KiwiSaver significant financial hardship withdrawal
If you’re experiencing significant financial hardship (for example, if you can’t meet essential living costs), you can apply for an early withdrawal of your KiwiSaver savings.
Who is eligible?
You may be eligible to withdraw some of your KiwiSaver savings early if you can provide evidence that you’re suffering significant financial hardship, and have exhausted all other reasonable alternative sources of funds.
For example, if you’re unable to pay for:
- Minimum living expenses such as power, water and food bills
- Mortgage, rental or board payments
- Modifications needed on your home to meet special needs, if you or a dependent family member is disabled
- Necessary medical treatment for you or a dependent family member
- Funeral costs if a dependent family member dies.
How much you can withdraw
The amount you can withdraw depends on your situation and is decided by The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited (our independent Scheme Supervisor).
The purpose of the withdrawal is to help you cover any shortfall for your minimum living expenses for three months, plus an amount to pay any overdue bills or arrears. If you’re still experiencing significant financial hardship at the end of that period, you can reapply.
If you’d like an estimate of the current amount that is potentially available to withdraw under significant financial hardship, please call us on 0800 736 034.
Please note this is still subject to a full application and approval process. The approved final amount will be limited to what the Supervisor believes is required to relieve your hardship.
Before you apply
KiwiSaver is designed to help you save for your retirement, so before applying for a hardship withdrawal, you need to:
- Talk to your bank about how they may be able to assist, for example by restructuring loans or mortgages
- Talk to Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) who may be able to offer financial support.
As part of your application, you’ll need to confirm you have exhausted all other reasonable alternative sources of funding. For example:
- Used any savings you have
- Cashed in any investments or shares you have
- Asked your bank for assistance
- Asked Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) for assistance.
You might also like to use free budgeting services in your area, such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
Documentation you need to supply
You’ll need to be able to provide information about you and any household members who contribute financially to the day-to-day running of your home.
See page 7 of the application form for a checklist of the required documentation.
How to apply
Download and complete a KiwiSaver Significant Financial Hardship Withdrawal application form.
Submit your application – you can post or email your completed application form, or take it in to any ANZ branch. Our postal and email addresses are on page 1 of the application form.
Make sure you provide all the required information to avoid delays in the processing of your application.
Help completing the form
If you need help completing the application form, call us on 0800 736 034 or email service@anzinvestments.co.nz
You can also get help to complete the household income and expenditure sections of the application form from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
Assessing your application
We’ll review your application to make sure it’s complete.
If anything is missing we’ll contact you to request this, which could cause delays in processing your application.
Once complete, your application is sent to The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited (our independent Scheme Supervisor) who will make the final decision.
We’ll then advise the outcome of your application by text, email or letter.
Once we’ve received your application, we aim to pay your withdrawal within 20 business days. It may take longer if there are public holidays, or we need to ask you for additional information.
When sending funds overseas, this may take a further 10 business days to clear and show in your account.
Applying for additional expenses
If you have additional information which may change your financial situation (e.g. bills or expenses that you didn’t provide previously), you can apply to have your application reassessed.
If your application is declined
If you can provide new information, or if your financial situation changes (e.g. job loss), we can reassess your application.
Contact us to discuss reassessment, call us on 0800 736 034 or email us at service@anzinvestments.co.nz.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need to provide information about my partner’s income, assets and expenses?
Applications are assessed on the basis of your total household income, assets and expenses. That’s why we need information about both you and your partner’s financial situation.
What is a Statutory Declaration and how do I provide one?
The application form includes a Statutory Declaration which you’ll need to complete, sign and have witnessed by an authorised person. This is a declaration that your application is complete, true and correct.
Tip: Please be careful to complete all sections of the declaration, including Occupation (even if you’re retired or unemployed). If all sections aren’t complete you’ll need to get a new Statutory Declaration witnessed, which could cause delays to the process.
It can be witnessed by the following people:
- Justice of the Peace
- Notary Public
- Person enrolled as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court
- Registrar or Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court, High Court, a District Court or Court of Appeal
- Any other person authorised by law to take statutory declarations (e.g. if you are overseas)
Find a Justice of the Peace near you.
I’ve recently separated from my partner, do I still need to include their information on the application form?
If you’ve recently separated from your partner, you don’t need to include their information in your application. However you’ll need to provide evidence to support this; for example relevant court orders confirming your legal separation. If it’s an informal separation, you’ll need to provide a letter confirming you are responsible for your household finances.
Why can’t I withdraw all my savings?
You can’t withdraw any of the Government contributions. You can only apply to withdraw your own contributions and any contributions from your employer.
Why is the process so difficult to apply for an early withdrawal? It’s my money after all.
We understand that the process can seem complex and time-consuming. KiwiSaver is designed to help New Zealanders save for their retirement, so your savings are generally locked in until you reach age 65. That’s why your savings can only be withdrawn if the supervisor is satisfied that you’re suffering or likely to suffer from significant financial hardship, and the amount withdrawn is limited to that required to alleviate the particular hardship.