Speedier Life Insurance Claims

Speedier Life Insurance Claims

Consumer questions and answers

What is life insurance?

Many people take out life insurance because, if they die, they want their partner, spouse or family to be able to cope financially. Life insurance usually pays out a lump sum after the insured person dies.

What are the different policies?

Life insurance can be taken out by one person on their own or jointly with someone else, for example by a couple who are buying a home together with a joint mortgage. You might have thought about taking out life insurance when you got married, bought a house or had children to make sure your partner could cope financially if the worst happened.

Why is change needed?

There are many legal issues to be resolved when someone dies and, depending on the circumstances, this can mean that it takes a long time for life insurance companies to be able to pay out the proceeds. People who have lost loved ones often have to wait months for life insurance payments. The new guidance cuts out the lengthy legal process and means people will get the money in weeks rather than months. The legal process can lead to worry, at an already very upsetting time, and can cause financial hardship.

It is generally more straightforward with a joint policy because the surviving policyholder is usually legally entitled to the policy proceeds which therefore don’t get caught up in the legal process of winding up the deceased person’s estate. So, in the case of life insurance, the delays are typically associated with policies taken out by one person on their own.

What’s changed?

Working with the Law Commission, we have developed ABI best practice guidance on a new claims process that gets around the delays associated with the legal process. It works by asking the claimant to give the insurance company evidence that they are the main beneficiary (rather than waiting for the legal process to prove it) and to agree to pay back any money they receive that they aren’t entitled to. This can take months off the time taken to settle a life insurance claim.

Why do I need life insurance?

Life insurance is worth considering if you have dependents such as a partner or a family. The proceeds of a life insurance policy can help your loved ones cope financially if the worst were to happen and, for most people with dependents, life insurance is cheap.

Will I benefit?

An earlier payment will give your partner or family less to worry about during a very stressful and upsetting time, and it will mean they don’t need to worry about money on top of everything else.

Will it cost more?

No. This will not affect the cost of the policy or alter existing premiums.

Will this apply to my existing policy?

To ensure the solution has an immediate impact, it has been designed to work with both new and existing applicable life insurance policies. So you don’t need to take out a new policy.

Will this apply to all policies?

No. It won’t apply in all situations – for example, where there are suspicious circumstances or the person’s estate is complicated – but it can be used in many straightforward cases.

What do I need to do differently?

If you are the main beneficiary and making a claim, you can ask your insurance company if they can apply the new process. Then they will ask you to provide some information – for example, about your relationship to the deceased – and ask you to sign a declaration that you will pay back any money they pay you that you are not entitled to.

How long will it take for me to get my claim cleared?

The circumstances of every life insurance claim are different so the time varies. However, if applicable, the process could mean that the proceeds of the policy can be paid out months earlier than would otherwise have been the case.

Where can I go to take out insurance?

You can take out life insurance from insurance companies or through most financial firms such as an IFA, bank, building society, comparison website or specialist life insurance broker. It can be taken out by seeing a sales adviser in person, over the phone or on-line.

When does this come into effect?

In applicable cases, it can be used by all participating insurance companies straight away.

Does this apply in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales?

Yes – the process can be used throughout the UK.