Employer news - summer edition 2018

Welcome to the Insurance themed summer edition of Employer News. Any comments are welcome and can be sent to EmployerHub@csc.gov.au

What is PSS Additional Death and Invalidity Cover (ADIC)?

Like the name suggests, this is optional death and invalidity insurance above that already offered by the PSS. It is a form of group insurance, meaning that it is generally inexpensive compared to private cover.

It is purchased by members under 60 through the payment of regular premiums. It is accessed through underwriting by the insurer, so the premium paid depends on the level of risk. The employer will pay 50% of the standard risk; premium and the member the balance of the total premium due.

It is ideal for members who joined the PSS later in life and have not built up a substantial PSS balance. They may feel that they need to increase their cover to compensate for a smaller PSS invalidity benefit.

An important point that members do need to be aware of is that ADIC premiums are counted towards superannuation contribution caps. The employer component of the premium will count towards the concessional cap and the member component will count towards the non-concessional cap.

More information is available from our PSS website Insurance section.

Members can ring 1300 000 377 if they want to discuss whether ADIC is right for them.

If you have any employer questions, please call our Employer Help Desk on 1300 338 240.

PSSap membership rules have changed

Eligible PSSap members who leave an eligible PSSap employer are able to continue to contribute to PSSap via their private sector or State Government employer. 

Women in Super

Australia wide, the average superannuation balance of women at retirement is about half that of men. CSC schemes offer a number of ways that members can add to their superannuation and maybe narrow this gap. Your Relationship Managers are available to discuss member education and other strategies that can assist you and your staff.

lifePLUS PSSap Income Protection Insurance

Through lifePLUS cover, the PSSap offers income protection insurance to our members.

If someone is injured or suddenly falls ill, they can very quickly find bills mounting up as well as the pressure to meet the costs of food and accommodation. Having income protection in place is a smart strategy to ensure they can help meet their financial responsibilities.

Ways in which PSSap Insurance Differs from PSS/CSS Invalidity

There are some core differences between PSSap insurance and PSS/CSS invalidity including the application process and benefits available. We’ve outlined 8 of the differences between the schemes for you.

Possible future changes

There is legislation currently before the Parliament to allow for the early release of amounts of superannuation to assist Australians in purchasing their first home. Another change still before Parliament is aimed at encouraging home owners over the age of 65 to consider downsizing their home and contribute the proceeds of the sale to superannuation.

From the PSS and CSS Case Officers

PIP/PAP reimbursement invoices

CSC is prioritising this work in the weeks prior to Christmas to reduce its backlog of overdue invoices for all employers. Please bear with us as we work through checking the calculations and invoice payments.

Change of email proxy for Invalidity Enquiries

The APSIA.admin@csc.gov.au email address has been discontinued and all employers will receive a bounce back reply if used in the future. Employers with CSS & PSS member's invalidity enquiry should now use the Casework Services proxy for all requests; caseworkservices@csc.gov.au.

AGS numbers in email titles

Could all employers please begin to put the member's AGS Number in the title of the email when emailing CSC.

Our claims assessors work to AGS number ranges, so this will allow for faster allocation of enquiries and faster processing.