Log inFacing hardship?
Facing hardship?
The KiwiSaver withdrawal process, made simple.
A rough guess is fine.
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We don't move your KiwiSaverA significant financial hardship withdrawal lets you take out some of your own KiwiSaver savings early, when you're struggling to cover the essentials. It isn't a loan, and it isn't automatic. You apply through your KiwiSaver provider, and their supervisor makes the final call based on your situation.
"Significant financial hardship" has a specific meaning in the KiwiSaver rules. You might qualify if you can't meet costs like:
The supervisor looks at your whole situation, including whether you've explored other options first. Being behind on bills doesn't guarantee approval, but these are the grounds it's there for. If you're not sure, that's exactly what we help you work out.
Usually enough to cover your essential costs for a period, rather than your whole balance. You can take out your own contributions, your employer's, and any investment returns. The one part you generally can't withdraw is the Government contribution. Your provider's supervisor decides the final amount.
Nothing. When we're the adviser on your KiwiSaver, your provider pays us from its own fee. It doesn't change your fees, and you can stop any time.
Once your provider has a complete application, a decision usually takes up to 20 working days. The most common thing that slows it down is missing or incorrect paperwork, which is exactly the part we help you get right the first time.
It's worth being clear-eyed about the trade-off. This is your retirement savings, so money taken out now misses years of growth later on. If you're planning to buy a first home, a hardship withdrawal can affect what you have available for that too.
It's also worth checking what other help you can get first. Work and Income may be able to help with urgent essential costs, sometimes without touching your KiwiSaver at all. None of this means you shouldn't apply. If you're in genuine hardship right now, this is exactly what the rule is there for.
Some other places to get advice or learn more:
Scammers and high-cost lenders do target people who are under money pressure. A few things to watch for:
Get help with your hardship withdrawal
Get startedyour step-by-step guide
Log in to myIR: your provider is shown under KiwiSaver. Or ring Inland Revenue on 0800 549 472.
Take your time, and don't leave boxes empty. Gaps and guesses are the most common reason applications get sent back. Three parts need the most care:
It starts with a two-minute check that a withdrawal fits your situation, then you create an account with your email address. It saves as you go, so you can stop and come back to it. Take your time, and don't leave anything out. Gaps and guesses are the most common reason applications get sent back. There are a few areas worth making sure you've done correctly:
will want to see:
You'll need to prove who you are using one of the three options below. Your photo ID must be current, not expired, and the JP certifies a copy of each document at your JP visit.
Option 1: one of these on its own
Option 2: your NZ driver licence (front and back), plus one of these
Option 3: a full birth certificate or citizenship certificate, plus one of these
One document showing your name and current home address, dated in the last 3 months. Download or photograph the whole document, not a screenshot or just the address corner. It needs your name, your home address (not a PO Box), the date, and who sent it.
Any of these work:
Something showing the bank account the money will be paid into. The first page of a bank statement works best, showing your name, your account number and your bank. A proof-of-account letter from your banking app works too. It has to be in your name. A joint account is fine as long as your name is on it.
The last 3 months of statements for every account you use, including your partner's if you live together. The supervisor assesses the whole household, so they look at all the money coming in and going out.
Download them as PDFs from internet banking. They need to show the account name, the account number and every transaction with its description. The latest transaction should be within about 30 days of when you send the application.
Proof of all the money coming in, from work and from any benefits. Payslips usually come by email or through your payroll app. A summary of any benefit payments downloads from MyMSD. If you're self-employed, use your income summary from myIR.
A letter from Work and Income showing what support you've been granted and how much you get, or a letter declining you. A withdrawal is a last resort, so the supervisor needs to see you checked what government help is available first. A decline letter counts just as much.
If you haven't been to Work and Income yet, do that first. Your letters are in MyMSD, or call 0800 559 009 and they'll send you a copy.
The bills you're behind on, like power, water, phone, medical or dental, no older than a month. Each one should show who it's from, your name, the amount and the due date. Quotes for one-off essentials, like replacing a fridge, go here too.
Proof of what you owe. For a mortgage, your latest statement (under 30 days old) showing the balance, your repayments and the arrears. If you rent, a letter from your property manager or landlord with the amount you're behind and your weekly rent, dated in the last few weeks, plus a copy of your tenancy agreement.
A letter or report from the doctor or dentist doing the treatment, and a quote or invoice for the cost. Clinics write these letters all the time. If the treatment is for someone who depends on you, the letter should name them.
KiwiSaver can help with the funeral costs of someone who depended on you financially. You'll need three things:
Your funeral director can usually order the death certificate for you. Any other certificate comes from Births, Deaths and Marriages. A quote is fine if the funeral hasn't happened yet.
Bills, quotes or invoices for the costs you're applying to cover, showing who they're from, your name and the amount.
Recent statements (under a month old) for any credit cards, loans, hire purchase or buy-now-pay-later, showing the balance, the minimum payment and anything overdue. The supervisor counts your minimum repayments in your weekly costs. If a debt is with a collection agency, include their latest letter.
The bills you're behind on, like power, water, phone, medical or dental, no older than a month. Each one should show who it's from, your name, the amount and the due date. Quotes for one-off essentials, like replacing a fridge, go here too.
If you have a mortgage or loans, ask your bank's hardship team what they can offer, like a repayment holiday or a restructure. Keep their reply, whether it's a yes or a no. It shows the supervisor you've looked at other options.
If your hours were cut or you were made redundant, a letter from your employer confirming what changed and when. If your job ended, your redundancy notice and final payslip.
Once you've got your form filled in and your supporting documents together, you'll need to take your form to a JP for it to be signed.
What to bring:
The JP checks your ID and watches you sign, then signs and stamps the declaration. They also certify your ID copy by writing on it that it's a true copy, with their name, signature and the date. It takes a few minutes and it's free.
You'll find JPs at most libraries and Citizens Advice offices, often at set times each week, so check before you go. You can also search for one near you at justiceofthepeace.org.nz.
A certified copy is usually only accepted for 3 months, so go once everything else is ready.
Near the end, the application gives you a copy to print, with a statutory declaration page at the end. Take it to a JP to be signed, then photograph or scan the signed page and upload it.
What to bring:
The JP checks your ID and watches you sign, then signs and stamps the declaration. It takes a few minutes and it's free.
You'll find JPs at most libraries and Citizens Advice offices, often at set times each week, so check before you go. You can also search for one near you at justiceofthepeace.org.nz.
Do this once everything else is filled in, so you only make the one trip.
Once the signed declaration is uploaded, submit the application. You'll get an application number, and you can sign back in any time to see how it's going. Keep a copy of everything you uploaded.
Takes a couple of minutes, at no cost.
Our tool guides you through the form's questions and the supporting documents you'll need.
Before your JP visit, we help check everything's there, so it's ready to sign and send.