How to File a Death Claim Under a Life Insurance Policy?
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A life insurance policy is a contract between the policyholder and the insurance provider which ensures the financial security of the life assured's loved ones after his/her demise. Moreover, regular premium payments are made to keep the contract valid till the policy term-end. However, suppose the life assured dies before the completion of the policy duration. In that case, death benefits are paid to the appointed nominee to help handle the financial burden caused due to the death. The family's economic situation becomes more severe if the life assured is the family's sole breadwinner. Hence, it is essential to know the process of filing the death claim to reduce your chances of getting delayed or rejected. Read on to know about the steps and necessary documents required to make a death claim.
How to File a Death Claim Under a Life Insurance Policy?
Here are the steps that should be followed to file the death claim under the life insurance policy.
1. Claim Request
The insurance company should be informed about the death of the life assured as soon as possible through any media. However, making your claim request through a call on the insurance provider's toll-free number is advisable.
2. Claim Processing
The nominee has to provide documents about the nature of the death of the life assured to support the claim request. The claim request will be adhered to only then when the cause of death is covered under the policy plan purchased by the life assured. Then, the claim assessment team will examine and verify the claim request, the supporting documents, the declaration made by the nominee. The necessary documents include the original policy documents, age proof, death certificate and medical certificate of the life assured, ID proof of the beneficiary and particular documents according to different causes of death. Again, the team can ask for more documents if they are not satisfied with the submitted papers.
3. Approval and Payout
After assessing all the documents, the life insurance provider approves the claim request under the life insurance policy and offers a payout to the beneficiary. The overall process takes 30 days before the final payout after the approval. In addition, the nominee has to submit his/her bank details, a copy of the passbook and a cancelled cheque.
Takeaway
It is crucial to make a claim request within a year of the life assured’s death. Moreover, the nominee must be aware of all the terms and conditions of the contract and should have all the necessary documents to submit when the need arises. Hence, it is advisable to keep the nominee in the loop while purchasing a life insurance policy.
You may also like to read - 5 Obvious Reasons Why Your Life Insurance Claim Gets Rejected
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.
