Raiding super is a sugar hit: Here are five sweeter ways of getting $44 a week extra

September 13, 2026 — 5:00am

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Last week we saw the enticing, vote-buying idea of being able to raid our super contributions, raised again. Previously a Coalition thought bubble, One Nation’s Pauline Hanson has been spruiking it this time.

Because gee it’s a sugar hit. Why lock up all that delicious money in a jar on top of the metaphorical fridge – to be seen but not touched for years?

Well, we all know about the dangers of tooth decay …

What’s the problem?

One Nation’s radical proposed super change would allow renters or mortgage-holders to receive 3 per cent of their 12 per cent employer super contributions as take-home pay, for three years.

The pitch is that if you are on $90,000 a year, you would get an extra $2300 a year.

So that’s $44 a week.

The trouble is that this would otherwise be invested for your long term.

And not just anywhere: in the most tax-advantaged place possible. There’s basically 15 per cent tax on the way in, 15 per cent on earnings while in there, then usually zero tax on the way out.

In fact, the $6900 “bonus” over three years, that would no doubt disappear on day-to-day living costs, would mean $25,000 lost by retirement for the average 30-year-old, says the Super Members Council.

Yep, it would lose you almost four times as much when you’ll really need it, as you’d get now.

Super Members Council CEO Misha Schubert put it well: “Turning super into an ATM is a reckless idea that would make battling Australians poorer.”

So, let’s look at five hacks that put more than $44 a week instantly back in your pocket … and cost you nothing!

What you can do about it

1. Get your tax refund now

If you do your own tax return, you’re gearing up for the October 31 deadline.

What do you generally get back … $1000, $2000, $2300?

Well, rather than waiting a year for that money, and letting the ATO keep it in the meantime, you can get it spread across each and every pay. Potentially even that target $44 a week!

By simply filling out what’s called a PAYG withholding variation form on the ATO website, your pay will feature the extra very quickly. It takes a maximum of 28 days to process (possibly up to 56 days if you use the paper form) and your take-home will be adjusted from the pay day after the ATO notifies your employer.

The ATO says: “We may seek more information from you before or after your application is processed, where a review is necessary. If you fail to provide this or there is some doubt of entitlement to a deduction, we may not be able to grant a variation.”

This might include copies of receipts, invoices or other documentary evidence substantiating each amount claimed. In essence, the ATO might want supporting documents for work-related expenses, rental property expenses (remember negative gearing is grandfathered) and investment and other expenses, like income protection policies.

“We process your application based on the information you provide. It’s your responsibility to make sure this information is adequate to allow us to calculate a withholding rate to meet your end-of-year tax liability,” the ATO site says.

And that’s the thing: it’s important not to land in a situation where you need to pay back money at the end of the year. And in that it helps if your income and deductions are fairly set from year to year.

So, if money is tight from week to week consider it but be conservative.

Speaking of tight money …

2. Buy everything through cashback apps

You’ve probably already cut your expenses like a hot knife through butter. There’s little choice right now than to slice.

But on what you need to spend, there are two ways of cutting the cost beyond buying when on sale; both just involve adding an interim purchasing step.

The first cost-cutting method is to purchase everything you can through a cashback app or service. These include Shopback, Finder and Citro (note that Commbank is getting out of the space with its Yello revamp).

These operate almost like Uber in that they connect merchants with customers. For that, merchants rebate some of their takings, which the cashback service shares with you.

There can be cashback of, say, 15 per cent on items all the way from chemist products to hotel stays for, effectively, discounted holidays.

Which brings me to the second purchase method of squeezing your expenses …

3. Buy the rest using gift cards bought at a discount to face value

It takes just a few minutes of planning to pre-purchase gift cards … to then use for your purchases.

The thing is that many are available at a discount to face value that locks in extra savings. We are talking every category of spend but I like this one for groceries … perhaps securing 5 per cent off that big unavoidable, expensive bill.

You can often get these deals through cashback services too, but via many other outlets like telcos, automobile clubs and unions as well.

Just apply the interim step of pre-purchasing gift cards … and keep careful track of their balances.

4. Buy hospital cover if you are going to cop the Medicare levy surcharge

A few months into the new financial year, it’s urgent to reassess whether you need to buy private hospital cover this year if you don’t already have it.

The income threshold after which you pay the Medicare levy surcharge if you don’t have cover has gone up for 2026-27 − it’s $105,000 for singles and $210,000 for couples. But you may be on track to earn more this tax year.

And beyond the thresholds, the tax penalty is steep at up to 1.5 per cent of income.

You’d be essentially paying for cover, without actually having it.

It’s a good way of wasting perhaps $44 a week. So check today.

You can find the best cover at the excellent (and independent) privatehealth.gov.au.

5. Refinance your home loan − $434 dollars a month

We talked about this one last week, but it’s quite simply the biggest financial flex you can probably make … if you move a $700,000 mortgage from a typical 6.8 per cent interest rate to a top-class 5.8 per cent rate, you will slash $434 from your monthly repayment.

And that’s a far better idea than raiding super and “mortgaging” your future.

Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon is a financial educator, the author of How to Get Mortgage-Free Like Me and the host of the Minted Kids podcast.

Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their own personal circumstances before making any financial decisions.

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Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon is a financial educator, commentator and author.Connect via X, Facebook or email.AdvertisementAdvertisement