The Consultative Committee on Staff Benefits has decided to increase the lifetime maximum that any employee or CBC retiree can claim under the Special Assistance Fund administered by the CCSB. It is going from a maximum of $10,000 per employee or retiree to $12,500, effective April 1, 2013. This is the first increase in the maximum lifetime limit since the SAF was introduced a decade ago. The increase is roughly equivalent to inflation over that time.

Only new extraordinary health-related expenses incurred after that date will be considered for the new maximum. If a person had already reached the old cap of $10,000 there is no retroactive benefit for additional expenses incurred before April 1, 2013.

Find out more information on the SAF and how to apply for assistance here.

The SAF comes from a variety of employee-paid benefits that had accumulated surpluses over the years. All the unions and the CBC Pensioners Association have agreed to manage the funds in a way that will ensure they can be used for many years to benefit both employees and pensioners on health-related matters.

The CCSB also approved the use of up to $100,000 the current fiscal year for CBC employee wellness programs.  Any of the money used will have to be matched by funds from the CBC. One of the objectives this year is to review our Respect in the Workplace workshops to cover the hundreds of employees who did not participate in the workshops several years ago or who came to the corporation after the workshops concluded.

Stay tuned for details on the workshops and other health promotion activities that will be jointly developed by the CBC and its unions.

Your CMG representatives at the April CCSB,

Bob Fisher

Marc-Philippe Laurin

Barbara Saxberg

Jon Soper

Gabi Durocher

Glenn Gray

Dan Oldfield