How To Claim Life Insurance Benefits After A Policyholder's Death?

Insuring your life for the financial responsibilities of your dependants must be paramount before proceeding to any other aspects. Set your goals, expectations and other expenses that may crop up during your lifetime. Look for plans that will give your family stability when you are no more. 

Life insurance covers the risk of loss of income to the family of the insured in the event of his death. The family or nominee of the insured is required to carry out the mandated procedure to receive insurance claims. 

Steps For Claiming Death Benefits Under Life Insurance

Here are the steps that need to be followed:

• Inform The Agent

It is the responsibility of the insurance agent to assist the bereaved family with the claim process by providing policy details and documentation. Hence, the first step is to inform the agent about the death of the insured.

• Claim Intimation

The nominee needs to inform the insurance company about the death of the insured as soon as possible. The claim intimation should carry details like date, place and cause of death.

• Claim Form

Once the death intimation is made to the insurance company, it will record the same and ask the claimants to fill up a death claim form and submit it along with a list of documents.

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Documents Required 

The requisite documents are:

• Death certificate
• Original policy document
• Deed of assignments, if any
• Discharge form

If no nomination has been made, the claimant is required to attach proof that he is legally entitled to make the claim.

Claim Settlement

The insurance company will verify the claim and may ask for additional documents. If the insurer is satisfied with the genuineness of the claim, it will inform the claimant accordingly and pay the death claim amount.

Conclusion

Claim intimation can be made by any relative of the insured, even if they are not a nominee or assignee. In case of a unit linked insurance plan, the death claim is equivalent to the sum assured or the fund value, whichever is higher.

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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.