When a policyholder dies, the nominee or family should tell the insurer about the death as soon as they can, and then submit the claim form and documents such as the death certificate. The insurer must settle a death claim within 15 days if no investigation is needed, and within 45 days if it is. This guide covers the steps, the documents, the deadlines, your rights in special cases, and a sample letter to report the death.
Step 1: Tell the insurer about the death
This first notice is called claim intimation. You do not have to wait until every document is ready. Under IRDAI’s rules the death should be reported at the earliest, in person or through any of these routes (Master Circular on Protection of Policyholders’ Interests, page 107):
- At the branch: print the letter below and hand it in. Get “received” signed and dated on your copy.
- Online: look for a “Claim intimation” or “Register a claim” option on the insurer’s official website or app. The circular lists “online mode” as one of the routes.
- The insurer’s call centre: note down the reference number you are given.
- Through the agent or bank that sold the policy (the distribution channel).
- Any other route mentioned in the policy document.
When you do it online, type the insurer’s website address yourself. Do not tap links that arrive by SMS, email or social media; calls asking for a “processing fee” to release a claim can be frauds. Whichever route you use, keep proof of the date you reported the death: the insurer’s deadlines count from that date.
Reporting late is not fatal: the circular says plainly that no claim shall be rejected or closed for want of documents or because it was reported late (page 107). Still, the sooner you report, the sooner the money comes.
Step 2: Gather the documents
The documents named in the circular (page 108), as applicable:
| When | Document |
|---|---|
| Every death claim | The insurer’s claim form and the death certificate |
| Death in a hospital | Discharge summary (the hospital’s record of treatment) |
| Death in an accident | Police FIR and post-mortem report |
Insurers usually also ask for the policy document, the claimant’s ID and bank details (for example a cancelled cheque). The exact list differs between insurers, which is why IRDAI requires two things:
- The insurer must state the claim documents in the policy document and show them on its website (Policyholders’ Interests circular, page 108).
- The Customer Information Sheet (CIS) that comes with the policy has a “Claims” row: the claim timelines, helpline number, and a link to download the claim form and the list of documents, including bank details (Master Circular on Life Insurance Products, CIS row 15). Look for the CIS in the policy pack first.
Keep a photocopy of everything before you hand over originals. A few copies of the death certificate will also help with banks and other policies.
Step 3: How soon must the insurer pay?
| Claim | Deadline (from the date of intimation) |
|---|---|
| Death claim that needs no investigation | 15 days |
| Death claim that needs investigation | 45 days |
If the insurer misses the deadline, it must pay interest at bank rate plus 2% from the date it received the intimation until the date of payment, on its own (without being asked), along with the claim amount (Policyholders’ Interests circular, pages 107–108). More on these deadlines in this article.
Sample death intimation letter: fill it in
Use this letter at the branch, by post or by email. If the person had more than one policy, send a separate letter for each. You will still need to fill in the insurer’s own claim form later.
Death claim intimation letter
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The Claims Department,
Date:
Subject: Intimation of death of the life assured and claim under policy no.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to inform you that , the life assured under the above policy, passed away on at .
Cause of death (as known):
I am the . I request you to register this claim and to tell me in writing the claim form and documents you need.
I enclose: .
Please acknowledge this intimation and send me the claim reference number.
Yours faithfully,
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This is only a sample. Change it to fit your situation.
When different rules apply
Death within 3 years of the policy
Under Section 45 of the Insurance Act, once 3 years have passed from the date the policy was issued, the date the risk started, the date of revival or the date of the rider (whichever is latest), the insurer cannot question the policy on any ground. Within those 3 years it can question the policy for fraud, or because a fact material to the life expectancy of the insured (such as a health condition) was wrongly stated or hidden in the proposal. Even then:
- The insurer must tell the nominee or heirs in writing the grounds and the material its decision is based on (Section 45(2), (4)).
- A fact counts as “material” only if it has a direct bearing on the risk, and it is the insurer who must show it would not have issued the policy had it known (Section 45(4)).
- If the policy is repudiated for a misstatement, not for fraud, the premiums paid up to then must be refunded within 90 days of the repudiation (Section 45(4)).
- Fraud cannot be the ground if it is shown the statement was true to the best of the insured’s knowledge, or there was no deliberate intention to hide it; when the policyholder is not alive, the beneficiaries have to show this (Section 45(3)).
Death by suicide
If death by suicide happens within 12 months of the start (or revival) of the policy and the policy is in force, the nominee gets at least 80% of the premiums paid till the date of death, or the surrender value on that date, whichever is higher (Life Insurance Products circular, clause 21). For ULIPs, the fund value is paid (clause 35). After 12 months, it is handled under the policy’s normal terms — read the “Suicide” clause in your policy document.
A made-up example: a policy with a yearly premium of ₹15,000 started 8 months before the policyholder’s death by suicide. Premiums paid so far: ₹15,000, and 80% of that is ₹12,000. If the surrender value on that day is lower than ₹12,000 (or nil), the nominee gets at least ₹12,000; if the surrender value is higher, the nominee gets that. In other words, within those 12 months the full sum assured written in the policy is not paid — only the amount worked out this way.
The policy has a rider
Some people pay an extra premium for a rider on top of the main policy — for example an accidental death benefit rider, which pays an extra amount if death is caused by an accident. Look for rider names in the policy schedule (the first pages of the policy). If there is one, ask for the rider benefit too when you report the death. A rider pays only on the conditions written in the rider’s own document (for example, how soon after the accident the death must happen). This is one reason the police FIR and post-mortem report (Step 2) matter in an accidental death.
The policy was assigned to a bank for a loan
The circular asks the nominee to check three things (page 108): (1) whether there is a valid assignment in favour of the bank or financial institution; (2) the outstanding loan balance, giving consent to the insurer to pay the lender only that outstanding amount; and (3) that the rest of the death benefit is paid directly into the nominee’s bank account.
No nominee, or the nominee has also died
If all nominees died before the policyholder, the money is paid to the policyholder’s heirs, legal representatives or the holder of a succession certificate (Insurance Act, Section 39(5)). In such cases, and when no nominee was named, the insurer may ask for papers proving who the heirs are — ask it in writing which ones it needs. Whether money paid to a nominee belongs to the nominee or the heirs is explained in our nominee article (Section 39(7)).
The policy was taken under the MWP Act
If a husband took a policy on his own life and it says on its face that it is for the benefit of his wife, or his wife and children (Section 6 of the Married Women’s Property Act, 1874 — the MWP Act), the policy is treated as a trust for them. The money is not available to the husband’s creditors and does not form part of his estate. The claim is paid to the trustees named in the policy; if none were appointed, it is paid to the Official Trustee of the state. One exception: this protection does not apply to a policy taken with the intention of defrauding creditors. Check the policy document for an “MWP Act” mention and the trustees’ names, and ask the insurer in writing who should make the claim.
An example (imaginary)
Ramesh (45) from Guntur took a ₹50 lakh term policy in 2021, with his wife Lakshmi as nominee. He died of an illness in hospital on 2 November 2026.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 4 November | Lakshmi reports the death on the insurer’s website and notes the reference number |
| 12 November | She hands in the claim form, death certificate, discharge summary, her ID and a cancelled cheque at the branch |
| 19 November | The policy is over 3 years old and needs no investigation, so the 15-day deadline (counted from 4 November) ends today |
| If paid on 29 November | 10 days late: the insurer must add interest at bank rate + 2%, on its own, for the whole period from the intimation on 4 November to payment on 29 November, not only for the 10 late days |
(Names, amounts and dates in this example are made up, only to show how the rule works.)
If the claim is rejected or delayed
There are three routes, in this order, and all of them are free:
- Complain to the insurer: send a written complaint to its grievance department — here is a sample complaint letter. The insurer must act on the complaint and tell you its decision within 14 days (Policyholders’ Interests circular, Section VI).
- Bima Bharosa (IRDAI): if there is no reply, or you are not satisfied with it, register a complaint at bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in or call the toll-free number 155255.
- Insurance Ombudsman: you can go here if the insurer rejected your complaint, you are not satisfied with its reply, or it did not reply within one month of receiving your complaint. File within one year of the insurer’s reply (or of that one month ending), for claims up to ₹50 lakh; there is no fee and you do not need a lawyer (Insurance Ombudsman Rules 2017, Rule 14). You can file online at cioins.co.in.
Each route is explained in detail in this guide.
Words you will see
| Term | Plain meaning |
|---|---|
| Life assured | The person whose life the policy covers |
| Claim intimation | The first notice to the insurer that the death happened and a claim is being made |
| Claimant | The person asking for the claim money, usually the nominee |
| Investigation | The insurer’s check that the claim is genuine and the proposal details were correct |
| Discharge summary | The hospital’s record of treatment and death |
| Assignment | Transferring the policy’s rights to a bank, for example for a loan |
| Succession certificate | A court document that lets heirs collect a deceased person’s money or property |
Myths and facts
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Wait until every document is ready before telling the insurer | Report the death first; documents can follow (Policyholders’ Interests circular, page 107) |
| A late report means no claim | A claim cannot be rejected or closed just because it was reported late (page 107) |
| The insurer can take as many months as it likes | 15 days, or 45 days with investigation; interest is due if it is late |
| Years later, a mistake in the proposal can still be used to reject the claim | After 3 years from the policy date, the policy cannot be questioned on any ground (Section 45(1)) |
| You must pay a fee to get the claim processed | Calls or messages asking for such a fee can be frauds; call the insurer’s official number to check |
What to check
- How many policies did the person have? Look through papers at home, premium debits in bank statements, and emails.
- Ask the employer and the bank about group insurance through work, insurance that came with a loan, and government insurance schemes joined through a bank account.
- Check for money left unclaimed in older policies on the Bima Bharosa Unclaimed Amount page or the insurer’s website.
- Have you found the claim document list in the CIS or policy document?
- Is the name spelt the same on the policy, the death certificate, the hospital papers and your ID? If not, ask the insurer in writing, before you file the claim, what proof it needs for the difference (for example an affidavit) — this varies between insurers.
- Have you kept proof of the date you reported the death, and the claim reference number?
- If the 15 or 45 days passed, was interest added to the payment?
Sources
- IRDAI Master Circular on Protection of Policyholders’ Interests, 05-09-2024: life — claim intimation routes, “no rejection for want of documents or delayed intimation” (page 107); death claim timelines 15 / 45 days, interest at bank rate + 2% (pages 107–108); claim documents and assigned policies (page 108)
- IRDAI Master Circular on Life Insurance Products, 12-06-2024: suicide clause (clause 21; ULIP clause 35); Customer Information Sheet row 15 — Claims
- The Insurance Act, 1938 (IRDAI’s consolidated copy): Section 45 — the 3-year rule; Section 39(5) — when nominees have died
- Married Women’s Property Act, 1874 (India Code): Section 6 — a husband’s policy for the benefit of his wife and children is a trust
- Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 2017 (Council for Insurance Ombudsmen copy): Rule 14 — when and how soon to complain
- IRDAI Bima Bharosa — Unclaimed Amount
All sources checked on 25 October 2026. Last updated: 25 October 2026.