Can you give me the value of the policy on which I’m claiming on the telephone?

To avoid any possible misunderstanding we do not give claim values over the telephone.

What documents will I need to send you with the claim form?

When we send you a claim form, these are the documents we will ask for.

• The original death certificate. We will return this.
• The original policy document. We will keep this.

If the policyholder has died, we will also ask for two other documents.

• A photocopy of the policyholder's last, signed will if they have left one.
• The sealed original of the grant of probate or letters of administration if these have already been obtained. We will return this. We explain what grant of probate and letters of administration mean below. If they have not yet been obtained, we may ask you to send them later before we can pay the death benefit.

If an inquest is pending, we will accept a coroner’s interim certificate provided this shows either the deceased’s date of birth or age at death. If the coroner’s interim certificate does not show this information we will also need to see the deceased’s birth certificate. We may still need the original death certificate.

What happens if the policy document has been lost?

We will ask you to send the original policy document with the claim form. If this has been lost, please contact us.

How do I apply for grant of probate or letters of administration?

When a person dies other people have to assume responsibility for dealing with what they leave behind, known as their estate. Where there is a will these people are usually called executors and will have been appointed by the will maker. The people dealing with distributing the estate need to get a grant of representation. This is a document proving that they have authority to distribute the estate.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the two most common types of grant are:

• a grant of probate, where the deceased has left a valid will, and
• a grant of letters of administration, where the deceased has not left a valid will.

In Scotland the grant is a grant of Confirmation.

To apply for grant of probate or letters of administration the people distributing the estate must ask their local probate office for an application form. You can find your local office by calling the Probate & Inheritance Tax help line on 0845 302 0900 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday or visiting www.hmrc.gov.uk/cto/iht.htm

Why do you need to see the will?

We need to see the will to check it is valid and that we are paying an executor.

What happens if there is no will?

If the estate can be distributed without a grant of probate and the deceased did not leave a will, the claim should be made by the next of kin who must be a spouse or a blood relative. For details please contact us.

Will you acknowledge that you have received the claim form and documents?

We receive many death claims every day. To help us concentrate on processing each as quickly as possible we won’t acknowledge your claim before sending the cheque. Royal Mail can tell you that we have received your claim if you send it by Recorded or Special Delivery.