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What a nominee needs to do, in order, to settle a LIC policy.
If you have just lost a family member, you do not need to do all of this today: intimate LIC – a phone call is enough to start the clock – then gather documents over the following week. A death claim is made by the nominee or legal heir, not the policyholder. LIC is India's largest life insurer and settled 98.2% of death claims by count in FY 2024-25 (IRDAI).
Intimation registers the claim and starts the clock. It does not require documents. Call 022-6827 6827 with the policyholder's name, policy number, date and place of death, and a one-line cause, then note the claim reference number. Follow up in writing to claims.bo101@licindia.com so you hold an acknowledgement.
Collect the pack below before submitting anything, and send it together – claims stall far more often on a missing paper than on a disputed fact. Which extras apply depends on the cause of death: medical records for illness, and FIR with post-mortem report where the death was accidental or unnatural.
A claim within three years of policy issue or revival is an early claim and is routinely investigated – that is standard practice, not suspicion of you. Expect field verification of the medical history and the circumstances of death. Cooperate promptly; the 45-day window runs from intimation, and delays here usually mean a hospital record or employer certificate is outstanding.
LIC must settle within 15 days of intimation, or 45 days where the claim is investigated (IRDAI Master Circular, September 2024). Miss either and the insurer owes interest at the bank rate plus 2% from intimation, paid automatically. Payout is by NEFT to the nominee's account, so the bank details and cancelled cheque must match the nominee's name exactly.
Once a claim is registered, Life Insurance Corporation of India gives it a claim or intimation number, and that number is what every status channel asks for. Keep it with the policy number and track the claim on the LIC of India claims portal, or call 022-6827 6827. A cashless request usually moves within hours; a reimbursement claim is measured in days, and the insurer has 15 days from the last document to decide, or 45 where it orders an investigation.
If the status has not moved for several days, or it reads “query raised” without anyone telling you what is missing, that is the point to stop waiting and start the escalation ladder. A query is not a rejection - it is a request for a document, and claims are lost by leaving them unanswered.
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Fifteen days from intimation, per IRDAI's September 2024 Master Circular. If the claim is investigated – common within the first three years – it must be settled within 45 days of intimation. Miss either deadline and the insurer owes interest at the bank rate plus 2%. Most delays are a missing document rather than a dispute.
A death claim within three years of the policy being issued or revived. These are investigated as a matter of routine, including verification of medical history and the circumstances of death. It is procedure, not an accusation.
No. Under Section 45 of the Insurance Act, a policy cannot be called in question on any ground whatsoever after three years from issue, revival or rider addition – fraud included. Before three years, fraud or non-disclosure of a material fact remains the most common reason a claim fails.
The claim passes to the legal heirs, who must produce a succession certificate or equivalent legal document. This is slower than a nominee claim, which is exactly why a nomination should be kept current.
Most term and life policies, including LIC's, exclude death by suicide within the first 12 months of inception or revival; the premiums paid (or a portion) are typically refunded instead. After 12 months, suicide is generally covered – always check the specific policy wording.
16+ years in financial services. Former investment banker at Bank of America, Kotak Investment Banking, and SBICaps, and ex-CFO of slice. Founder of NYVO and Principal Officer - IRDAI Certified.
If you hold one of these, or are deciding between them, each page is read out of LIC's own policy wording - waiting periods, room rent, exclusions and where the plan falls short.
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