About CSS

CSS, the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme, was designed for Australian Public Service employees. It is a hybrid super fund – a combination of a defined benefit fund and an accumulation fund. The accumulation portions of a member’s benefit grows from contributions into the fund plus investment earnings after fees and costs. The defined benefit portion is determined by a formula. 

CSS provides retirement, redundancy, invalidity, partial invalidity and death benefits to its members. See the CSS PDS for more information.

CSS closed to new members on 30 June 1990. Only current contributing members can put money into their CSS account or receive employer contributions.

Certain former contributing members may be able to re-join CSS. See Eligibility determiner for APS employees and Eligibility determiner for Non-APS employees for information about who can rejoin CSS.

Members can choose between two investment options for the accumulation component of their benefit: 

• Default fund
• Cash investment option.  

Members can choose the option they prefer. If they do not choose an option, the Default Fund option will apply. 

Member and productivity components will continue to accrue at the fund earning rates until the benefit is paid. 

Visit the How we perform page for more information on investment returns. 

CSS members do not pay any direct fees for administration, buy-sell spreads, or switching between investment options. 

For more information see CSS Investment options and risk and Fees and other costs.

Contributing members are in eligible employment and contributions are being made to their CSS account. 

Deferred members have left eligible employment, are no longer making contributions, and have left their CSS balance preserved in the fund. This means that their benefit payments are deferred to a later date. Deferred members may also be referred to as ‘preserved members’.

Read more on our About CSS webpage and in the CSS Preservation of benefits fact sheet.

Members over the age of 55 have two options when leaving eligible CSS membership: Age Retirement or deferring (preserving) their benefit. 

When claiming on Age Retirement, the member will generally be entitled to claim a lifetime fortnightly indexed benefit, and either a lifetime fortnightly non-indexed benefit, a lump sum or a combination of these.

Deferred members generally have the same options as contributing members when claiming their benefits.

Visit the Accessing your benefit webpage for more information on retirement options.

Contributing members are required to make basic contributions each fortnight from their after-tax pay at either 0% or 5% of their super salary. If the member does not nominate an amount, the default rate of 5% will be applied.

As well as choosing a basic contribution amount, members can make personal (supplementary) contributions. These are optional contributions paid above the 5% basic contribution. 

Read our Contributing to CSS fact sheet for more details.

Members cannot salary sacrifice into CSS, but they can salary sacrifice into a complying super fund of their choice or through PSSap as an Ancillary member. See the PSSap membership for CSS and PSS members fact sheet for more details.

CSS does not offer a TTR to contributing members. However, contributing members can access TTR through PSSap Ancillary and CSCri or any other accumulation fund of their choice. 

Download the CSS Transition to retirement factsheet for more information.

Death and invalidity benefits are a feature of CSS membership. They are not considered a form of insurance and are provided at no cost to members. 

CSS members can’t nominate a beneficiary. Death benefits are paid according to scheme rules – generally to an eligible spouse and/or children. If there is no eligible spouse or children, benefits may be payable to children otherwise considered ineligible or to the member’s estate.

For more information see the CSS Death and Invalidity benefits flyer

Depending on their circumstances, a member may be eligible to roll out some of their CSS benefit. Also, as specific legislation sets out how CSS operates, this includes which components of a member’s benefit can be rolled out and when. 

For more information see Rolling out your benefit.

CSS pensions (other than invalidity pensions) are generally payable for life and not subject to income or asset tests. However, any pension may affect a pensioner's entitlement to benefits or other government assistance from Centrelink, Comcare or the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Invalidity pensions are based on personal earnings or the member’s fitness to return to work. As such, CSC may review the member’s invalidity or partial invalidity pension until their 60th birthday. Invalidity pensions can be reduced or suspended if the member is under age 60, working and earning over certain thresholds.

There is no account balance for defined benefit pensions. However, a pension will have a transfer balance cap (TBC) value.