Jeweller uses superannuation to fund sex change surgery after claiming she was mentally ill
- Transgender woman accessed her superannuation on ‘compassionate grounds’
- To get early release of funds, had to tick a box saying she has a ‘mental illness’
- Gender Dysphoria is not considered a mental illness, process under review
Ms Frith (pictured) said ‘I was wrong in myself, I should have been female. I should have been born in the right body,’
A transgender woman used her superannuation to fund a sex change but first had to tick a box saying she was ‘mentally ill’ to qualify for early payment.
Siobhan Frith, 48, from Eumundi in Queensland, spent 46 years as David Frith before dipping into her superannuation to give her the body that she always felt was right.
After years of being married and living in the wrong body, she decided to make the change and began hormone treatment.
The treatment provided immediate relief to Ms Frith, who told ABC News that she felt ‘instantly better’.
‘I was wrong in myself, I should have been female. I should have been born in the right body,’ the jeweller said.
However, when the sunshine coast woman was ready to undergo gender transition surgery two years later- she was told the operation came with massive $18,000 price tag.
‘I would have to re-mortgage my house or wait until I’m 80,’ she told ABC.
To afford the procedure Ms Frith applied to access her superannuation on compassionate grounds.
Siobhan Frith, 48, from Eumundi in Queensland, spent 46 years as David Frith (pictured) before dipping into her superannuation to give her the body that she always felt was right
To get approval from the Australian Taxation Office to release her funds, the award winning jeweller had to tick a box saying she was either mentally ill or had an acute chronic mental illness
‘Even though [with] Gender Dysphoria [it] is now recognised that it is not a mental illness — it’s biological — but if you don’t tick the box, you won’t be getting approved, ‘ she said.
To get approval from the Australian Taxation Office to release her funds, the award winning jeweller (pictured) had to tick a box saying she was either mentally ill or had an acute chronic mental illness
An ATO spokesperson told ABC that gender dysphoria does not meet the medical requirements for surgery conducted on compassionate grounds.
Exceptions can be made in circumstances where a medical practitioner certifies that the surgery is treating a mental illness.
Ms Frith underwent the surgery in Thailand in June.
The categorisation of the surgery was raised with the Commonwealth two years ago, and compassionate release requirements are currently being reviewed by the ATO.
Ms Frith (pictured) underwent the surgery in Thailand in June