My benefits

If you decide to leave the Fund, the benefits you have saved will be 'preserved' until you’re ready to retire.

You can apply to take your Fund benefits at your section’s normal ​​retirement age. You might be able to apply to take your benefits earlier (for example, if you have a Protected Pension Age of age 50).

When you retire, your Fund benefits include:

• a pension for the rest of your life; and 
• an optional tax-free lump sum.

If you die before you start claiming your benefits, ​options for your beneficiaries may include:

• a death-benefit lump sum;
• pensions for eligible children until they are 18 – or older if they are disabled or in full-time education;
• a pension for your eligible or legal spouse; and/or
• a pension for eligible dependants (adults who have been largely or fully financially dependent on you in the two years before your death).​

You can find out more about death benefits and how they are paid on the reporting a member's death page

Every April, you may also receive an increase to your benefits. In recent years, the percentage increase has been based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) figure for the previous September. The annual increase usually stops at Normal Retirement Age, but you can check your section's policy in your Member's guide when you log into your myFund account.

More details about claiming your benefits are available in the Claiming my pension ​section.

Request an estimate

You can ask for an estimate of your benefits at any time. This will show their current worth, and explain your options when you retire.

Log in to your myFund account to request an estimate. You must quote your pension reference number, which can be found in any correspondence about your pension with the Fund or ​when you log into your myFund account.

Claiming your benefits