To claim on term life insurance, or any other life policy, after a death, a family member or whoever is dealing with the estate tells the insurer, supplies the documents it asks for, and then waits while the insurer assesses the claim and pays the person who is legally entitled to the money. The first move is usually the family's: Aviva says most families contact the insurer as soon as they have the death certificate. The wait that follows varies from claim to claim.

If cover of your own is on your mind too, an FCA-authorised broker can take that question by phone, free of charge: the form on this page, filled in whenever it suits you, sets up the call. The claim itself goes to the insurer that holds the policy, and the sections below follow it in order.

Who tells the insurer, and will it get in touch first?

Insurers' own wording puts the first step on the person making the claim. Zurich's policy terms (PW720480017 04/26) say the policyholder, or the person dealing with their affairs, should contact it, and LV='s policy conditions (48926-2026) say the person making the claim should tell it about the death as soon as they can. Legal & General's guide (14 April 2026) adds that "Anyone can notify us of the policyholders death but the claim has to be paid to the right person."

That does not mean the insurer will already know. GOV.UK describes Tell Us Once as a way to inform government departments, and says that organisations outside government, such as employers, private pension providers, banks and utility companies, have to be told separately. A life insurer is a private company, not a government department, so it is one of the organisations to contact yourself.

Some insurers do look for people when a policy sits unclaimed. Aviva, for one, says "when we identify unclaimed assets we work proactively to identify, trace and contact the right person." That happens only once Aviva has spotted the policy, so it is no reason to wait. If you do not know which company held the cover, finding a lost life insurance policy sets out where to look.

Once you know the insurer, its own page will have the right phone number or form. These cover the main ones:

What should you have ready before you ring?

Most insurers start with the same basics. Aviva's claims page asks for the name of the person who has died, how you are related to them, the cause of death and the policy number if you have it. A bank statement can help with the number, because Aviva says the Direct Debit reference is usually the policy number. Vitality also asks for the name and address of the policyholder's GP, and Royal London asks for the executor's name if there is a will and you know it.

An original death certificate is the document most often needed. Aviva says you will usually need to send the insurer an original, and LV= says it needs the original rather than a photocopy before it can pay. If the certificate is not available yet, claiming life insurance without a death certificate covers what a coroner's interim certificate can and cannot do.

You do not need everything to hand before you call. The claims team will say what is missing, and starting the claim sooner means any waiting happens in parallel.

Is there a deadline for making a claim?

It depends on the policy. Vitality's claims page (archived copy captured April 2025) explains that each benefit has its own notification period. For its life cover, though, it states "there is no notification period, meaning there is no time limit within which to submit your claim." That is Vitality's wording for its own plans, not a rule for the whole market.

Other insurers ask for prompt contact. Zurich's terms ask the policyholder to tell it as soon as possible, and Legal & General says to contact it as soon as possible after the death. Telling the insurer early costs nothing and starts the paperwork, even if the documents follow later.

A policy that nobody claims does not simply vanish. Aviva says that after seven years without contact from a claimant it may move a policy to the Dormant Assets Scheme, and that the money stays the property of its owners.

How long does a life insurance payout take?

There is no single answer. Legal & General's guide says "We aim to pay all life insurance claims as soon as possible, but the exact time it takes can vary." Several insurers give a target for the final step, once they have what they need:

  • Legal & General's payouts page (6 October 2026) says "Once we have everything we need, we aim to pay valid claims within five days."
  • LV='s life insurance page says "Once we've made our final decision, we aim to pay a claim within 3 days."
  • Aviva's guide to life insurance after a death (15 June 2026) says a week is the shortest time payment can take, counted from the point it has agreed the claim and received everything it needs.

Each is that insurer's own aim, not a promise, and each clock starts only after the insurer has the documents and has decided the claim. The time before that point is where most of the variation sits. Aviva's payout-time page looks at that wait for one insurer in detail: how long Aviva takes to pay.

The checks themselves depend on the claim. Aviva says the insurer might also ask for medical information from a GP or specialist, or for other legal documents. How long that takes for any one claim is something the insurer can estimate once it has the details. For figures on how many claims are paid, see life insurance claims statistics.

What can hold a payout up, and what can help?

If the policy is not in trust, the money normally goes to the estate, and the executor (or the administrator, where there is no will) may need probate before it can be paid. Legal & General calls these legal processes "the main causes of delay". In England and Wales, GOV.UK says probate usually comes within 12 weeks of the application, and can take longer if more information is needed; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules. Whether life insurance goes through probate explains when that applies.

A trust can change the picture. The same L&G guide adds: "Where the deceased has set up a trust, the claim avoids these legal processes. That often means we can pay it quicker." Policies written in trust are covered in what a life insurance trust is, and the question of whether a policy needs one in whether life insurance needs to be in trust.

Some insurers have steps to bridge the gap. Vitality's claims page (April 2025 copy) says that for life cover it will pay up to £300,000 without a Grant of Probate, once it accepts the claim and is satisfied who the beneficiary is, though not for plans worth more than that or policies written into trust. Aviva's payouts guide also points to papers that are slow to arrive, medical or coroner records among them, and to estates with no will, where intestacy rules decide who inherits, and an insurer can decline a claim for reasons set out in why life insurance claims are refused.

Protection for yourself is a separate matter from this claim. If an FCA-authorised broker's view on it appeals, this page's call-back form costs nothing to complete.

Frequently asked questions

Who can make a claim on someone else's life insurance?

Legal & General says anyone can tell it about a death, but the money must go to the right person. Zurich says it pays the person legally entitled to receive it, which can be the policyholder, trustees or personal representatives depending on the arrangement.

Should premiums keep being paid after the death?

Royal London's bereavement page says to keep making payments until it says otherwise: "We'll let you know when it's ok to stop, and refund any overpaid premiums." Other insurers may differ, so ask when you make the call.

Can the funeral be paid for before the claim is settled?

Some insurers will help. Legal & General offers a funeral payment pledge, an advance of up to £10,000 on a valid life claim, and Vitality says that if a valid claim is likely to be delayed it will pay up to £10,000 towards the funeral, where the funeral bill is still unpaid.

Does any insurer promise the quickest life insurance payout?

Insurers' targets are each measured from a different point and are their own aims, so they do not add up to a fair league table. How quickly any one claim is paid depends on the documents, the checks and who the money goes to.

Cover for yourself can wait. Whenever an FCA-authorised broker's view would be welcome, the form on this page is open; nobody is charged.

Sources