How Much Life Insurance

Life insurance claims can be made either on death of the policyholder, on maturity of the policy or as a Rider claim. In case of death claim, the beneficiary who is the nominee of the policy should intimate about the claim to the insurer at the earliest by filling the intimation form which can be obtained from the nearest branch of the insurance company or can be downloaded from the website of the insurance company. Relevant documents like death certificate of the insured person, birth certificate of the insured person (for proof of age), the original policy document, and any other documents requested by the insurer should be provided.

The insurer is obliged to settle claims, once filed, within 30 days of receipt of all documents. In case further investigation is needed, the insurer gets six months to complete its procedures from the date of receiving written intimation of the claim.

If you are making a maturity claim, the insurer reaches out to the policyholder in advance with a bank discharge form, which the policy holder has to fill in and submit to the insurer along with the relevant documents requested.

In the case of rider claims, which are additional benefits accruing to policy holders for paying extra premium, duly filled claim forms and policy copies are to be submitted to the insurer. Different riders like Waiver of Premium and Critical Illness are settled through different means.

While deaths due to accidents are covered by life insurance, there are certain exceptions. Accidental death if the insured is involved in any criminal activity or if death occurs due to intoxication or drugs are not covered by term life insurance plans. Accidental deaths while the insured was engaged in adventure sports like sky diving and bungee jumping are also not covered by such plans.

Death benefits for suicide are generally made at the discretion of insurance companies. Usually, beneficiaries are entitled to 80 per cent of amount accumulated from premiums paid in case of a non-linked plan, and 100 per cent in the case of a linked plan, if the insured dies by suicide within the initial 12 months.

Term insurance plans do not cover death occurring from self-inflicted injuries, or due to illnesses like sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS.

Death due to alcohol or drug abuse is also not covered by term plans, nor is homicide where the policy holder is murdered by the nominee for money. Death due to an existing illness that has not been disclosed at the time of purchasing the plan is also not covered by term life insurance plans. Death caused by natural disasters like tsunami, earthquake, floods etc is not covered by term insurance, unless the policy holder has opted for riders for that purpose.