Know the process of making a claim for your Life Insurance Policy

The death of loved one can really devastate a family. And when that loved one is the sole breadwinner the sadness is mingled with an added anxiety. You don’t know what the future holds and are constantly worried about how things are going to turn now that you don’t have an earning member or a source of income. During such a time life insurance policy doesn’t come to mind. But these policies can really save you a lot of hardships.

Dealing with life insurance companies is the last thing you want to do when you’re in mourning but when you know exactly what to do, it isn’t that much of a hassle.

Here’s a step by step guide that will help you make your life insurance claim.

Step 1: First and the most important thing to do is to inform your life insurance company about the death of the policyholder. Insurance companies classify deaths in two basic categories. These are ‘early death’ and ‘non-early death’. The categories are based on when the policy was bought from the life insurance company. If the policyholder dies within three years of buying the policy, then it is considered an early death. Any time after that, during the term of the policy is considered non-early death.

Step 2: Ask your life insurance company for an intimation form and get the process started. If the life insurance was purchased online then start the process on your online account by filling out the form.

Step 3: Ask for all the necessary documents required to get your claim. The basic documents that you will need are listed below.

Death certificate

• Original policy documents
• ID proof of the beneficiary
• Age proof of insurer
• Discharge form (executed and witnessed)
• Medical certificate (as proof for cause of death)
• Police FIR (in case of unnatural death)
• Post-mortem report (in case of unnatural death)
• Hospital records/certificate (if the deceased died due to an illness)
• Cremation certificate and employer certificate (in case of early death)

Do not wait too long after the death of the policyholder to file for a claim. Ensure that you have all the necessary documents before you file for your claim.

Dealing with the death of loved one can be very difficult. But once you receive your life insurance claim you can finally start the process of picking up your life again and start up all over again.

I'm one of the skilled and experienced presenter, my talks focus on life insurance for insurance carriers, agents, customers and vendors that service the insurance industry.