Scheme, you need to fill in and return the Permanent Emigration Withdrawal Excluding Australia form with documentary evidence of your overseas residential address (e.g. utility bills, bank statements) and the date you left New Zealand (e.g. airline tickets, passport stamp). Add a link to form.)
In order to access the money in your Scheme account, you will need to verify your identity and your residential address.
Death
On death, we will pay the money in your Scheme account to the executors or administrators of your estate (on application by them). If your balance is less than a set amount (currently $15,000) and other conditions are met, we are able to pay your balance direct to a person such as a surviving partner.
Please contact us for the withdrawal form.
When you withdraw
There are forms available to help you withdraw your money from our Scheme in the Documents section.
