How to find out if someone has life insurance

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If someone passes away without telling you whether they had life insurance, finding a policy can take a little detective work. They may not have discussed their cover with family members, or important documents may be difficult to find when you’re already dealing with everything else that follows a bereavement.

There isn’t a single UK database that lists every life insurance policy. Instead, you’ll usually need to check the person’s financial records, paperwork and correspondence, or contact organisations that could hold details of their cover.

In this guide, we explain how to find out if someone has life insurance, what documents to check, who you can contact and what happens if you find a policy.

The information on this page should not be considered as financial advice. If you are unsure what’s right for you, please make sure you speak to a financial adviser.

How do you find out if someone has life insurance?

If you don’t know whether someone had life insurance, start with the records and information they’ve left behind.

There are several places you can check:

• Bank and credit card statements: look for regular monthly or annual payments to an insurer.
  
• Policy documents: search for policy schedules, certificates, welcome packs or annual statements.
  
• Emails: search their inbox for terms like ‘life insurance’, ‘life cover’, ‘policy’ and the names of insurers.
  
• Wills and financial records: these may contain references to policies, trusts or financial advisers.
  
• Employer records: their employer may be able to confirm whether they had death-in-service or another workplace benefit.
  
• Financial advisers: an adviser they used may have records of policies they arranged.
  
• Insurers: if you have reason to believe they used a particular insurer, you can contact the provider directly.
  

You may not find the answer straight away. Something as simple as a recurring payment on a bank statement or an old email can give you the insurer’s name and provide somewhere to start.

What paperwork should you look for?

A life insurance policy schedule or certificate is one of the clearest signs that someone had cover. It should normally include details like the policyholder, insurer and policy number.

However, the original policy documents aren’t the only place you might find evidence.

Look through:

• Policy schedules and certificates.
  
• Welcome letters from insurers.
  
• Annual policy statements.
  
• Direct Debit records.
  
• Bank and credit card statements.
  
• Emails and online account confirmations.
  
• Financial adviser correspondence.
  
• Trust documents.
  
• Wills and other estate paperwork.
  

If you’re checking digital records, searching for the names of insurance providers can sometimes be more useful than searching for ‘life insurance’ alone.

You may also find paperwork for an old policy that was no longer active when the person died. Finding a document therefore doesn’t necessarily mean a claim can be made. The insurer will need to confirm whether the policy was still in force.

How can you check bank statements for life insurance?

Bank statements can be particularly useful if you can’t find any policy documents.

Most life insurance policies involve regular premiums, so look for monthly or annual payments to insurance providers. If you have access to several years of statements, checking older records may help you spot payments that aren’t immediately obvious.

Bear in mind that the name shown on a bank statement may not always be the same brand name you recognise. An insurer may appear under the name of its wider company or another payment reference.

If you find what looks like an insurance payment, make a note of:

• The company or payment name.
  
• How much was paid.
  
• Whether the payment was monthly or annual.
  
• The date of the most recent payment.
  
• Any reference number shown alongside it.

These details may help the insurer locate the policy when you contact them.

Who should you contact if you can’t find the policy?

If checking paperwork and financial records doesn’t provide an answer, there are several people and organisations that may be able to help.

The insurance provider

If you think you know which insurer the person used, contact the company directly.

You may not need to know the policy number to start the conversation. The insurer will explain what information it needs to check its records and what evidence may be required before it can discuss or process a claim.

Their employer

It’s also worth contacting the person’s employer, particularly if they were employed when they died.

Some employers provide death-in-service cover as part of an employee benefits package. This is separate from a personal life insurance policy the person may have arranged themselves, so it’s worth checking for both.

Their HR or employee benefits team should be able to explain whether any workplace cover was in place and what happens next.

A financial adviser

If the person used a financial adviser, they may have records of insurance policies arranged as part of their wider financial planning.

Check paperwork and emails for the adviser’s details if you’re unsure who they used.

The solicitor dealing with the estate

A solicitor or other professional handling the estate may also come across references to insurance while reviewing financial records.

If probate or estate administration is already underway, let them know that you’re trying to establish whether life insurance existed.

Can you trace a life insurance policy?

There isn’t currently a single central register you can search to find every UK life insurance policy.

However, there are services that may help you with your search.

The Association of British Insurers recommends checking bank and credit card statements if you don’t know the insurer. It also provides information about tracing policies where an insurance company may have changed its name.

Another option is the Death Notification Service. This free service allows you to notify participating financial organisations about a death using one notification.

It’s important to understand that the Death Notification Service isn’t a complete database of life insurance policies. It only covers participating organisations. Where a member organisation identifies an account or product belonging to the person who died, it can then explain what needs to happen next.

If you suspect a particular insurer that isn’t included, contact that company directly.

How do you know if someone had life insurance through work?

Personal life insurance and workplace death-in-service cover aren’t the same thing.

Death-in-service is an employee benefit offered by some employers. It can provide a payment if an employee passes away while they’re employed by the organisation, subject to the rules of the scheme.

If you think the person may have had workplace cover, contact their employer or HR department and ask whether they participated in a death-in-service scheme.

Payslips, employee benefit portals and employment documents may also contain useful information.

Even if you find workplace cover, continue checking for personal life insurance too. Someone may have had both.

What happens if you find a life insurance policy?

Once you’ve identified a policy, contact the insurer and let them know the policyholder has died.

Each insurer has its own claims process, but you’ll usually be asked for information about the deceased and evidence of their death.

This may include:

1. The policyholder’s full name and personal details.
   
2. The policy number, if you have it.
   
3. A death certificate.
   
4. Details of the person contacting the insurer.
   
5. Any additional documents the insurer needs to assess and pay the claim.

Don’t assume you can’t make enquiries simply because the original policy documents are missing. Contact the insurer and explain what information you do have.

You can read more about how to claim on life insurance in our separate guide.

How are life insurance beneficiaries identified?

Who receives money from a life insurance policy depends on how the policy was set up.

For example, if a policy was placed in trust, the claim proceeds are normally paid to the trustees. The trustees are then responsible for looking after or distributing the money according to the terms of the trust.

For a single-life policy that wasn’t placed in trust, where the deceased was both the policyholder and the person insured, the proceeds would normally be paid to their estate.

Different arrangements can apply to jointly owned policies or policies owned by somebody other than the person insured.

Because the position can vary, the insurer will check how the policy was set up before confirming who is entitled to receive the money.

What if you still can’t find a life insurance policy?

If your initial search hasn’t found anything, there are a few final checks worth making.

Go back through older financial records and archived emails where possible. You could also speak to former employers, financial advisers or solicitors who may have dealt with the person’s finances.

If you find evidence of an insurer but no policy number, contact the insurer anyway. They can tell you what information they require to search their records.

It’s also possible that someone previously had life insurance, but the cover ended before they died. For example, a term life insurance policy only provides cover for a specified period. You can find out more about how term life insurance works.

With some policies, cover may also end if premiums are no longer paid. Finding an old policy document therefore doesn’t automatically mean there is an active policy or a valid claim.

Need to make a life insurance claim with LV=?

If you’ve found an LV= life insurance policy belonging to someone who has died, we’re here to help you understand what happens next.

We know making a claim can come at an incredibly difficult time, so we’ll explain what information we need and guide you through the process.

Visit our life insurance claims page to find out how to get in touch and what information to have ready.

How to know if someone has life insurance FAQs

Still have more questions or find yourself asking how do you know if someone has life insurance? Below are answers to some of the most commonly-asked questions below.

Is there a database to find out if someone has life insurance?

There isn’t one central UK database containing details of every life insurance policy. If you don’t know which insurer someone used, start by checking their bank statements, emails and financial paperwork. The Association of British Insurers also provides information about tracing life insurance policies.

Can you claim life insurance without the policy documents?

Not having the original policy documents doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t make a claim. If you know or suspect which insurer provided the cover, contact them and provide as much information about the deceased as you can. They’ll explain what they need to locate the policy and confirm whether a claim can be made.

How long after someone passes away can you claim life insurance?

The process and any relevant time limits can depend on the insurer, policy and circumstances. If you discover an old policy after someone has died, contact the insurer rather than assuming it’s too late to make a claim. They can check whether the policy was active when the person died and explain the next steps.

Can a life insurance policy expire before someone passes away?

Yes. Term life insurance provides cover for an agreed period. If the person survives beyond the end of that term, the policy ends without a death benefit becoming payable. Cover can also end in some circumstances if premiums aren’t maintained. The exact terms will depend on the policy.

What happens if you find evidence of an old life insurance policy?

Contact the insurer even if the documents are several years old. They can check whether the policy was active at the time of death, had already ended or had been replaced by another arrangement. An old policy document on its own doesn’t confirm that a payout is due.