Lisa Mahar and her husband had already depleted their savings on less invasive fertility interventions. Now, at 36, she was faced with a choice. Come up with $11,000 for an initial cycle of IVF or risk staying childless.  

The Perth couple could never save that sort of money in time. So they did what a growing number of Australians are doing and cashed in some of Ms Mahar's superannuation.

They did it through a company called SuperCare. Respected fertility clinics are now promoting the service, which charges about $900 on a "no win no fee" basis to lobby the Department of Human Services on behalf of clients for early access to their retirement savings.  

SuperCare started focusing on the IVF market about 18 months ago and also advertises to help people get into their super for plastic and cosmetic surgery, obesity, orthopaedic, dental and funeral expenses.

With more than $100,000 sitting in her super account, it made sense to Ms Mahar. She picked up the phone.

Five weeks later, after an appointment with her GP and a session with a psychiatrist, the money was in her account. SuperCare had arranged her application under a compassionate grounds exception, arguing IVF is necessary to alleviate an acute or chronic mental disturbance.

Ms Mahar believes people with sufficient super reserves should be able to use it for IVF but they shouldn't have to argue on mental health grounds.  "There was no way that we could have afforded to do IVF at all and time was of the essence. This way it's kind of that virtual money," she said.

And SuperCare is very good at manifesting virtual money. It claims a 98 per cent application success rate. In promotional material it had boasted of helping clients access more than $65 million in the past 12 months, including $18.7 million for fertility and IVF treatment.

General manager Maria Gutierrez, an embryologist, said those figures were an error and actually related to the past four years but that most people who used their service for IVF had done so in recent months.

David Haynes from Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, which represents not-for-profit funds, said consumers should be wary of advice from those with a vested interested in the release of super.

"Accessing super early reduces the ability to save for retirement, including missing out on the benefit of compounding interest," he said.

IVF pioneer Gab Kovacs​ worried that clinics advertising superannuation as a payment option could encourage people to buy something they can't afford. "I don't think it's unethical but it will put financial pressure on them in the future," he said, adding there was still no guarantee of a baby.

Ms Gutierrez said critics of people who dipped into their super for IVF didn't understand their personal circumstances and failed to consider the undesirable alternatives they faced in the pursuit of a family.

"Some people don't have the luxury of time," she said. "Some people have maxed out their credit cards, some people don't have the option of getting a loan from the bank, some people have already refinanced their mortgages."

SuperCare's IVF clients are aged from 25 to 45, giving them up to 40 years more in the workforce to replace it, Ms Gutierrez said. She said anyone could apply directly through the DHS website but "it is a very long and arduous" process to go it alone.

A DHS spokeswoman said the criteria for early access was strict.

Two medical practitioners (one a specialist) must certify the treatment is necessary to treat a life-threatening illness, or alleviate acute or chronic pain, including mental disturbance. The treatment cannot be "readily available" to the person through the public health system.

DHS approved the early release of more than $183 million in superannuation in the year to July 2015, a 21 per cent increase on the previous year, its latest report shows. Of 19,367 applications received for early release 14,261, or 74 per cent, were approved.

The spokeswoman said it could not provide figures on how many of these were for IVF because the department didn't keep collated data on specific medical procedures.

The superannuation route has only become a topic on online pregnancy forums in recent months. One woman wrote she had accessed her super for IVF through SuperCare after already funding four unsuccessful cycles.

"Have had to deal with a lot of downs in my process of achieving a family, I haven't given up hope yet, but accessing my super has made it possible to go back again," she said.

Another woman said her application was approved within weeks after she spoke to a psychiatrist over Skype.

Philip Clarke, Melbourne University's Health Economics head, said a HECS-style income contingent loan for fertility services may be better than allowing people to dip into their super.

"Clearly there's a demand there, people want access and they're obviously finding it hard to use their own current resources."

Ms Mahar has gone through egg collection and is now awaiting her first transfer.