SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                                Washington, D.C.
                             ---------------------


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE

                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


     Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) September 30, 1996



                            The Allstate Corporation
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)




   Delaware                        1-11840                       36-3871531
(State or Other                   (Commission                   (IRS Employer
 Jurisdiction of                   File Number)                  Identification
 Incorporation)                                                  Number)


  Allstate Plaza, Northbrook, Illinois                            60062
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                       (Zip Code)


      Registrant's telephone number, including area code (847) 402-6075















                                   Page 1 of 6
                             Exhibit Index at page 4






Item 5.  Other Events
         ------------

         On September 30, 1996, the Registrant issued the press release attached
hereto as Exhibit 99.




Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
         ---------------------------------

         (c)      Exhibits



Exhibit No.                                           Description
- - ----------                                            ------------

   99                                       Registrant's press release dated
                                            September 30, 1996.
































                                   Page 2 of 6












                                   SIGNATURES




         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.





                                                     THE ALLSTATE CORPORATION




                                                    By /s/  Samuel H. Pilch
                                                       --------------------
                                                     Name:  Samuel H. Pilch
                                                     Title: Controller





September 30, 1996























                                   Page 3 of 6










                                Index to Exhibits
                                -----------------



                                                                    Sequential
                                                                    Page
Number                  Description                                 Number
- - ------                  -----------                                 ------


 99                     Registrant's press release dated              5
                        September 30, 1996








































                                   Page 4 of 6





Allstate Insurance Company                                     Exhibit No. 99
NEWS
                                                          FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                                                Kathleen Hogan
                                                                 847-402-5600
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                          ALLSTATE TO RESUME SELLING PROPERTY
                               INSURANCE IN CALIFORNIA

         NORTHBROOK,  Ill.,  September  30, 1996 -- Allstate  Insurance  Company
announced  today  that  it  will  soon  resume  normal  business  operations  in
California  -- including  the sale of property  insurance - - as a result of the
passage of the California Earthquake Authority (CEA).

         The CEA legislation, signed by the governor on Friday, will open up the
property insurance market for Californians,  and allow insurance  companies such
as Allstate to resume its position in the California homeowners marketplace.

         "This is a win-win for our customers, employees, agents and for
insurers in California," said Jerry D. Choate, Chairman and Chief Executive 
Officer of Allstate. "In fact, this legislation helps anyone trying to purchase 
homeowners insurance in the state, furthering the rebound of California's 
economy."

         The passage of the CEA and resumption of the sale of property insurance
in California  follows the company's  announcement this summer to reorganize its
property operations in Florida,  another catastrophe- prone area of the country.
Once these  actions are fully  implemented,  Allstate will be close to achieving
its stated goal of reducing  catastrophe exposure to the $1-billion range with a
one percent probability per event.

         Allstate's  catastrophe  exposure management  initiatives in California
and Florida have been the company's  highest priority in the past several years.
Allstate has been working  with  regulatory  officials  and the  legislature  in
California  to find  ways  to  reduce  exposure  while  providing  uninterrupted
coverage for its customers.
 


                                 Page 5 of 6



CEA Passes
Page 2

         "Commissioner  Quackenbush  and the California  Legislature,  under the
bi-partisan  leadership of Senators William Lockyer and Assemblymen Curt Pringle
and David  Knowles,  shoud be applauded  for finding this  solution,  which will
revitalize  and  bring  stability  to  the  property  insurance  marketplace  in
California. Without their effort and dedication, the homeowners insurance crisis
would have been greatly exacerbated," said Choate.

         The CEA will become operational when at least 70 percent of the state's
residential  property  insurance  market agrees to participate and the necessary
commitments  from reinsurers are obtained.  The Department of Insurance has said
it expects the CEA to be selling policies by December 1. Allstate has officially
declared  its  intention  to  participate  in the CEA and will  reflect the $150
million initial  payment to the CEA in its third quarter  earnings  report.  The
exact date of Allstate's business resumption has yet to be announced.

         Allstate  would also be  obligated  to pay  additional  assessments  of
approximately  $750 million,  in the event that the initial  capitalization  and
retained  earnings of the CEA are exhausted by claim payments.  While management
believes that this action has reduced the company's  exposure to catastrophes in
California, the extent of future reduction is uncertain.

          Allstate  Insurance  Company is the nation's  second largest  personal
lines  insurance  company,  insuring one of every eight homes and automobiles in
the country.  The company provides  insurance for more than 20 million customers
and has approximately  15,000 full-time agents in the U.S. and Canada.  Allstate
is also a major life insurer.

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