Federal minister to assist Yarrabah Indigenous residents after collapse of funeral insurer
Federal financial services minister Stephen Jones has promised to help Far North Indigenous residents left short-changed by the sudden collapse of a funeral insurer.
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FEDERAL financial services minister Stephen Jones has promised to help shell-shocked Far North Indigenous residents left short-changed by the sudden collapse of a funeral insurer.
Mr Jones will meet with representatives from a Save Sorry Business coalition in Canberra on August 2 after more than 20,000 First Nations people were caught out by the liquidation of Youpla, formerly known as the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund.
It’s estimated more than 760 policy owners reside in the community of Yarrabah, contributing around $1.7m into the fund.
Mr Jones said he was “deeply concerned” about the impact the collapse has had on vulnerable Indigenous families and communities and was “committed to finding a resolution for victims.”
‘LEFT IN MORGUES’: FNQ town on knees after fund collapse
“I recently met with Indigenous members of the Yarrabah community and consumer group representatives in Far North Queensland and assured them that the Government is aware of the full scale of this issue and is taking action,” he said.
“This is in contrast to our predecessors who ignored this problem and took no steps to address it.
“The Government is actively working on potential solutions to address this issue and I hope to share more on these in coming weeks.”
Yarrabah was the hardest hit town following the collapse of Youpla in March, according to figures released by Mob Strong Debt Help this week, while residents of Cairns, parts of the Cape, Mareeba, Kuranda and Tully have also been left with no cover. It’s estimated atound 2200 policy holders live in Far North Queensland.
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Originally published as Federal minister to assist Yarrabah Indigenous residents after collapse of funeral insurer
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