Frequently asked questions

As of 30 June 2020 there were 2,986 active contributors to the CSS scheme.

The DFRDB was closed to new members on 30 September 1991. From 1 October 1991 until 30 June 2016, former members who had deferred benefit rights or who were in receipt of DFRDB pensions were able to resume membership of the DFRDB under certain circumstances.

The Government introduced Military Superannuation and Benefits Scheme (MSBS) following a review of superannuation arrangements in place at that time, which considered whether the design of the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefit Superannuation Scheme (DFRDB) suited Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and reflected contemporary superannuation policy. The result was to close DFRDB for new entrants and introduce MSBS.

From 1 July 2016, former serving DFRDB members who were in receipt of DFRDB pensions were not able to join the DFRDB or MSBS if they returned to the Permanent Forces or became continuous full–time Reservists. Instead, they became eligible to join ADF Super and became eligible for ADF Cover.

If you are a CSS member you will remain a CSS member for life. There are currently no plans for CSS and PSS to be combined.

As the superannuation schemes administered by CSC are all legislated schemes, the increase of the superannuation guarantee rate will have no impact on our funds. CSC administers both defined benefit funds and accumulation funds, meaning there are varying rates of contributions depending on the scheme you are in. However, all of the schemes administered by CSC currently have higher contribution rates than what the super guarantee is increasing to, so there is no disadvantage with our schemes not changing.

There are different rules around consolidation for each of our schemes. Find out more about finding and combining your super.

Whether or not it is beneficial for you to consolidate your super depends on your personal objectives, financial situation and needs. Before making a decision you should consider the impact of consolidation on any existing insurance you hold through your existing funds, and you may want to seek professional advice from a licensed financial planner.

PSS scheme rules do not allow contributions otherwise than from eligible employers and members in eligible employment. Please get in touch if you wish to discuss options in relation to claiming the PSS benefit.

Find out about opening a PSSap account to complement your defined benefit.

PSS & MilitarySuper members can use the i-Estimator to work out what your pension might look like and when you might be able to leave work, depending on your unique circumstances.

CSS & DFRDB members can contact us for a benefit estimate.

Benefit estimates

A member who previously made contributions to a fund administered by CSC, such as CSS or PSS, but is now a non-contributing member who still has amounts held within that fund.

This answer is just for our customers in the CSS scheme

This commonly used term refers to the option of resigning prior to turning 55 (at least two days prior to your 55th birthday), preserving your benefit and claiming a deferred benefit after you reach age 55. If you choose this option, your deferred benefit will include an indexed pension (paid as your employer component). This pension is calculated based on 2.5 times your accumulated basic contributions, multiplied by a pension factor based on your age at claim. You will also be able to take your member and productivity components as a lump sum or additional non–indexed pension.

If you instead choose to continue working and retire at or after age 55, your indexed pension is calculated using a percentage of your final salary. This percentage is based on your age and years of contributory service. As the two calculation methods are very different, it is highly recommended you obtain benefit estimates for both scenarios well in advance of your 55th birthday.

Find out more about the 54/11 option

The Australian Government guarantees 100% of all CSC defined benefit pension payments for life (e.g. pensions from CSS, PSS and MSBS). The Future Fund was established specifically for this purpose.

If you want to start or stop claiming the tax free threshold on your CSC pension you need to complete an ATO Tax file number declaration form and indicate your preference at Q8. Once signed, this form can be emailed to [email protected], or posted to GPO Box 2252, Canberra City, 2601.

If you want CSC to withhold additional tax, you can email  [email protected] and advise us of the additional amount to be deducted each fortnight, either as a percentage or as a dollar amount. Please make sure you include your name, pension reference number and date of birth in this email. 

You can log into your online account at any time to change your details. 

Alternatively, you can complete our Change of Personal Details form and send it to [email protected]

If you’re currently a serving member of the ADF, your personal information, including your address, is regularly reported to us by the Department of Defence.  

If your current employer is contributing super to your CSC account, they should be able to update your name on their payroll system and send the update through to us. Check with your HR department to see if this is possible.

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If your HR department can’t update us with your change of name, or if your employer doesn’t contribute to your CSC Fund, you will need to let us know directly by sending in a change of details form.

For us to be able to change your name on our records, we need certified copies of your:

• marriage certificate with your new name; OR
• birth certificate if you have changed back to your maiden name; OR
• change of name certificate if you have changed your name by deed poll.

Your identity documents must prove your original name (as held on our system), as well as how you transitioned from that name to your new name. All documents must be certified as true and correct copies by an appropriate person, such as a lawyer or Justice of the Peace. 

We have launched our new digital portal. It’s a streamlined experience, improving the way you engage with your CSC super account/s online—anytime, anywhere.

Find out more, including how to register:

CSC Navigator

CSC will submit your data to the ATO before 14 August 2025.

If you’ve opted in to digital communication, you’ll receive links to your Annual Statement and Digital Annual Statement Summary either by email or SMS.

To check where yours will be sent, log into CSC Navigator to choose digital communication and update your details. If you prefer to receive your Annual Statement through the post, we’ll mail it to your nominated postal address.

You can check your Annual Statement at any point after it’s been sent out via CSC Navigator.

Your Annual Statement will include all the information specific to your CSC super account. This could include any contributions you’ve made, your investment performance, any insurance policies or cover attached to your superannuation, as well as what was deducted over the year—including withdrawals, tax and fees. Where possible, you will receive a projection of your balance and potential retirement income based on information available to us as at the date of the statement.

If you're not sure, get in contact with us and we'll take you through it.

If you think there’s incorrect information on your Annual Statement, you should get in contact with us.

If you haven't received your Annual Statement, you can log into CSC Navigator to access it. If you can’t access CSC Navigator, or you can’t find your Annual Statement online, contact us.

Please note: We send paper Annual Statements in batches from the second week of September through to November. If you haven’t received your paper Annual Statement, it may be because we haven’t sent it to you yet.

We send regular investment and general information emails to all of our customers who wish to receive these emails.

You can also view your account through online services any time.

 

All of our forms should have lodgement advice on them—usually on the back page. If you come across a form that does not have instructions on how to submit, you can email it to [email protected]

About our financial planning Meet our planners

Call us at 1300 277 777, or email us at [email protected]. We’ll ask you a few questions to pinpoint exactly what kind of advice you need, and schedule a face-to-face or telephone appointment with one of our authorised financial planners.

CSC does not have any physical offices overseas, however all customers can access their account online at any time via CSC Navigator.

If you need assistance logging in to your account visit our ‘Contact us’ page to find the right email or phone number to call.

Our PSSap, ADF Super and CSCri contact centre is open between 8:30am and 6pm (AEST) and our CSS, PSS, MilitarySuper and DFRDB contact centre is open between 8am and 6pm (AEST).

We're hoping to get back into visiting more of our employer sites to deliver information sessions. Reach out to your HR/People team to express your interest. If you’re an employer interested in arranging an in-house seminar for staff, please contact us on 1300 338 240.

In 2019, the Commonwealth Ombudsman published an extensive report on DFRDB Commutation, addressing the issues that have been raised by veterans. The Ombudsman’s report concluded that that neither CSC, nor its predecessors, provided incorrect information about commutation and that CSC is administering commutation in accordance with the law. The report made separate findings in relation to the administration of commutation by the Department of Defence, following which the Department of Defence issued a statement indicating that affected members could apply to the Department of Defence for compensation.

DFRDB customers are directed to the findings of the Ombudsman’s report and to the Department of Defence. The outcome of the Ombudsman’s investigation can be found on the Commonwealth Ombudsman's website.

Take a look at what superannuation is and how it works:

How super works

There are benefits and risks to having money in your super account, rather than in the bank.

One of the benefits of super is that tax rates on super are often lower than regular tax on income and normal investment earnings, and you pay no tax on investment earnings if you are taking your super benefit as a pension. 

Another benefit of money in your super account is the power of compounding returns. Thanks to the power of compounding, super can be wealth building! As each year goes by, any earnings that your super makes are reinvested—essentially giving you the potential to earn investment returns on investment returns.

However, like any other investment, super is subject to the risk of investment loss. There are also restrictions on when and how you can access funds held in super, where there generally aren’t those restrictions placed on the funds you hold in your bank account.

Find out more on How super works.

Before you make any big financial decisions, we recommend you seek professional advice from a licensed financial planner*.

Our easy-to-use glossary of superannuation terms can help simplify your learning process and make informed retirement decisions.

The Unique Superannuation Identifier (USI) for each of our schemes is listed below:

• PSSap 65127917725001
• ADF Super 90302247344001
• MSBS 50925523120001
• PSS 74172177893001
• CSS 19415776361001
• DFRDB 39798362763001
• CSCri 65127917725002

The ATO superfundlookup.gov.au website can also help you find details about other super funds you may have. 

The Australian Business Number (ABN) for our Defined benefit funds are listed below:

• CSS 19 415 776 361
• PSS 74 172 177 893
• DFRDB 39 798 362 763
• MilitarySuper 50 925 523 120

You can find information about CSC’s ethical investments in our product disclosure statements.

We believe that the most successful companies are those that consider the long-term sustainability of their business, not just the short-term drivers of current profitability.

We don’t automatically avoid companies associated with a negative theme (such as a high carbon footprint). Instead, we identify those companies at risk, work to understand the implications for their share price, and, where appropriate and practicable, support those companies to undertake activities that will reduce any undesirable outcome.

For example, we engage with companies identified as having large carbon footprints, and support them through a responsible transition of resources and processes towards reducing any undesirable climate consequences from the operation of their business.

We are undertaking a significant investment over the next three years to transform our digital services to customers to better meet their expectations. A key area of focus will be our online services to ensure all customers have a simple, easy ‘one-stop-shop’ for all their CSC accounts and services. We are also undertaking an extensive and ongoing process of updating our website content to make sure it is easier to understand.