How to Make a Life Insurance Claim
No one really ever wants to have to claim a life insurance policy, because that means a loved one has died. At this moment you are not concerned with the life insurance policy because you are dealing with the death of someone close to you, and it is very difficult to think about anything else. However, it is necessary to file the life insurance claim as quickly as possible. You can always ask a friend or family member to help you through the process.
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Instructions
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Locate a copy of the life insurance policy. Call your insurance company or agent and let them know that you need to make a claim. They will send you the necessary paperwork and tell you what they need to process the claim. The people at the life insurance company's call center are accustomed to confused and bereaved people--do not be afraid to make that call.
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Fill out the paperwork the insurance agency sends you. Make sure to include all of the components they need so that there won't be any delays in payment.
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Obtain a copy of the death certificate. To do this you will have to contact the live statistics office of the county you live in. They will be able to tell you where you need to go to get a copy of the death certificate. This may not be the same county where they lived; for instance, if a person died in the hospital 50 miles from home, the death certificate is filed in the county where the hospital is located, not the county where the person formerly lived. Be sure to go to the proper county for the death certificate.
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Send all of the information to the insurance agency via certified mail and get a return receipt. You want proof that they received the information and the claim application.
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Be prepared and available in case an insurance adjuster contacts you. Depending on the circumstances of the death, they may have some questions or will need more information from you in order to process your claim.
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Tips & Warnings
There may be a small cost for the death certificate.
File your claim in a timely manner, because there may be a specified time frame you have to claim on the policy or it becomes inactive or void.
Read through the policy so that you know the terms and payment amount of the policy.
Check with your accountant for any tax implications that are associated with a life insurance policy payment.
