The Life Insurance Council of India has launched a drive to help the victims of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Expressing grief, LIC has announced a special initiative to help families settle death claims quickly and without unnecessary hurdles.
To support grieving families during this time, LIC is pursuing a simplified and compassionate approach to filing death claims. The entire process will be done offline, and nominees will need to visit the LIC branch where the policy was originally issued. Having all the necessary documents ready will be crucial to ensure faster processing.
Here’s what families should know before filing a death claim:
If you are a nominee or legal heir of someone who recently lost their life in this tragedy and has an active LIC policy, this is what you will be required to do:
Inform the branch: The first and most important step is to write to the servicing LIC branch with the mention of your policy number, date of death and cause of death in your letter.
Gather the relevant documents: Next, you are required to gather the necessary documents to help you make the claim. Here is the list of documents that you will need:
- Starting with claim forms, you should ask the branch for ‘Claim Form A’, which includes details of the deceased policyholder and the claimant
- Another important document is the ‘Death Certificate’. Typically, a certified extract from the local death register is needed, however, LIC has made a special concession:
If an official record from a government agency confirms the death due to the terrorist attack, or if compensation has been paid by a government body, this can be accepted in place of a formal death certificate
- You will also need the original policy document for the claim
- For proof of age, you will need Aadhaar, PAN card, or any government-issued ID for both the deceased and the claimant
- For banking details, a NEFT form, cancelled cheque, or copy of a passbook to enable electronic payment of the claim is also needed
Also, in case the policy is not assigned or nominated, proof that you are legally entitled to the deceased’s estate is required.
There are also some additional documents that you would need if the policyholder passed away within three years of the policy’s issuance, revival, or reinstatement. These are:
- Medical certificates related to treatment and illness (Forms B, B1, and B2)
- Burial or cremation certificate (Form C)
- Employer’s certificate (Form E), if applicable
In cases of accidental or unnatural death, FIR, post-mortem report, and police investigation report are needed.
“LIC announced many concessions to mitigate the hardships of the claimants of LIC Policies. In lieu of death certificates, any evidence in Government Records of death of the policyholder due to the terrorist attack or any compensation paid by Central/State Government will be accepted as proof of death,” Siddhartha Mohanty, chairman and managing director of LIC stated in an official release.
However, if you are unsure about any of the steps or need guidance, LIC also operates a dedicated helpline at 022-68276827. For offline help, you can also approach your nearest LIC branch, divisional office, or customer zone.
“All efforts will be taken to ensure that the claimants are reached out and claims are settled expeditiously to the affected families,” the life insurer said.
