How to File a Life Insurance Claim — A Complete Guide (how to file a life insurance claim)

Losing someone close to you is difficult. Plus, navigating the processes behind filing a life insurance claim can feel daunting — but it is important to do it correctly; the death benefit will often be what allows for burial and/or funeral costs to be covered, remaining debts to be paid, and living expenses to be met. What follows is a practical and non-jurisdictional, step-by-step article, that summarizes the typical process, documents typically needed, timelines, common hang-up points, things to do if a claim is not approved, and checklists you can use immediately. When a recommendation may be country or jurisdiction-specific, I will indicate that and purposely direct you to more authority-based sources.

Quick summary (if you just want the essentials)

Find the insurance policy & beneficiary information.

Order several certified copies of the death certificate.

Inform the insurance company (or notify the agents of the deceased) and request a claim form.

Fill out the claim form and provide any papers as required (the policy, IDs, proof of relationship to the deceased, with bank details), and submit.

Insurer reviews the claim – If claims are easy and straightforward than payment might be on the faster side. Most claims are paid in around ~30-60 days. Time to process may be longer while insurance companies investigate claim, or review if it is within a contestable period.

If the insurer denies payment ask for written reasons for the denial, and can appeal the denial or escalate it to an authority or ombudsman in your jurisdiction, and potentially contact a legal relief.

Who Can File a Life Insurance Claim and How to File a Life Insurance Claim

The individual(s) designated as beneficiary(ies) in the policy — primary beneficiaries are first in line.

If the policy does not name a beneficiary or if the named beneficiary predeceased the insured individual, the default is that the proceeds will go to the estate of the policy owner. The executor/administrator of the estate will need to file a claim through the estate/probate process in order for the payout to occur. This process can differ in different countries.

An assignee (a person to whom the policy has been legally assigned) may claim, or a legal representative or heir (if the beneficiary is a minor), as applicable.

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Step-by-step: The process of filing a claim

How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Step 1 — Locate the Policy

Try to locate the physical policy document, or if none exists, any email or online portal in which the following is recorded: policy number, insurer’s name, name of policy owner, and names of beneficiaries. If the policy cannot be located, check the files of the deceased, any safety deposit boxes, examine their email account, or be in contact with the financial advisors of the deceased or the agent that sold the policy. Many states have resources available to help locate lost policies (for example, in the U.S. NAIC runs a finder for policies).

How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Step 2 — Order Certified Death Certificates

Order certified (official) copies of the death certificate as soon as possible, and take advantage of ordering several copies of it, as the insurance company or executor will usually ask for certified copies. Likewise, you may want to have some extra copies for banks, government, and your own estate planning. Insurers are now routinely recommending to obtain multiple copies to circumvent unnecessary delays.

How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Step 3 — Notify the Insurance Company and Get the Claim Form

Call either the insurer’s claims number or the deceased’s agent/financial adviser. The agent is usually the one to help navigate the process. They can also provide you with the exact documentation that company requires. If you do not know the insurer, look for any paperwork related to the policy you may have found, or identify the insurer through national policy locator services.

How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Step 4 — Notify the Insurance Company and Get the Claim Form

Documents requirements by insurer can vary, but commonly required documents include;

1. Completed insurer claim form (insurer will provide).
2. Certified death certificate (multiple copies).
3. Original policy document (where applicable copy if the insurer accepts).
4. Proof of identification of claimant(s) (photo ID, KYC).
5. Proof of relationship to deceased (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.).
6. Bank details + canceled cheque or NEFT mandate (if direct deposit is required).
8. Medical records, coroner/police report if sudden, suspicious, or caused by accident – the insurer may request to see these during investigation.
9. Assignment documents if the policy was assigned to third party (e.g., as security for loan).

(In India, claim checklist will be similar, and insurance companies publish their own lists specific to policies).

How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Step 5— Collect All Required Documents

Submit the completed forms and any documents requested by the insurer how they accept. (online portal, email, through registered post, or in person). Make sure you keep copies of everything submitted and get an acknowledgment or claim number. Many insurers will provide a timeline or a claim number.

How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Step 6— Submit the Claim and Keep Copies

The insurer will verify the policy is in force, the beneficiary designation, the cause of death and date of death the premium status, and determine if a policy exclusion applies. (for for example, the suicide exclusion applies if the death is suicide within the timeline set in the policy). If the death occurred during the contestability period (normally the first 2 – 3 years of insurance), the insurer might investigate the original application or medical statements to confirm there was no material misstatement. Some additional information or medical records may be requested.

How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Step7 — Insurer Review and Investigation

If the claim is approved, the majority of insurers provide payout options, which may be paid: – lump sum, installments /annuity, or as a retained asset account (where the insurer retains the funds and pays interest). Select based on factors: your immediate needs, tax /planning considerations, and the insurer’s specific language. Generally, the death benefit is not considered taxable income in most jurisdictions (there are exceptions, see tax section).

Typical Timelines for How to File a Life Insurance Claim

For simple claims minus missing or incomplete documents: Many insurance companies pay out in less than 30 days of receiving a documented claim – in practice 14 to 60 days is common.
In some cases, an insurer needing to investigate a claim (suspicious cause of death, a claim falls in the contestability period, they are missing documents, etc.): Once the insurance company is confident in completing their investigation, they can take a little more time to process the information and pay upon discovering the claim isn’t subject to contestability, missing documents, etc.

Each state has laws (often called “prompt pay statutes”) that govern when an insurer must accept or deny, and pay a claim. (These time limits are often 30 – 60 days in many US states).

Common Reasons Why How to File a Life Insurance Claim Gets Delayed or Denied

The policy was lapsed due to being unpaid.

There is ineffective documentation missing (no beneficiary, or beneficiary is not clearly defined).

There are contestability clauses and/or misstatements on the original application (the timeline is based on the death occurring early within the policy).

Suicide occurred within policy’s suicide exclusion period.

Insufficient or missing documentation (i.e. death certificates, ID, copy of policy etc.).

There was suspected fraud or illegal activity surrounding the victim.

What to Do if How to File a Life Insurance Claim Is Denied

Get any claim denial in writing. Ask the insurance company to provide the reason(s) for the denial and copies of any documents and/or records they reviewed to make the decision.

Next, review the policy carefully as well as the reason(s) provided by the insurer. Review any contestability period, as well as any suicide clauses and exclusions.

Then, go gather additional paperwork that rebuts what the insurer relied upon to deny benefits – medical records, attending physician statements, police reports etc. If a document was missing, go get the final missing document, then resend as well.

File an internal appeal with the insurance company. Write a simple, to-the-point appeal letter, with supporting documents, and request a re-evaluation of the prior decision. (This letter generally includes templates and deadlines.)

External escalation may be necessary. This may involve reaching out your country’s insurance regulator, the insurance ombudsman, or a consumer protection agency. In India, you could investigate the IRDAI Bima Bharosa system and/or the Insurance Ombudsman; in the UK it’s the Financial Ombudsman Service; in the U.S. consult your state’s insurance department.

If you are still unable to a resolution, consider litigation or other forms of legal action — consult a lawyer who specializes in insurance claims. Many claimant attorneys will take claims of this nature on a contingency fee basis.

Tax and Legal Considerations When How to File a Life Insurance Claim

Income tax: In many jurisdictions (including the U.S.) the lump sum (death benefit) of a life insurance policy would generally not be included in the taxable gross income of the beneficiary. However, if, for example, the distribution is delayed and begins to earn interest, that would be taxable. Additionally, depending on the transfer-for-value rule or estate, taxes an unusual arrangement of ownership can subject proceeds to tax obligations. Please consult a tax expert.

If paid to the estate: the proceeds of a life policy would be included in the taxable estate of the deceased if the proceeds were paid to the estate of the deceased, unless the gross estate exceeded the On Federal Estate Tax exemption and/or that of the state in which you reside.

Special Cases for How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Multiple Beneficiaries or Assigned Policies

If you have multiple beneficiaries who cannot agree, or if any beneficiary is a minor, the insurer may request a court order, or may require either the court to appoint a guardian to receive the proceeds or may pay the funds into court. Please do seek legal advice here.
When a policy has been assigned to a lender: The lender’s mortgage/loan interest will be paid first to the lender under the assignment and the remainder will be paid to the named beneficiary and/or the estate of the decedent. Please review the assignment documents.

If you cannot locate the policy or the insurer’s name: You can use any national policy-locator tools available (like the NAIC policy locator in the U.S.) or reach out to some of the insurers you suspect have the policy.