Domestic violence victims fleeing abuse will soon be able to withdraw 10,000 dollars from their superannuation.
Family and domestic violence will be added to the list of existing “compassionate ground rules” which grant access to super before retirement age.
However Labor superannuation spokesman Stephen Jones said vulnerable women, particularly those experiencing domestic abuse, “should not be forced to choose between their safety and their financial futures”.
“Such women need and deserve paid domestic violence leave and real progress on closing the gender pay gap, including their superannuation contributions,” he said.
In a statement online, Greens Senator Larissa Waters said the government was out of touch with the social and economic issues women are facing.
"Women are retiring in poverty with super balances half that of men. Expecting them to dip into their meagre retirement savings to escape violence in their own home is wrongheaded and will inevitably lead to even worse outcomes. It’s especially insulting given how woefully underfunded domestic violence support services are," she said.