How to file a life insurance claim after a death

When a loved one dies with a life insurance policy in force, the carrier owes your family the death benefit. They do not write that check automatically. Someone has to file a claim — and the carrier needs specific documents before they can pay. The good news is the process is shorter and simpler than most families assume. The bad news is that almost nobody is taught how to do it until they have to.

Step 1: Locate the policy

Before you call anyone, you need to know which carrier issued the policy and ideally the policy number. Check the policyholder's records, their email inbox for the carrier name, recent bank statements for premium payments, and their employer's HR department for any group coverage.

Step 2: Order certified death certificates

Order at least five certified copies of the death certificate from the funeral home or the county vital records office. Carriers will not accept a photocopy or a scan — they require an original with the raised seal. You will need a separate copy for each policy, plus extras for the bank, Social Security, and the estate.

Step 3: Contact the carrier's claims department

Call the carrier's claims line directly — the number is on the policy, on a recent statement, or on the carrier's website under "file a claim." Tell them you are reporting the death of a policyholder. They will open a claim file and send you a claim packet, usually within a few business days.

Step 4: Complete the claim form

The form itself is short. The carrier needs the policyholder's full name, date of birth, date of death, cause of death, and the beneficiary's name, address, Social Security number, and relationship to the deceased. The beneficiary signs and returns the form along with the certified death certificate.

Step 5: Choose how to receive the benefit

Most carriers offer three options: a lump-sum check, a wire to your bank account, or a retained-asset account that functions like an interest-bearing checking account in the carrier's name. Lump sum is the simplest and most common choice. If you are not sure, take the lump sum — you can always move the money later.

Step 6: Wait for payment

Once the carrier has the completed form and the certified death certificate, most claims are paid within 14 to 60 days. State law typically requires interest to accrue on the death benefit from the date of death until the claim is paid, so a delay does not cost the beneficiary any money — but it can be stressful when bills are stacking up.

What slows claims down

• Missing or incorrect beneficiary information on the policy
• A death that occurs within the policy's two-year contestability period, which lets the carrier investigate before paying
• Cause of death listed as "pending" while the medical examiner completes an autopsy
• Multiple beneficiaries who must each submit paperwork separately
• A named beneficiary who has predeceased the policyholder with no contingent named

What to do if the claim is denied

Denials are rare, but they happen — usually because of a contestability investigation, a lapsed policy, or a material misrepresentation on the original application. If your claim is denied, request the denial in writing along with the specific reason. You have the right to appeal, and most state insurance departments will help mediate disputes for free.

The fastest claims share one thing

Every claim that gets paid quickly has the same pattern: the family knows the policy exists, they have the policy number, and the beneficiary information is current. That is exactly what EverKeep is built for — a vault where every policy you own lives in one place, so when something happens, your family has every detail they need to file the claim that day instead of three months from now.