CSSB member survey launches soon. We want to hear from you!   Next week, you may receive a phone call or survey link from Probe Research. They’re conducting a member survey on our behalf. To ensure your security, only click on the survey link from probe@probe-research.com. A CSSB survey will never ask for personal information, such as your social insurance number, birthdate, banking information, or login details. If you have questions, please contact us at askus@cssb.mb.ca or 204 946 3200. If you do not receive your email link by June 1, please contact probe@probe-research.com. We look forward to your feedback!

The Lieutenant Governor in Council appointed Lynn Zapshala-Kelln as an employer representative to the Civil Service Superannuation Board. Lynn is vice-president Finance and Administration at Red River College Polytechnic. She was vice-president Administration at the University of Manitoba and served in the senior ranks of the Province of Manitoba’s civil service for almost two decades. Lynn is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Regina. We welcome Lynn’s expertise and extensive knowledge of public sector organizations, budget processes, and financial and management policies. Her term began February 8, 2023 and ends February 7, 2026.

If Box 28 on your 2022 T4A statement from CSSB indicates an amount, it likely means you received part of the group life insurance fund surplus. This money was shared among eligible employees and pensioners. The funds were distributed along with your monthly pension in May 2022. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) advised that the surplus is taxable because it was the result of good investments. CSSB must report the money paid and you are required to pay taxes on it. If you have questions about the taxable surplus, please contact CRA or discuss it with your accountant. .

The CSSB is still working to manually update thousands of member accounts and appreciate your continued patience. No action is required by members. For pensioners, the CSSB expects to finish account updates by spring 2023. Rather than waiting for every account to be updated before adjusting member pension payments, we will apply pension adjustments to completed member accounts starting February 2023. No matter when your account update is completed, any change to your monthly pension will be paid retroactive to your date of retirement. For employees, your CSSB account will be updated with the new salaries by June 30, 2023. For more information, read the fact sheet by browsing the Publications section of our site.

Your 2022 CSSB T4A or NR4 is now available using our Online Services https://cssb.mypension.ca. Pensioners who use Online Services are generally able to access their tax slips earlier than those who receive them by mail, and can generate copies at their convenience. It’s as simple as signing into CSSB Online Services and going to your Inbox. To obtain an electronic copy of your T4A or NR4: Sign into CSSB Online Services. Select Inbox (Document Centre) from the menu on the left. Click the download icon beside the document listed in your inbox as: “T4A - 2022” or “NR4 – 2022”. If the document doesn’t open automatically in a new window, check the folder in which you normally download documents on your computer or device. If you obtain your T4A online before our mail out date in mid-February, the CSSB will not mail you a paper copy. Online T4A’s that have not been accessed by that time will be printed and mailed. For members who are not registered for Online Services or who receive a pension from one of the other plans administered by the Board, T4A’s will be mailed out by the end of February. If you have any questions... Read More

The CSSB recently received information from the Manitoba government regarding the retroactive earnings paid this fall. We are working to manually update member accounts and appreciate your continued patience. No action is required on your part as it relates to the retroactive salary increase. For pensioners, the CSSB expects to finish account updates by early 2023. We will share an announcement on the CSSB website when the updates are completed. For employees, your CSSB account will be updated with the new salaries by June 30, 2023. The earnings will be considered in your pension calculation if those years are among your ‘best five’ years for pensionable earnings. For more information, read the fact sheet by browsing the Publications section of our site.

We are happy to offer an in-person Pre-Retirement seminar in Winnipeg and encourage you to register if you are planning to retire in the next few years. The seminar will be held at 206 - 444 St. Mary Avenue on Tuesday November 8, 2022 from 8:30:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (in the Conference Room on the 2nd floor). You can register for this Pre-Retirement Seminar through the CSSB Online Services (www.cssb.mypension.ca). When logged into your account, go to Register for Group Seminars on the left-hand side and click on the tab for Winnipeg. The number of registrants is limited for the upcoming in-person seminar, but we continue to offer in-person seminars and live online webinars. Dates and times will be posted to Online Services under Register for Group Seminars as the schedule is expanded.

The Board approved a 1.98% COLA based on the 2021 change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 4.80%. The COLA will be included in the July 2022 pension payments to eligible pension recipients. This increase also applies to eligible members with a deferred account.

The 2018 Public Service Group Insurance Fund valuation revealed a surplus. The Superannuation and Insurance Liaison Committee, which represents employees and pensioners, and the Employer Pension and Insurance Advisory Committee, which represents employers, negotiated an agreement on how that surplus will be used. For more information, please go to the Publications section of our website under Fact Sheets.

Pensioners, would you like to get fewer emails from us? If you currently receive monthly notifications that your online pension statement is available for viewing, you can now elect to receive statements only in months where there has been a change to your net payment. You can make this change by logging in to your Online Services account, then selecting the Document Preferences tab under “Edit my Profile”.

Although our in-person seminars have also been cancelled for the time being, we are offering live Pre-Retirement Webinars starting in February 2022. An online seminar is a live presentation made available using Zoom video conferencing software. Members who register for an online seminar will be able to view the PowerPoint presentation from their own computer, hear the presenter’s explanations, and have an opportunity to ask questions which could be answered live, providing there is adequate time to do so.

You can register by logging in to your CSSB Online Services account www.cssb.mypension.ca then go to Register for Group Seminars to choose a date and time that is convenient for you.

Employees who are registered for Online Services now have access to a Special Service Buy Back Estimator. Enter your annual salary and the number of years you’re interested in purchasing, and the estimator will tell you the current cost and the approximate increase to your pension. View the results on screen or print a copy for future reference.

Effective January 2022, pensioners will no longer be able to donate to the All Charities Campaign. The Province has advised that, “the technology and infrastructure that supported All Charities is no longer reliable. This means that the All Charities campaign can not continue as it always has.”

No action is required to cancel donations after December 2021.

Pensioners who wish to continue to donate to their favourite charities should contact those organizations directly to make arrangements. Donations to other organizations through deduction from your pension will not be possible.

Our member survey in 2018 told us that our website was the most widely used service that CSSB provides, and although the satisfaction level with the website was respectable, it received the lowest score of the services considered. Members told us that there was room for improvement in how the site was organized and in its overall appeal. We listened and are pleased to welcome you to the new CSSB website. The new site has an updated look, but everything you're looking for is still here and should be easier to find.

Comments or feedback? Please email askus@cssb.mb.ca

The Board approved a 0.49% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for eligible pension recipients, which will be included in the July 2021 pension payments. 

This increase is equal to 2/3 of the increase in the Canadian Consumer Price Index for 2020, which was 0.73%. A history of CSSB COLA percentages since 1977 can be found here.

This increase also applies to eligible members with a deferred account.

The actuary has continued to express concern that, unless changes are made, the Account will not be able to meet the target of granting additional COLA’s each year at the rate of 2/3 of the increase in the Consumer Price Index. The Board shares this concern. 

The Superannuation and Insurance Liaison Committee, which represents plan members in negotiating plan benefits, is studying the sustainability of the COLA Account.

The 2020 CSSB Annual Report is now available in the Publications section.

T4A’s in respect of pension payments made in 2020 have been sent to Canada Post for mailing.

Your T4A will have been mailed to you if you are not registered for Online Services, or if you are registered for Online Services but you had not accessed your T4A at the time the forms were printed.

If you are registered for Online Services, you can still access your 2020 T4A from there.

Bill 43, The Civil Service Superannuation Amendment Act, received Royal Assent in the Manitoba legislature on October 14, 2020.

This Bill changed the provisions of the Civil Service Superannuation Fund pension plan,and became effective immediately.

The Board approved a 0.49% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for eligible pension recipients, which will be included in the July 2021 pension payments. 

This increase is equal to 2/3 of the increase in the Canadian Consumer Price Index for 2020, which was 0.73%. A history of CSSB COLA percentages since 1977 can be found here.

This increase also applies to eligible members with a deferred account.

The actuary has continued to express concern that, unless changes are made, the Account will not be able to meet the target of granting additional COLA’s each year at the rate of 2/3 of the increase in the Consumer Price Index. The Board shares this concern. 

The Superannuation and Insurance Liaison Committee, which represents plan members in negotiating plan benefits, is studying the sustainability of the COLA Account.

The 2019 CSSB Annual Report is now available in the Publications section.

Bill 43, The Civil Service Superannuation Amendment Act, is currently being considered in the Manitoba Legislature. If passed, the amendment will affect the calculation of termination lump sum benefits and will extend the timeline to purchase service for periods of maternity and parental leave. See details here.