Documents Required For Claiming Life Insurance

IRDAI’s Annual Report noted that in 2019, close to 3 Crore new life insurance policies were issued by insurance providers in India. This rise in the purchase of life insurance policies can be attributed to increasingly affordable plans, innovative solutions and groundbreaking technology. Now, with the click of a button, one can browse through various policies, apply for a policy and more.

The process of death claims, too, has been made simple, speedy and completely hassle-free to the policyholder. Insurance providers are tuning in to the wants of policyholders and are understanding the urgent need of an effortless claim process that does not add to the burden of beneficiaries in trying times. To this end, one of the measures has been to simplify and make the documentation process transparent.

Documents Required For Death Claim In Life Insurance

Here are some of the documents one would need now to make a death claim:

• Death Certificate

A death certificate is a document released by a registrar that contains verified information about the time, place, and cause of a person's death.

ID proof of the beneficiary Insurance companies like to see the identity proof of the person claiming for benefits before releasing the money to ensure the funds reach the person nominated by the deceased person.

• Insurance Policy Papers

The original terms of the insurance policy affect the payout sum, and therefore these papers are required.

• Medical Certificate

This may or may not be required, depending on the requirements of your insurance company.

• Postmortem Report

This is required in case of an unnatural death. The insurance terms and the payout sums change according to the nature of death - and a post-mortem report can provide the clarity that the insurance companies need to process the claim.

• Hospital Records

A death due to an illness is often preceded with hospitalization - in such cases, hospital records are useful to collect the necessary information about the deceased.

• Employer Certificate

This certificate is required in the case of an early death. Different insurance companies define early death differently, therefore contact the relevant insurance company and confirm if you need to produce an employer certificate while submitting a death claim.

Conclusion

These days, death claims are processed very efficiently - the average claim settlement ratio in India which hovers above 97% is a testament to that. As an under-insured country, it is important for Indians to familiarize themselves with the process of filing life insurance claims.

Also Read 

Why Is It Important To Have Life Insurance?

How to Make Life Insurance Claims Online?

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.