The minimum drawdown from a superannuation pension income stream for the 2022/2023 financial year is calculated by multiplying your pension balance by the minimum drawdown rate.
There is no maximum amount which must be paid unless it is a transition to retirement pension. A maximum amount of 10% of your account balance applies for transition to retirement pensions which are not in retirement phase.
You might still be eligible for a part age pension, if your total assets value is below $901,500.
Can I Get the Pension if I Have Super? Having superannuation savings does not deny you from receiving Age Pension payments. Eligibility for the Age Pension is based on an Assets Test and an Income Test.
The amount of money you receive from the age pension you receive depends on your age, wealth and income. It can be affected by the amount of money you have in your bank account as well as in your super fund.
Lump sum withdrawals
If you're under age 60 and withdraw a lump sum: You don't pay tax if you withdraw up to the 'low rate threshold', currently $225,000. If you withdraw an amount above the low rate threshold, you pay 17% tax (including the Medicare levy) or your marginal tax rate, whichever is lower.
There are no rules about what you can spend your super on if you choose to take it as a lump sum.
Our research1 shows that a potentially sustainable rate is to withdraw between 4% and 5% of your household retirement savings in the first year of your retirement – and then adjust that amount every year for inflation. However, it's important to remember that this is just a rule of thumb.
The asset value limit is the amount of assets a person can own before their pension or payment will reduce from the maximum rate under the assets test. Example: Currently the asset value limit for a single service pension homeowner is $280,000 and for a single service pension non-homeowner is $504,500.
Contrary to popular belief, Centrelink does not in fact have access to your bank account and doesn't monitor it when working out your payment rate. Instead, the rate of payment you receive from Centrelink is based on the assets and any work income you specified the last time you gave them your financial information.
You do need to lodge a tax return if: Centrelink is withholding any tax from your aged pension payment. If Centrelink does withhold tax from your aged pension payment; this will be noted on your PAYG summary. If there is any amount of tax withheld listed on your PAYG summary, then you should lodge a tax return.
You can take money from your pension pot as and when you need it until it runs out. It's up to you how much you take and when you take it. Each time you take a lump sum of money, 25% is tax-free. The rest is added to your other income and is taxable.
Taking too much from your pension at once could leave you with a large tax bill. It is important to remember that most withdrawals from a pension count as income, and this income is taxed in the same way as a salary.
Take out a lump sum, with 25% tax free – this is technically known as an Uncrystallised Funds Pension Lump Sum (UFPLS) and it means 25% of your withdrawal is tax-free, with the rest taxable as if you had earned it from a job.
A Lump Sum Gives You More Control of Your Assets
By accepting a lump sum from the pension, you gain the control over your income assets. Even if the income generated from the lump sum is less than the promised annuity payment from the pension, you gain control over the assets.
Taking money out of superannuation doesn't affect payments from us. But what you do with the money may. For instance we'll count it in your income and assets tests if you either: use it to buy an income stream.
There are absolutely no restrictions to accessing your Super Benefit when aged between 60 and 64 after you are retired. There are two ways you can access your Super; either as a lump-sum payment or as a pension.
Employers of most pension plans are required to withhold a mandatory 20% of your lump sum retirement distribution when you leave their company. However, you can avoid this tax hit if you make a direct rollover of those funds to an IRA rollover account or another similar qualified plan.
When you retire, you can withdraw 25% of this superannuation fund amount, and that amount is exempted from taxation. The remaining 75% is invested in an annuity fund in your name, to ensure regular returns during your retirement period.
If you are aged 60 or over any withdrawals from a taxed accumulation super fund are generally tax-free. Speak to a financial adviser to find out the best way to take your super since taking all of your super on retirement as a lump sum may not be a good idea.
A quarter (25%) of the value of most pension schemes can be converted into tax-free cash when the pension starts to be paid. This is the same for trivial commutation lump sums. A quarter (25%) will be free of tax and the remaining three quarters (75%) will be taxable as normal income in the year in which it is paid.
Centrelink has very wide powers to thoroughly investigate deposits that have been made into your account. For example, it has the power to obtain your information from other government agencies as well as accessing information from banks, building societies and credit union accounts.
You and your partner must have no more than $5,000 in combined readily available funds. This includes any liquid assets you can sell. Liquid assets include cash you have on hand, money you have in the bank and financial investments you have.