Youpla Support Program Information for former Youpla members
Let's have a yarn about something important
Beware of potential scams relating to the Youpla Support Program. If you're worried that someone pretending to be from the Youpla Support Program called you, hang up and call Services Australia on 1800 136 380. They can check if it was really them who called.
The government will never ask you for money for the Youpla Support Program. You can find out more about identifying and reporting scams at scamwatch.gov.au.
What is the Youpla Support Program?
The Youpla Group, or you might know them as the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund, or ACBF for short, sold funeral funds to mob. They went broke in 2022 and that left lots of mob unable to pay for Sorry Business.
The Government has set up the Youpla Support Program to support mob who were affected.
If you paid for a Youpla Funeral Fund, also known as ACBF Funeral Fund or Plan, on or after 1 August 2015, you might get a payment that could help with Sorry Business.
If you're eligible, you could get just over half the money you paid ACBF/Youpla (60%), or the total amount ACBF/Youpla would have paid you, whichever is lower. You won't get all of the money you paid to ACBF/Youpla, but that's because this way more mob can get help through the Program.
If the payment is more than $1,000, you can choose to put the money into a funeral bond, which can be used to pay for Sorry Business. You could also choose to receive this as a lump sum payment directly into your bank account. You'll be offered access to financial counselling under the Program to help you choose the option that's best for you.
The Youpla Support Program runs from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2026.
If you are eligible, you don't have to apply or register, Services Australia will call you. But if you need to pay for Sorry Business soon, you can call Services Australia on 1800 136 380 to get the process started.
It might take some time for Services Australia to reach out to everyone. To get ready, make sure that your contact details are up to date with Services Australia so they can reach you. You can update your details by calling or visiting Services Australia.
Am I eligible?
If you paid for a Youpla Funeral Fund, also known as an ACBF Funeral Fund or Plan, on or after 1 August 2015, and have not received money back through another government Program or Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) determination, you could be eligible for a payment through the Youpla Support Program.
You won't need to provide Services Australia with any information or evidence, the Government will determine eligibility using information from the Youpla Group and share this with Services Australia.
If you are eligible, you don't have to apply or register, Services Australia will call you.
What can I get from the Youpla Support Program?
Many people lost money when ACBF/Youpla went broke. The Youpla Support Program payment is to help you have money to pay for Sorry Business. It is not to pay back all the money lost to ACBF/Youpla.
If you're eligible, you could get 60% of what you paid to ACBF/Youpla, or the total amount your policy would have paid you – whichever is lower.
Let's figure out what this means
In the examples below, the benefit limit is the amount of money on your Youpla or ACBF funeral fund certificate. This is how much money ACBF/Youpla was meant to pay if the Youpla member passed away.
Example 1
Charlie paid $10,000 for a Youpla funeral fund for himself from 2010-2016.
The benefit limit was $8,000.
This is the money Youpla was meant to pay if Charlie passed away. Charlie has not received any money from Youpla, or from the Government for this policy.
The Government figures out that 60% of what Charlie paid for his Youpla Group fund is:
$10,000 x 0.6 (or 60%) = $6,000
Charlie's benefit limit is more than this, so Charlie's resolution payment is $6,000
Example 2
Beth paid $10,000 for a Youpla funeral fund for herself from 2002-2020.
The benefit limit was $4,000.
This is the money Youpla was meant to pay if Beth passed away. Beth has not received any money from Youpla, or from the Government for this policy.
The Government figures out that 60% of what Beth paid for her Youpla Group fund is:
$10,000 x 0.6 (or 60%) = $6,000.
Beth's benefit limit is less than this, so Beth's resolution payment is $4,000
So you can see that you won't get all of the money you paid to ACBF/Youpla, but that's because this way more mob can get help through the Program. The Government will figure out how much you get using the information already collected from ACBF/Youpla. You won't need to provide any other information.
Lump sum payment or funeral bond
If your payment is more than $1,000, you'll be able to choose to put the money into a funeral bond, or you can get it as a payment straight into your bank account.
If your payment is less than $1,000, you'll get it as a lump sum payment into your bank account.
A lump sum payment is when the Youpla Support Program puts the money straight into your bank account.
A funeral bond is like a savings account. Your money goes into a funeral bond, and you can use it only for funeral expenses. You can't use that money for anything else.
The funeral bond will be managed by a company chosen by the government. This company is not Indigenous-owned because there are no mob-owned funeral bond companies in Australia right now.
Unlike ACBF/Youpla, this funeral bond provider will have rules to make sure they do the right thing.
If you are eligible for $1,000 or more, you can yarn with a financial counsellor for free. They can help you understand which option might be best for you.
FAQs
These are some common questions about the Youpla Support Program. If you need more information or have a question that is not answered here you can email youpla@niaa.gov.au.
There are almost 14,000 people who paid money to Youpla/ACBF who are eligible for this program, so it might take some time for Services Australia to call everyone.
To get ready make sure your contact details are up to date with Services Australia so they can reach you. You can update your details online, or by calling or visiting Services Australia.
If you need to pay for Sorry Business now, you can call Services Australia on 1800 136 380.
The NIAA got information about members from ACBF/Youpla, and they shared this with Services Australia so they can call you.
Yes, you can call Services Australia on 1800 136 380.
No – you will not have to pay tax on the payment you receive through the Youpla Support Program.
No – Your payment will not be used to pay back any money you owe to Centrelink. You will have to tell Centrelink of any changes to your income and assets within 14 days - you can discuss this with your case manager.
If you are eligible for $1,000 or more, you can yarn with a financial counselling service under the Program. They can help you understand how your Centrelink payments could be affected.
If the person who paid for the Youpla policy (the "Payer") has passed away, the person whose funeral was covered by the policy can claim the payment. We call this person a "Member." Sometimes the Payer and the Member are the same person.
If both the Payer and the Member have passed away, the person who would have received the money from ACBF/Youpla to pay for Sorry Business can claim the payment. We call this person a "Beneficiary."
If Services Australia says you are not eligible for a payment through the Youpla Support Program, but you think you are, you can ask Services Australia to refer your case to the NIAA. You will need to give the NIAA evidence that you’re eligible. This could include:
- A copy of your Youpla or ACBF Funeral Fund Policy, like the policy document.
- A copy of a statement from your bank or Centrepay showing that you paid Youpla or ACBF.
Yes, you can have someone help you talk to Services Australia, or they can talk to Services Australia for you. We call this an ‘Assistance Nominee’. Make sure to ask the person if they are okay with helping you first.
If they agree, they can help you with things like:
- Giving Services Australia information about you or your eligibility for a payment.
- Getting information from Services Australia about your payment.
- Asking questions for you.
They cannot:
- Make decisions for you.
- Receive money for you.
If you change your mind, just tell Services Australia that you don’t want that person helping you anymore.
We also have something called a ‘Legal Nominee’. This is when there is a legal agreement that a person can make financial, legal, and personal decisions for you. Before they can make any decisions, they have to prove to Services Australia that they have a legal arrangement in place.
Services Australia will send you a text message (SMS) before they call you, and their phone call will come from a blocked number. If you're worried that someone pretending to be from the Youpla Support Program called you, hang up and call Services Australia on 1800 136 380. They can check if it was really them who called.
The Government will never ask you for money for the Youpla Support Program. If you receive anything asking for money, ignore it and call Services Australia on 1800 136 380 to let them know.
The Government is taking some of the people who ran ACBF/Youpla to court. They won’t go to jail, but the Government wants the Court to say they broke the law and make them pay a fine. The Government also wants the Court to make sure these people can’t do this again.
In another court case, the Court agreed that ACBF/Youpla lied when they said they were Aboriginal owned and operated and that the Aboriginal Community Funeral Plan had Aboriginal community approval. They are waiting for the judge to decide the penalty.
Resources
You can download these resources to learn more about the Youpla Support Program or share with someone in your community who might have been affected by the Youpla Group going broke.
- Guide: A guide to the Youpla Support Program for former Youpla members - PDF 692.13 KB | DOCX 701.39 KB
- Trifold brochure: Understanding Eligibility - PDF 255.71 KB | DOCX 676.22 KB
- Trifold brochure: Understanding the Process - PDF 274.25 KB | DOCX 668.6 KB
- Factsheet: I’m eligible for a payment through the Youpla Support Program, now what? - PDF 209.54 KB | DOCX 645.74 KB
Grant Opportunity Guidelines
- Indigenous Advancement Strategy: Youpla Support Program Grant Opportunity Guidelines - PDF 604.88 KB | DOCX 365.12 KB
Get ready
There are almost 14,000 former Youpla payers who are eligible for this program, so it might take some time for Services Australia to call everyone.
To get ready make sure your contact details are up to date with Services Australia so they can reach you. You can update your details by calling or visiting Services Australia.
If you need to pay for Sorry Business now, you can call Services Australia on 1800 136 380.
Get support
Wellbeing support
If this has brought up hard feelings, you can call 13YARN (13 92 76) for a private yarn with a First Nations supporter. They will take the time to listen with no shame or judgement.
Financial counselling
If you need help understanding your options, you can access free, independent support - search 'First Nations financial counselling' on Google.
Scam protection
Protect yourself from scams. If you're worried that the call is from a scammer, hang up and call Services Australia on 1800 136 380.