Youpla Group (formerly Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund)

Help paying for funerals following Youpla Group collapse

The Government’s Youpla Support Program commenced on 1 July 2024. Under this program, people who paid for Youpla policies any time on or after 1 August 2015 are eligible to receive  a payment.

The program is being run by Services Australia (Centrelink) and overseen by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).

For more information about the Youpla Support Program, go to Services Australia’s website or call the Centrelink Indigenous call centre on 1800 136 380 – selecting option 7. 

If you believe you are eligible for the Youpla Support Program, but have not been contacted by Services Australia, you should contact Services Australia through their Centrelink Indigenous call centre on 1800 136 380.

Beware of potential scams relating to the Youpla Support Program. If you are worried that someone pretending to be from Services Australia has called you about the Youpla Support Program, hang up and call Services Australia on 1800 136 380; they can tell you if the call was legitimate.

Which funds are in liquidation? 

All of the Youpla Group funeral funds are now in liquidation.

The Youpla Group comprised four funeral contribution funds:

• The Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund (Fund 1) – issued by The Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund Pty Limited (entered liquidation on 11 March 2022) (ACBF 1)
• Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund No 2 (Fund 2) – issued by Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund No 2 Pty Ltd (entered liquidation on 2 March 2022) (ACBF 2) 
• Aboriginal Community Funeral Plan (Fund 3) – issued by ACBF Funeral Plans Pty Ltd (entered liquidation on 11 March 2022) (ACBF Plan)
• Community Funeral Plans (Fund 4) – issued by Community Funeral Plans Pty Ltd (entered liquidation on 11 March 2022) (ACBF Community).

Members of all Youpla Group funds are no longer covered under their funeral policies and should consider if they want to make other arrangements.

On 8 May 2025, the Liquidator filed an application for directions in the liquidation of ACBF in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

On 15 May 2025, ASIC applied to the Supreme Court of NSW for leave to appear as an amicus curiae in the Liquidator’s application. On 16 May 2025, the Court granted leave to ASIC and the GPL's application has been listed for hearing on 3 September 2025. See the joint media release (22-297MR) for more information.

ASIC previously wrote to the directors of Youpla Group to ask them to take immediate and public action to address concerns about the financial viability of these funds (see 22-046MR).

ASIC and NSW Fair Trading are dual regulators of the Youpla Group (including the winding up of the funeral contribution funds) and are committed to working together with the liquidator of the funds to ensure the best possible outcome for affected consumers.

What should members do?

Youpla Group members are no longer covered by their funeral policies and should consider other arrangements.

Payments to Youpla Group, including direct debits from members' bank accounts, should have ceased.

Mob Strong Debt Help has published information for Youpla Group customers.

Members may wish to contact a free and confidential financial counsellor to discuss their options, try Mob Strong Debt Help on 1800 808 488.

ASIC is aware that Mob Strong may be receiving many calls at the moment. If your call is not answered immediately, please be patient and wait for a call back.

Consumers considering other options for funeral payment arrangements can get more information about paying for funerals from the Moneysmart website or by speaking to a financial counsellor.

ASIC cannot provide advice to individual consumers.

How can consumers find out which fund they were a member of?

Consumers can check any documents they have about their policy, including any recent documentation received, to check which fund they were a member of. Consumers who are still unsure can contact the liquidator using the details below, who can advise which fund they are a member of from client lists.

Liquidator contact details

The liquidator for all Youpla Group entities is now David Stimpson of SV Partners.

Phone: 07 3310 2005
Email: youpla@svp.com.au

SV Partners has created a portal with further information regarding the liquidation of the Youpla Group entities: Youpla Group / ACBF Group Portal.

For more general information about the liquidation process, please see the following ASIC information sheets:

• Liquidation: A guide for creditors
• Dealing with insolvent companies

The above information sheets do not specifically deal with the liquidation of registered funeral contribution funds.

Complaints about a Youpla business

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) had previously been accepting complaints about Youpla/ACBF.

AFCA paused processing complaints against the Youpla/ACBF businesses in 2022, as AFCA cannot proceed with complaints against a business that is no longer operating. All of the Youpla/ACBF businesses are still in liquidation.

On 30 June 2025 AFCA closed all complaints against the Youpla/ACBF businesses.

Consumers who made a complaint to AFCA will be contacted by AFCA with further information on this decision.

Further information is available at AFCA’s webpage on Youpla / ACBF updates. If you wish to speak with AFCA directly about your complaint, you can reach them via the AFCA website or by calling 1800 931 678.

Contacting a Regulator

If you wish to contact a regulator in relation to any of the funds, we recommend that you contact both ASIC and NSW Fair Trading.

ASIC and NSW Fair Trading will work together to ensure that all correspondence and inquiries are addressed promptly by the regulator that is best placed to address the issues raised.

You can contact NSW Fair Trading by email at registryinquiries@customerservice.nsw.gov.au or by phone on 1800 502 042.

You can contact ASIC's Indigenous Outreach Program by email at iop@asic.gov.au or by phone on 1300 365 957.

ASIC court action

ASIC commenced proceedings in the Federal Court against ACBF Funeral Plans Pty Ltd and Youpla Group Pty Ltd for alleged contraventions of the ASIC Act in October 2020. See 20-262MR.

ASIC was granted leave to continue its proceeding against the defendants in liquidation by orders made by Justice Jagot on 15 July 2022. This is on the condition that ASIC not seek to enforce any pecuniary penalties or costs orders made in its favour without further leave of the Court. 

In September 2023, the Federal Court ordered a $1.2 million penalty against ACBF Funeral Plans Pty Ltd (in liquidation) for misrepresenting the sale and promotion of funeral expense insurance to Aboriginal people (23-244MR).

On 3 October 2023, ASIC filed a Notice of Appeal in relation to the orders and judgment of his Honour Justice Goodman (23-267MR).

On 29 February 2024, the Full Court upheld ASIC’s appeal in its case against ACBF Funeral Plans Pty Ltd (ACBF) and Youpla Group Pty Ltd (Youpla), finding that funeral expenses insurance provider ACBF misrepresented to Aboriginal consumers that it was Aboriginal owned or managed when that was not the case. The proceeding will now be remitted to the trial judge to determine the appropriate penalty (24-033MR).

Application to appoint special purpose liquidators 

In October 2022, ASIC and NSW Fair Trading jointly applied to the Supreme Court for orders appointing special purpose liquidators to investigate recovery actions that might be available to the Youpla Group (formerly Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund) entities that are currently in liquidation.   

The application did not seek the removal of Mr Stimpson as liquidator of the Youpla Group entities. As such, it was proposed that SV Partners would continue to deal with the liquidation matters, other than the investigation, such as the distribution of surplus assets to creditors including Youpla Group customers.  

In December 2022, the Court granted the orders sought. 

Youpla Group customers do not need to take any action and they should continue to contact SV Partners if they have enquiries about the liquidation of the Youpla Group entities.     

See the joint media release (22-297MR) for more information. 

ASIC seeks to preserve property of former Youpla Group director 

In December 2022, ASIC commenced proceedings in the Federal Court as part of its ongoing investigation into the collapse of the Youpla Group entities. 

The injunctive proceedings seek to preserve a property part owned by a former director, Mr Bryn Jones. The purpose of ASIC’s action is to protect the interests of aggrieved persons, namely the Youpla Group entities, and preserve the asset for their benefit.  

Orders were made on 20 December 2022 by way of consent.  

See the media release (22-372MR) for more information. 

ASIC begins civil proceedings against five Youpla directors 

In August 2023, ASIC commenced proceedings in the Federal Court against five former directors and officers of companies in the Youpla Group (formerly Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund) for breaches of their duties.  

ASIC’s case includes claims against Youpla Group directors and officers in relation to conduct between September 2017 and November 2018, being directors Ronald Joseph Pattenden, Jonathan Glen Law, Michael Brendan Wilson, Bryn Elwyn Jones (CEO) and Geoffrey Peter Clayton (COO).  

ASIC is seeking declarations of contraventions of s180, s181 and s182 of the Corporations Act, pecuniary penalty orders and orders disqualifying the defendants from managing corporations.

See the media release (23-237MR) for more information.