This is a 2 step process. It is very important that you follow both steps so that we can ensure that your claim is dealt with without unnecessary delay.
Step 1 - Notification of the death of a life assured on a policy or the pension policyholder
If you have not already done so, it is very important that you notify us of the death of the life assured on a policy or the pension policyholder before you submit your claim. Details of how to notify us and why it is important to do so can be found in our How to - Notify us of a deceased claim section.
Step 2 – Make a deceased claim
After you have notified us, you can follow the instructions below which explain exactly what you need to do to make a claim. If you have any questions, they may be covered in the question and answer section at the bottom of this page.
You can download the claim form below. Details of how to complete the sections are included on the form itself. In addition other useful information on this page includes:
What documents/evidence we need to support your claim
The table below shows the documents you will need to send to us so that we can process your claim:
Documentary Evidence
Requirements
Completed Claim Form
Please complete all applicable sections of the claim form and provide as much information as you can, as any missing information may delay the payment.
Death Certificate
The original Death Certificate is required. Photocopies are not acceptable. For deaths outside of the UK please see the Question and Answer section below.
Will (if applicable)
A photocopy or certified copy is acceptable. Please do not send the original or a draft copy.
Grant of Representation (if applicable) - Probate or Letters of Administration (England, Wales & Northern Ireland) or Confirmation (Scotland)
An original or sealed copy is acceptable.
Policy Document or Schedule
(if available)
If the Policy Document or Schedule is lost or destroyed please complete section H of the claim form.
Please include these documents (and if the policy is a Personal Pension, all other relevent documents), together with a covering letter to Deceased Claims, The Pearl Centre, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FY.
When we receive your letter any original documents will be scanned on to our computer system and returned to you as soon as possible. We will then update our records to show that the assured, or policyholder, if a pension policy, is deceased and process the claim.
Please note, we cannot calculate the claim value until we receive a valid original Death Certificate.
Who we can make payment to
Executors and Administrators
If a Grant of Representation has been obtained, the claimant(s) must be the executor(s) or administrator(s) named on the Grant. We would usually expect the next of kin, or the person or persons named in the will as executors, to apply for a Grant of Representation.
Where no Grant of Representation is being obtained, we will treat the next of kin, as determined below, as the person entitled to make the claim. Where there is no Will, the next of kin is determined by intestacy law, and is the person who we accept is entitled to be the claimant, if the policy was self proposed by the deceased.
If the original proposer had died before the life assured, had not left a Will and ownership of the policy had not passed to the life assured, we will treat the original proposer's next of kin, as determined below, as the person entitled to claim.
The list below is often called the ‘Chain of Succession’ and determines the order in which someone can apply for a Grant of Representation, and the order that we are willing to give priority to as the next of kin:
1. Spouse
2. Children
3. Parents
4. Brothers & Sisters
5. Grandparents
6. Other Blood Relatives
7. The State
Persons entitled to be considered to receive a discretionary payment
Under a Personal Pension, containing Ordinary Rights, payment of the policy death benefits are made at our discretion. We will consider all valid claims received before we exercise our discretion to make payment.
Under a Personal Pension, containing Protected Rights, we have to follow the regulations as set out by the Department for Works and Pensions to decide how we make payment.
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Check List
Before you send us your claim form, please ensure that you have:
Read and completed all relevant sections of the deceased claim form;
Enclosed all relevant documents from the table above;
Completed section H on the claim form if the policy document or schedule is either lost or destroyed;
Completed the supplementary form, if the policy is a Personal Pension;
For Personal Pensions, where applicable, enclosed any other any other relevant documents;
Used the correct mailing address (above);
Included your contact details and policy number on the letter;
Requested that we return your photocopied documents (if required).
Definition of Terms
Administrators
If a person has died without making a Will, the next of kin can apply for a Grant of Representation. Once granted, that person is called an 'administrator'. Administrators claim the proceeds of any life policy owned by the person who has died which is not in trust. Administrators are named on Letters of Administration. In Scotland, the administrator is called the ‘Executor Dative’ and the Grant of Representation is called the Confirmation.
Annuity
An annuity is set up using the value of a pension policy at retirement. It is used to make regular payments to the policyholder.
Annuitant
The person who receives the regular income paid from the annuity.
Assignee
If a policy has been given, or sold, to someone else, it will have been done by assigning it (transferring it). The person who receives the policy is called the 'assignee'. The assignment could be temporary and for a particular reason, for example, to secure a mortgage.
Beneficiaries
The people entitled to receive the money from the deceased's estate.
Chargeable Event
When the proceeds of some policies are due to be paid, we must tell the Inland Revenue about the payment. We do this by sending them a 'chargeable event certificate'. We also send a copy to the person making a claim (claimant).
Confirmation
A legal document issued by the Sheriff's Court in Scotland. This is the Scottish Grant of Representation. Every part of the person's estate will be written in the inventory attached to this document. There can be an extra page called an Eik, this will include details of any of the deceased's property not listed in the inventory.
Coroner
A person who investigates the cause of death of any person who dies in unknown circumstances or in prison.
Deceased
The person who has died.
Dependant
This is someone who relied on the deceased for general support about financial and other related matters. This may include the deceased's spouse, partner, civil partner or children who are under 18.
Estate
Everything the deceased owned, (except, in most circumstances, anything owned jointly with another person). The estate includes all bank accounts, insurance policies, unit trusts, individual savings accounts (ISAs), personal equity plans (PEPs), annuities (not Personal Pensions unless we tell you otherwise). When we ask you for the value of the estate, you need to add the value of all the assets owned by the deceased at their death, and the value of the property or money given away by them within seven years before the date they died.
Executors
If a person who has died left a Will, it is probable that they named certain people to look after their affairs after their death. These people are the executors. If they are still alive after the person dies, they are the first people who can take out a Grant of Representation. Executors can claim the proceeds of the deceased's estate. Executors will use the assets to carry out the wishes set out in the Will. Executors are named on the Grant of Probate or Confirmation.
Grant of Probate
A legal document issued by the Probate Registry of the High Court as proof that a deceased's Will is the valid last Will. This document allows an executor to deal with the deceased's estate.
Grant of Representation
This is a general term we use to cover a Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration and Confirmation.
Inheritance Tax
If the value of the deceased's estate is over a certain amount, inheritance tax will probably be payable on the amount over that figure. (The current inheritance tax band can be obtained from your local tax office). For these purposes you would need to include the value of all the deceased's property, and any gifts the deceased made during the seven years before his or her death.
Inquest
An inquiry a coroner holds to decide what caused the death of a person who died in unknown circumstances.
Intestate
A person dies 'intestate' if they do not leave a valid Will. There are rules laid down which tell us the way in which the estate will be divided and who will benefit from it.
Individual Savings Account (ISA)
Tax efficient environment in which to hold savings, introduced in April 1999. They can hold savings in stocks, shares, cash or life assurance, or any combination of these subject to HM Revenue and Customs Limits.
Joint Life Policy
A policy where two people have their lives assured. Our policies normally pay out when the first of these people die.
Letters of Administration
A legal document issued by the Probate Registry of the High Court if a deceased does not leave a valid Will which names someone (who is still alive) as an executor. The document appoints one or more people to be 'administrators'. These are usually people entitled to claim some or all of the deceased's estate. If there is a Will, but no living executor, Letters of Administration with the Will attached, will be issued. In such a case the administrators must divide the deceased's estate according to the Will. If there is no Will, they will divide it according to the law that applies when someone dies intestate.
Life Assured
The person upon whose death the sum assured will be paid.
Nominated Beneficiary
A person, named by the policyholder as one of the people who can receive a death benefit due under a pension policy. The policyholder names that person, but the scheme administrators will decide who to pay and how to make the payment.
Ordinary Rights (Personal Pension)
The value of the fund made up of the contributions paid by the policyholder or their employer. They may not form part of the deceased's estate, and we make payments in accordance with the scheme rules.
Paid-up Value
The value which is built up when a policy is 'put on hold' so that premiums are no longer paid. Any benefits are provided from the value that has been built up. Any charges are taken from the value of the policy. The policy will continue until it has no value, for example, because all the value has been used to pay the ongoing charges.
Personal Equity Plan (PEP)
Prior to the introduction of ISAs, PEPs were a tax efficient way of investing money in the stockmarket.
Proposer
This is the person who originally took out the policy.
Protected Rights
Payments made into a Personal Pension by the Department of Social Security. These are made up of rebates of part of the policyholder's national insurance contributions, plus tax relief and may form part of the deceased’s estate dependant on the circumstances at the time of death. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Department of Work & Pensions have regulations regarding how we pay this amount.
Qualifying Child
A child for whom the policyholder or his or her widow or widower receives Child Benefit.
Short Duration
A claim is said to be of 'short duration' if the life assured dies within two years of the policy starting. In some cases we may need the deceased's doctor to provide a medical report and undertake further enquiries before we can pay out the claim.
Sum Assured
The amount we pay when the life assured dies and we agree to pay the claim.
Transferred-in Ordinary Rights
These could be the policyholder's (employee's) or their employer's contributions into a company pension scheme that has then been transferred into a Personal Pension. Tax laws and the scheme rules tell us how to pay this amount.
Trust
A trust is a way of arranging property for the benefit of other people without giving them full control over it. This may be done for reasons of convenience, for example where the beneficiaries are to be minor children, for inheritance tax planning purposes or for reasons of protection, if the beneficiary is to be someone who is mentally incapable.
Trustees
The appointed trustees are the people who hold the legal ownership of the trust property, but cannot use it as their own personal property. The trustees must use the trust property for the benefit of the beneficiaries. The trustees will be the legal owners and will be the people entitled to make the claim under the policy. The trustees have the duty to make sure that the proceeds are paid to the named beneficiaries, or managed on their behalf.
Trust Deed
The trust deed is a legal document that creates the trust, and transfers the legal ownership of the policy to the trustees to hold subject to the terms of the trust.
Unit-holder
The person who owns units in a unit trust either directly or through a PEP or a stocks or shares ISA.
Questions and Answers
Do I have to send the original documents?
We can accept a photocopy or certified copy of a Will. We can only accept original birth, death and marriage certificates and an original or sealed copy of a Grant of Representation.
Why do you require the original documentation (where stated)?
In accordance with the Office of Public Sector Information guidance, (formerly Her Majesty's Stationery Office - HMSO), and to ensure we do not infringe, or cause you to infringe, Crown Copyright, we must request original birth, death and marriage certificates.
What do you mean by multiple claimants?
Multiple claimants is where more than one person is claiming the money from the policy or policies. For example, this could be where there is more than one child entitled to claim as next of kin.
There are more than three people entitled to claim and there is not enough room on the claim form – what shall I do?
If more than three people are claiming, as next of kin, a letter signed by all the claimants can give us authority to pay the money as directed. This could be where we are asked to pay one person or we can pay a share to a number of different people, if the claimants ask us to. In any other circumstances where there are more than three claimants, please call us. Our telephone number can be found in our contact us section.
There is more than one executor on the Grant of Representation - who will payment be made to?
Payment will be made to the executor as detailed in section D of the claim form. The claim form will need to be signed by all executors to confirm they are happy with this. If there are more than three executors we will require a letter signed by all executors authorising payment to be made to one.
Where do I get a death certificate from?
You need to get a death certificate for the deceased. You get this from the registrar of births, deaths and marriages for the locality where the birth, death or marriage took place. The address and phone number is in the local telephone directory or can be obtained from www.bt.com or any other directory service provider.
Will you return photocopies of documents sent to you?
Yes, we can do this as long as you specifically request this in your letter.
When is a Will required?
A Will is required if:
No Grant of Representation is being obtained
The policy is self proposed
The proposer on the policy has already passed away and the ownership had transferred to the deceased
If there is more than one claimant in the chain of succession e.g two children, who would payment be made to?
Payment will be made to the payee as detailed in section D on the claim form. If there are more than three children we will require a letter signed by all the children, if they are over 18 years of age, authorising payment to be made to one.
What powers do the State have?
The State are legally entitled to the moneys due if the policy was self proposed by the deceased, they did not leave a Will and there are no surviving relatives. The State will ensure the deceased receives a basic dignified funeral.
What do I do if I don't know whether the policy has a value?
If you don't know whether the policy has a value, please write to us enclosing the original death certificate and we will investigate for you.
How long will it take for the claim to be paid?
Payment will made as soon as possible, but could take 10-15 working days from the date of receipt of all of our requirements.
What do I need to do about premium arrears or overpayments on the policy?
Don't worry, any premium arrears or overpayments will be taken into account when we calculate the claim value.
I think the policy was used as security for a mortgage – how will this affect the claim?
We will make payment of the claim to the mortgage lender to pay off the mortgage. If there is any amount left over, the mortgage lender will pay this to the legal claimant. If the policy is assigned or deposited with a bank, we will make payment to them.
Where do I get a Grant of Representation from?
You can get a Grant from your local Probate Registry of the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or the Sheriff’s Court in Scotland. The address and telephone number is in the local telephone directory or can be obtained from www.bt.com or any other directory service provider.
The life assured had given someone a 'power of attorney'. Is that person legally entitled to claim the proceeds?
No, the Power of Attorney ends when the life assured dies.
The deceased died outside of the UK. What type of Death Certificate do you require?
We will need to see the original death certificate issued in the country where the deceased died. This will need to be translated into English where required. If the country where the deceased died will only issue a photocopy of the death certificate, we will require the photocopy to be translated into English and certified by a solicitor.
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