Employer news - winter edition 2018
Read the latest updates in your winter edition of employer news.
07 Sep 2018
New employer trainers to deliver new employer training!
We
are redesigning and redeveloping our employer training offering and have
welcomed two new trainers on board to make this happen!
John Ayton
John has significant experience in member engagement, having worked in a number teams within CSC’s member services branch—including the customer information centre, quality management, customer care, and customer complaints.
Siobahn White
Siobahn has been working with CSC for eight years. She has experience in education and training, as well as case management claims across all CSC schemes. Prior to her Employer Trainer role, Siobahn worked in the casework area for five years.
Book in for a training session, it’s free!
Our trainers are scheduled to run a number of different training sessions across the country. See our training schedule online and register your interest.
PSS ADIC renewal notices are going electronic
From September this year, we will be sending PSS Additional Death and Invalidity Cover (ADIC) renewal notices electronically via email.
Member education
We run seminars and webinars for members to help them understand how their scheme works, and to explain their retirement options. We offer public seminars and webinars around Australia. To check for upcoming events in your area, please see our list of seminars on the CSC website.
Reminder: PSSap insurance salaries
PSSap insurance salaries should be reported every pay cycle in your PSSap SAFF file through your clearing house. Emails to notify CSC of an update to a member’s insurance salary should only be sent for retrospective changes. Any email notification will be overridden by insurance salary information in your SAFF data as soon as a pay file has been applied to PSSap member accounts.
Our mailing address has changed!
Following CSC’s relocation to 7 London Circuit, Canberra City our PO Boxes have also changed. The mail address for all CSC correspondence is now GPO Box 2252, Canberra ACT 2601.
If you have any CSC forms or envelopes stored anywhere in your office with our old details, please destroy them.
Please ensure you and the members are always using the latest version of our forms.
In the coming months previous PO Box addresses will be decommissioned and mail sent to these addresses will be returned to sender.
We are open for 'pop-in's
With our move to the new office, CSC have expanded the services we provide to members.
We now have:
We now have:
- A Customer Concierge located in the reception area
- New training facilities for members and employers
- A self-service area
Invalidity Retirement for Members over the Age Limit
CSS members over aged 65, and PSS and PSSap members over aged 60 cannot be issued an invalidity retirement certificate. Employees can still be medically retired, though superannuation benefits would be on grounds of standard age retirement. For CSS and PSS though there may still be tax offsets applicable to any lump sum benefit that the member claims. In this circumstance we ask that the member’s application be accompanied by an employer’s certificate that includes:
- The name of the employee
- The date the employment is being/was terminated
- The legislative rule under which the employment is being terminated (for APS employees this is section 29(3)(d) of the Public Service Act 1999
- The signature of the person authorising the termination of employment
If the employee is terminally ill with a prognosis of less than 24 months, any part of their benefit that they take as a lump sum will be tax free. In this case we would also need two medical certificates confirming the prognosis, with one of these from the member’s treating doctor.
For PSSap members, any benefit payable after age 60 is entirely tax free regardless of how the member retired so the above requirements are not applicable.
Fast-tracking for terminally ill members
Members who are terminally ill can have their applications for invalidity retirement fast tracked. They still need an invalidity retirement certificate to medically retire if under the age limits (see above Invalidity Retirement for Members over the Age Limit), but the medical evidence isn’t as restrictive.
For PSS and CSS members, there’s no need to obtain a report from an independent medical specialist. Instead, the member’s treating specialist and general practitioner should provide reports that comment on the Help Sheet found within the PSS and CSS Invalidity Notes. It’s important they address life expectancy within their reports as we may be able to offer PSS members a lump sum option. We may also be able to make any lump sum paid to the CSS or PSS members tax free.
For PSSap members, we require two medical reports preferably from a specialist and a general practitioner that can comment on the member’s condition, symptoms, work capacity and life expectancy. If a member has lifePLUS insurance they may wish to claim a terminal illness benefit through the insurer. We will discuss this with the member and provide them with the forms for an insurance claim. The invalidity retirement certificate will generally be issued after the insurer has made their decision on any insurance claim.
For PSS and CSS members, there’s no need to obtain a report from an independent medical specialist. Instead, the member’s treating specialist and general practitioner should provide reports that comment on the Help Sheet found within the PSS and CSS Invalidity Notes. It’s important they address life expectancy within their reports as we may be able to offer PSS members a lump sum option. We may also be able to make any lump sum paid to the CSS or PSS members tax free.
For PSSap members, we require two medical reports preferably from a specialist and a general practitioner that can comment on the member’s condition, symptoms, work capacity and life expectancy. If a member has lifePLUS insurance they may wish to claim a terminal illness benefit through the insurer. We will discuss this with the member and provide them with the forms for an insurance claim. The invalidity retirement certificate will generally be issued after the insurer has made their decision on any insurance claim.