Exempt Officers & Other Benefits

Some members become entitled to deferred benefits without terminating their employment. These include:

• Exempt Officers, and
• Members of Approved Superannuation Schemes.

Who are Exempt Officers?

Exempt Officers are members who cease active membership of the Scheme without having to terminate their employment with their current employer.

Are you eligible to become an Exempt Officer?
You may become an Exempt Officer if you are:

• an 'executive' within the meaning of section 4(1) of the Public Administration Act 2004, or
• a 'contract officer' (this includes all non-executives whose employment is covered by an individual employment agreement or by an enterprise bargaining agreement and those who are members of the Principal Class within the meaning of the Teaching Service Act 1981), or
• an officer, or class of officer, declared by instrument in writing by the Minister for Finance as being eligible to be exempted from continued membership, or
• aged 65 or over.

Superannuation benefits are not subject to preservation restrictions after a member turns 65. An exempt officer even if still employed by the employer that granted the exempt status, may therefore apply to take their full benefit from age 65.

How do you become an Exempt Officer?

The formal requirements vary. Please contact ESSSuper on 1300 655 476 for more details.

Benefits payable

If you're an Exempt Officer you are entitled to a deferred pension based on:

• your age at the date you became an Exempt Officer,
• your recognised service, and
• your final average salary at the date of taking up exempt status.

The deferred pension is payable:

• at age 65, or
• on application from minimum retirement age (generally age 55) after you have terminated employment with the employer under which you became an exempt officer.

Exempt officer deferred payments have the same options as those outlined under Age Retirement Benefit.

Present-day value lump sum

The governing rules allow an exempt officer to elect to convert the deferred benefit to a present-day value lump sum at any time after deferment. If you choose to do this:

• you receive a lump sum, based on your age at the date you elect for the lump sum,
• the lump sum must be rolled over to another complying superannuation fund i.e. ESSSuper Accumulation Fund, and
• no further benefits will be payable to either yourself or your eligible partner. 

Prior to age 65 some of the benefit will be restricted and not accessible if you have not ceased employment