NigelWaring

That means we all pay for it. The Federal Government does not have any money, it collects tax from us and redistributes it.

Probably about 10 to 15 years ago there was a huge hail storm that damaged a few hundred houses south of Sydney, many cars were also wrecked. Many of the houses had lost their roofs and often the ceilings. Lots of donations were made to the fund, the state government took control of it and it ended up with just about everything going only to those who were uninsured. Has put a lot of people off donating in future.

We live in a bush fire area, we are fully insured and have metal roller shutters at our windows and carry out all the recommended precautions. With climate change it seems that we will all have to do a bit more to make our homes safe.

Taffaroo

If they end up using this cash to rebuild some layabouts house who couldnt be bothered insuring themselves I will never donate again to charity.

jond

Quite a blunt way of putting it, but that is probably what a lot of other posters a thinking too.


I have no problem with people who a genuinely hard up, I do have a problem with people who want to sponge off society.

renth

I agree, to an extent. I wouldn't give cash but would give "stuff" that was needed - for everyone's benefit, not just the uninsured.

Dougie

ditto



Dougie

Vanessa

You will never donate to charity again? a bit of blanket statement. What about medical research, children's charities, homeless charities etc etc.

People don't insure their property for many reasons - some because they take the risk, some because they can't afford it, what with the cost of living going up and up and benefit/wages pretty much staying the same something has to go. Would I do that? Probably not but then again I am not in their situation.

Whether you agree that they are offered the re-build costs or not, to call them all layabouts is pretty judgmental.

Taffaroo

I would like to cancel my home and contents insurance too and save hundreds of $$$ every year but I know nobody is going to rush to help me in the case of the worst happening. I do feel for the people affected by the fires, believe me I do and I have donated some items and cash and my kids donated all they had at the time which was $8 we also doubled up on shopping items at the supermarket while they were donating the profits this week, it appalls me to think that my kids money might be used to help somebody who decided they wanted to save the premiums they would of spent on insurance for something else.
In my opinion insurance should be compulsory.

Dorothy

While I agree with you in principle, it's hard to know why some may not have paid their insurance premiums. I know from my own experience that there have been times when we had to decide whether to buy groceries so the kids could eat or pay our rent. Paying an insurance premium for our house was probably near the bottom of the list of our priorities at the time.

Vanessa

Maybe it should maybe it shouldn't. In an ideal world everyone would have insurance for house, car etc, we would all have well paid jobs and pay our taxed with enthusiasm and try not to beat the system and the list goes on. However, we don't live in an ideal world and people have to make choices. They may not be your choice or mine but decisions have to be made and in this case some of them have made the wrong one.

NKSK version 2

Possibly but you were renting - as many people are when they are that hard up - so buildings insurance wouldn't have been an issue.

I've also been in difficult situations but when I've had a house, buildings insurance was just after food in terms of priorities.

Dorothy

You're right. We were renting so it's a little bit different. Our mortgage when we owned our houses in Canada was dependent on us providing proof of adequate insurance. Same as our mortgage here. We have to show proof of insurance equal to or greater than the cost of rebuilding our house before our mortgage lender will fork over the final payment to the builder. I would have thought it would be the same everywhere.

BadgeIsBack

Agreed. I remember my mother also having funeral insurance,if not life insurance, as a high priority. I could easily have mine lapse - they can stick me in a pauper's grave...in a paper mache box.

NKSK version 2

Hahaha - I agree.

viviennef

I most definitely think yes. From my experience people who are not insured are financially not as comfortable. We didnt have house insurance for many years when we moved here as we were struggling to get by and just couldnt afford it. Noone in their right mind would just not bother if they had plenty of disposable.

For me, I would be more than happy to help anyone who has lost in those fires, whether they were short of money, loaded, forgot - who cares about the reason.

I am not so perfect in every area of my life to look down my nose and make judgement on anyone else. I am not that religious but that saying something like let us not judge lest you be judged yourself" comes to mind.

All those poor poor people, it really is a tragedy.

Viv

viviennef

Where are you from in Wales? I am from Porthcawl.

That is the most ridiculous generalisation I have ever heard. I get the feeling maybe charitable donation is not really your thing. In Australia there is a big culture of helping each other and of people all being the same (less class based) and that kind of comment is best left at home.

How much have you donated by the way?

Vivienne