End of year cut off dates

Be prepared for processing cut-offs

 

Ensure to keep a close eye on the early cut-off dates for the processing of CSS and PSS benefits. This is particularly important for any employees who are retiring or leaving employment between now and January 2025.

Retirement and pension timeframes | CSS and PSS

Cut off

• Wednesday 27 November
• Wednesday 4 December

Pension pay day

• Thursday 12 December
• Thursday 26 December

It is important to note, our standard processing timeframe of 10 to 15 working days from the final date of employment and having received all the required information will continue to apply.

Please ensure you complete the relevant departmental report as soon as your employee separates and send all departmental reports and application forms to formsandapplications@csc.gov.au.

Standard processing timeframes will resume from Friday 3 January 2025.

Contribution data processing timeframes | CSS and PSS

Agencies with a shutdown period should submit CSS and PSS contribution data for payday 19 December 2024 through Employer Services Online (ESO) before your shutdown commences. A corresponding payment must also be sent.

Reminder! It’s important to ensure contributions are remitted using the matching Payment Reference Number (PRN) for correct and efficient allocation. PRNs are unique and can’t be used a second time for another pay.

The last few years in December/January we have seen a steady increase in the number of employer files that have not matched the contribution payments you have sent and/or the PRNs have been incorrect.

If your payments don’t match the contribution data, we can’t allocate contributions to any members in that file. This may impact interest earnings for members, delay benefit payments and cause further rework for you and CSC to rectify.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Contributions data processing timeframes | PSSap

PSSap processing timeframes will continue as per usual, excluding public holidays. 

Did you know the CSC sponsored clearing house enables employers to schedule submission of data and payments in advance for PSSap and Choice Funds. This is particularly helpful at this time of year.

Ensure that the transaction date in your SAFF file (field 26, .csv column W) shows the date you want the data submitted and the contributions direct debited from your account. If the field is left blank, transactions will be processed after 4:00pm on the day of authorisation.

If you’re unable to schedule in advance or are using a clearing house that isn’t CSC sponsored, any contributions received by PSSap via SuperStream by 20 December 2024 will be allocated to your employees’ accounts before the end of this calendar year.

Contributions received after 20 December 2024 will be allocated in January 2025.

Employers unable to meet final 2024 cut-off dates mentioned above, must please remit as soon as possible in the New Year.

If you have any question, contact our Employer Services Team | 1300 338 240 or email employer.service@csc.gov.au