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FAQs – PSSap scheme administration outsourcing
FAQs updated 7 February 2012 with information on revised transition date
General
- Why is this change happening?
- The Australian Government decision to outsource the PSSap (November 2009) was driven by a desire to deliver Public Sector Superannuation Accumulation Plan (PSSap) administrative arrangements more cost effectively.
- Will PSSap continue to be a Government scheme?
- Yes. There are no changes to the scheme rules or member entitlements. Only the administration arrangements will change.
About Pillar
- Who is Pillar?
- Pillar Administration is a NSW state owned corporation established in 1912. It presently administers approximately 1.6 million accounts across nine clients and 20 schemes that manage about $60 billion on behalf of their members. You can refer to their website for further information: www.pillar.com.au
- Where is Pillar located?
- Pillar's main operations centre is in Wollongong. Their head office is in Sydney.
Impact on PSSap scheme
- Will the Trustee change as a result of this outsourcing?
- No, the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC, previously ARIA) will continue to be the Trustee.
- Will there be any changes to members' entitlements?
- There are no changes to members' entitlements as part of these new arrangements.
- Will employers still be required to pay 15.4% superannuation for members in the PSSap scheme?
- Yes – employers will still be required to contribute 15.4% for PSSap members.
- Who will handle the investment side of the scheme?
- CSC as the Trustee is responsible for scheme investment.
- What are Pillar's obligations in regards to privacy issues?
- Pillar is required to provide the same level of information security that ComSuper currently provides.
Transition Process
- When does Pillar take over?
- Pillar will commence administration of PSSap under the Contract from 11 February 2012. For now it is business as usual and ComSuper will continue administering the scheme until 10 February.
- Have you let my employer know what's going on?
- ComSuper has provided extensive updates to employer agencies to assist them in meeting the requirements of the outsourcing of PSSap to Pillar.
Pillar is working closely with agencies through the transition process, conducting testing of its new online PSSap portal.
- ComSuper has provided extensive updates to employer agencies to assist them in meeting the requirements of the outsourcing of PSSap to Pillar.
Impact on Services
- Who do I contact after transition for enquiries about my account?
- Until 10 February ComSuper is still responsible for all member services. Pillar takes over from 11 February 2011. Given that 11 February is a Saturday the first working day that Pillar will be providing contact centre services will be Monday 13 February.
- Will there be any time that services will not be available?
- There will be a temporary cessation of member services during the transition period. This is considered an appropriate practice for changes of this nature, in order to carry out data conversion and ensure a successful transfer.
Member services will cease, and our usual processing standards will not apply, from 5pm (AEDT – Australian Eastern Daylight Time) Tuesday 7 February 2011.
The PSSap Contact Centre will be available until 5pm (AEDT – Australian Eastern Daylight Time) 10 February.
- There will be a temporary cessation of member services during the transition period. This is considered an appropriate practice for changes of this nature, in order to carry out data conversion and ensure a successful transfer.
- When will services become active?
- Pillar has advised that they anticipate that services are planned to become active again as follows:
8.30am (AEDT)
13 February 2012PSSap Contact Centre (Pillar) re–commences operation: members will have access to general information only. There will be no transaction processing until 27 February 2012 or other date as advised
27 February 2012
PSSap administration services (Pillar) re–commence, including processing of member benefits, switches and roll ins
27 February 2012
PSSap Your account online portal (Pillar) is re–enabled – members will have the ability to conduct transactions and make investment switches online
These resumption dates are subject to change. Updates will be available on the website pssap.gov.au during the transition period.
- Pillar has advised that they anticipate that services are planned to become active again as follows:
- How will this affect my transactions during this period?
- During the transition period, the processing of all member transactions (including new member set–up, contributions, benefit payments, investment switches and roll–ins) will be deferred until after normal service is resumed.
This means the effective date of these member transactions will be a date after the service is resumed, and the unit price applied to a transaction will be the price effective on the date the transaction is processed by Pillar.
When normal scheme administration services resume, member transactions will be processed as quickly as possible. We aim to resume our normal standard – that is, generally processing your transactions within 5 business days of validating your requests – as soon as possible.
- During the transition period, the processing of all member transactions (including new member set–up, contributions, benefit payments, investment switches and roll–ins) will be deferred until after normal service is resumed.
- Should I let my financial advisor know about the outsourcing of PSSap?
- If you have a financial advisor, you may wish to provide them with this information.
- If I submit an account request or application prior to transition will it be processed?
- All account requests and applications that meet the scheme rules will be processed. ComSuper will process up until 5pm on 7 February and Pillar will process when its services are activated, which at this stage is expected to be 27 February. Processing times will be impacted by backlogs.
All transactions will be processed at the unit price that applies on the date that they are actioned, either by ComSuper prior to cessation of services or by Pillar after services resume.
- All account requests and applications that meet the scheme rules will be processed. ComSuper will process up until 5pm on 7 February and Pillar will process when its services are activated, which at this stage is expected to be 27 February. Processing times will be impacted by backlogs.
- How will I log in to the PSSap member website after Pillar takes over?
- You will still log in to the PSSap Your Account member site from www.pssap.gov.au.
However you will be asked to set up new access details the first time you access the site after Pillar takes over PSSap services. At that point the website will take you clearly through the appropriate steps for creating your new details.
This process will be available to members when the PSSap Your Account online portal is re–activated on 27 February (date subject to change), after temporary cessation of services.
- You will still log in to the PSSap Your Account member site from www.pssap.gov.au.
PSSap Contact Details from 11 February 2012
- How will I contact PSSap after the transition?
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Email – Members
Email – Agencies
Email – Complaints
Email – Webmaster
Phone – Members
1300 725 171
(note, does not change from existing phone details)Phone – Employers
1300 308 806
Phone – International queries
+61 2 4298 6030
Fax
1300 364 144
Fax – International queries
+61 2 4253 6122
Website
www.pssap.gov.au
(note, does not change from existing website details)Address
Locked Bag 9300
WOLLONGONG BC NSW 2500
Australia
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