A life insurance claim is a beneficiary's request to collect the death benefit after the policyholder dies. To file one, you'll need the policy number, a certified death certificate and a completed claim form from the insurer. Most insurers pay approved claims within 14 to 60 days of receiving complete paperwork.
Updated: August 13, 2026
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Beneficiaries usually learn about a policy through family, an employer's benefits department or the insurer itself, not through automatic notification.
Most insurers set no fixed deadline for filing, but delays can push an unclaimed death benefit into the state's unclaimed property office after several years.
You can choose a lump sum payout for immediate needs or an annuity option that provides regular income over time based on your financial situation.
Claims get denied most often for lapsed policies, application misrepresentation, the contestability period or exclusions such as death linked to drug or alcohol use.
A life insurance claim is a request to receive the death benefit after the policyholder's death. The death benefit can help cover funeral costs, pay off debt or replace lost income for surviving family members.
Beneficiaries, the people or entities named on the policy to receive the payout, submit a certified death certificate and completed claim forms to the insurer. The insurer then reviews the documentation and verifies the claim before releasing the death benefit.
Insurers don't always notify beneficiaries automatically. You'd usually find out through family members, the deceased's employer or the insurance company itself. Employer-sponsored group life insurance surfaces fastest because the employer's benefits department contacts named beneficiaries once it learns of an employee's death.
If you suspect you're a beneficiary but haven't been contacted, you can start the search yourself instead of waiting.
You can file a life insurance claim in five steps: find the policy, get certified death certificates, contact the insurer, complete the claim forms and choose a payout method. MoneyGeek analyzed the claims processes from major insurers to identify best practices that help you get funds quickly.
Before you start, gather what you already have on hand: the policyholder's full name, date of birth and date of death, plus a photo ID for yourself. You don't need the policy number or a death certificate yet. Both come later in the process.
Locate the life insurance policy of the deceased. The paperwork lists the insurer's contact information and the coverage details you need to start a claim. Check safe deposit boxes, file cabinets, digital records and estate planning files for the policy documents.
If you can't find the policy, contact the deceased's financial advisor, estate attorney or insurance agent for help. For group life insurance through an employer, the HR department can pull up the coverage records. Use the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator to search for unknown policies, and check your state's unclaimed property database for benefits you didn't know existed.
Insurers won't process a claim without a certified death certificate that shows the cause and manner of death. Order three to five certified copies from the funeral director, the local vital records office or the county health department in the state where the death occurred. Each insurer, bank and financial institution needs its own original, and most states charge a fee per copy.
Call the insurer's claims department as soon as you have the policy information. Most major insurers let you file online, by phone or by mail. A claims specialist will be assigned to your case and can walk you through exactly what to submit.
Before you call, have the policy number, the insured's full name, date of birth and date of death on hand. Let the representative know your relationship to the deceased, and ask about required documents, processing time and payout options.
The beneficiary claim form asks for your full name, address, Social Security number, your relationship to the policyholder and the cause of death. Fill in every field. Partial forms are the most common reason claims stall. Attach an original certified death certificate; insurers won't accept copies.
Some insurers also ask for proof of identity (a driver's license or passport works) and a marriage or birth certificate to establish your relationship to the deceased. Send all documents together to avoid delays.
Review everything before you submit it. Errors can delay payment by weeks, so keep a copy of what you send. If you haven't heard back within two weeks, call the claims department to request a status update and an estimated approval date.
If the policy is less than two years old, the claim is subject to a contestability review, during which the insurer checks the original application for misrepresentation. This adds weeks to processing. Accidental death claims need a police report or accident report as well. And if a life insurance trust or estate is named as beneficiary, you'll need legal documents, such as letters testamentary, to prove you have the authority to file.
Beneficiaries can choose from four payout options: lump sum, life income annuity, specific income annuity or a retained asset account. The right choice depends on whether you need cash right away or a steady income over time.
Most insurers let you pick your payout method after the claim is approved, so ask your claims specialist about the selection deadline. A tax professional can explain how each option affects your taxes.
Lump sum payouts work best for immediate expenses, income annuities for guaranteed payments over time, and retained asset accounts when you need access to funds but haven't decided how to use them yet.
Lump sum | Immediate cash needs, like funeral costs, a mortgage payment or outstanding debt |
Life income annuity | Guaranteed income for life, even though payments are smaller than a lump sum |
Specific income annuity | Larger payments spread over a set period, such as 10 or 20 years |
Retained asset account | Quick access to funds when you haven't decided how to use the money yet |
The policyholder names beneficiaries on the policy and can update them at any time. Primary beneficiaries have the right to collect first. Contingent beneficiaries are backups and can only file if every primary beneficiary has died or formally declined the benefit. Review your policy's beneficiary page to confirm who is listed in each category.
Insurers won't pay death benefits directly to a minor child. Instead, a court-appointed guardian or trustee manages the funds until the child turns 18 (or 21 in some states). Name an adult trustee in your policy to help your children skip probate court.
If the policyholder named their estate as beneficiary or died without naming anyone, the estate executor files the claim. The life insurance benefit goes through probate court before anyone receives payment, which can take months. Creditors can also make claims against the death benefit during probate.
When a policy has multiple beneficiaries, each one files a separate claim for their percentage of the death benefit. If a primary beneficiary dies before the policyholder, their share passes to the remaining primary beneficiaries, unless the policy states otherwise. Check the policy language or ask the insurer directly.
Most insurers don't set a hard deadline for filing a death benefit claim, but don't wait. Delaying can slow down your payout, and in rare cases, an unclaimed death benefit gets turned over to the state's unclaimed property office after several years of inactivity.
Life insurance claims take 14 to 60 days from filing to payment, though processing times vary by insurer and claim complexity. State regulations also affect the timeline.
Simple claims with complete paperwork and a natural cause of death move fastest. Accidental deaths and claims filed during the two-year contestability period take longer because insurers conduct additional review. Electronic submissions also move faster than mail; some insurers confirm receipt within 24 hours online versus one to two weeks by mail.
Check your claim status every one to two weeks. Most insurers have online portals where you can track progress without calling. If your claim passes 60 days without a decision, call the claims department directly and ask for an estimated approval date in writing. You may also be entitled to interest on delayed payments under your state's regulations.
The denial letter lists the policy provision the insurer cited and the reason they rejected your claim. Read it carefully before taking any action.
Insurers deny life insurance claims for four main reasons: a lapsed policy from missed premiums, misrepresentation on the original application, death during the two-year contestability period or a policy exclusion. Common exclusions include deaths linked to drug or alcohol use, high-risk activities such as skydiving or racing and death by suicide within the policy's first two years. Review your policy's exclusions section to confirm what's covered before you assume a denial is final.
Call the claims department the same day you receive the denial letter and ask the representative to walk you through each cited provision. Collect supporting evidence, such as premium payment records and medical records, plus copies of any written communication with the insurer. Your appeal should attach a copy of the denial letter and directly rebut each reason with proof. Confirm the appeal deadline on your first call.
File a complaint with your state insurance department for regulatory oversight if the insurer won't reconsider. Consult a life insurance attorney if your appeal is unsuccessful and you believe the denial is wrong.
Submit a complete, accurate claim packet online in one batch. Incomplete paperwork is the top reason claims stall, and getting every document right the first time is the biggest factor you control over payout speed. Insurers usually confirm online submissions within a day. Mailed forms can take one to two weeks just to arrive.
Before you send anything, confirm you have the certified death certificate, completed claim form, proof of identity and any relationship documents the insurer requires. Submit everything together. Chasing down one missing document afterward adds days or weeks you don't need to lose.
Most insurers set no fixed deadline, but delaying can slow your payout and risk having the death benefit sent to the state's unclaimed property office. File within the first few months of the policyholder's death when you can.
Beneficiaries don't pay federal income tax on life insurance death benefits. Interest earned on delayed payments or retained asset accounts is taxable income.
Your policy lapses if you miss life insurance premium payments, and the grace period expires. Lapsed policies pay no death benefits unless the policyholder reinstates coverage before death.
Yes. Many policies exclude deaths linked to drug or alcohol use, especially during the two-year contestability period, and some insurers deny claims outright if the death certificate cites intoxication as a contributing cause. Read your policy's exclusions section or ask the insurer directly, since coverage varies by carrier and state.
Yes, if the death qualifies under both policies. Life insurance pays a death benefit for any covered cause of death. AD&D, or accidental death and dismemberment coverage, pays only when death results from a covered accident such as a car crash or fall.
Beneficiaries can file separate claims with each insurer, and MoneyGeek's guide comparing AD&D and life insurance explains when the two policies overlap.
Family members, the deceased's employer or the insurance company itself usually notify you. If you suspect you're a beneficiary but don't have confirmation, contact the deceased's financial advisor or insurance agent, or search the NAIC's Life Insurance Policy Locator for policies in their name.
A claim deadline is how long you have to file after the policyholder's death, and most insurers don't set one. Claim processing time is how long the insurer takes to review and pay an approved claim, usually 14 to 60 days. Filing quickly shortens the processing window and lowers the odds of lost or incomplete paperwork.
Mark Fitzpatrick, a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. He has spent nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek. There, he has analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.
Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.
