More than 13,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were victims of a predatory funeral insurer can now receive compensation.
The Youpla Support Program will offer free financial counselling and the choice of a government protected funeral bond or a resolution payment.
The FSU strongly supported the Save Sorry Business coalition, a First Nations led campaign seeking justice on the issue after the failure of government and regulators. The Youpla Group, also known as the Aboriginal Community Benefit fund (ACBF), sold funeral funds before going broke in 2022.
The new Youpla Support Program started operating this month, on 1 July 2024. It is being run by Services Australia (Centrelink) in conjunction with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).
Anyone who was making payments to Youpla on or after 1 August 2015 will be contacted by Services Australia – you don’t need to do anything. Eligible people will then be given the option of a lump sum payment or a funeral bond.
Thanks to fierce advocacy by First Nations advocates and the FSU, this program can finally relieve financial hardship and allow thousands of affected families to move on with their lives.
More information about the Youpla Support Program can be found on the NIAA website or Services Australia website. Or you can ring the Centrelink Indigenous call centre on 1800 136 380 – Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
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