Tens of thousands of Australians were allowed to withdraw more than $1.4 billion from their superannuation on compassionate grounds last financial year, representing another jump from previous years, with almost all of it spent on medical costs including dental work.

It has prompted the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), the health practitioner regulator, to call for the stamping out of business models and practices that seek to use superannuation to pay for "overly expensive or unnecessary medical treatments".

Under the ATO's access on compassionate grounds scheme, Australians can apply to take money out of their retirement funds to meet certain medical, palliative care, disability, death and home foreclosure expenses.

Do

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