Start with whoever the policy was bought through, and ask for the death claim form.
Who usually does this
The nominated beneficiary, the executor, or the person’s superannuation fund or adviser if the policy was held through them.
What they will ask for
- The policy number
- The death certificate, or a medical report listing the cause of death
- Proof of your identity
- Evidence of your relationship to the person, or of your role as executor
- Any other documents the insurer asks for to assess the claim
How to tell them
Contact whoever the policy was arranged through: the insurer directly, an insurance broker or adviser, the superannuation fund, or the employer. Ask for the death claim form.
One free government form tells many organisations at once. The death has to be registered first. How it works, or go straight to deathnotification.gov.au.
What happens next
The insurer assesses the claim and tells you its decision in writing. If you disagree with the decision, you can complain to the insurer first, and after that to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
An insurer that subscribes to the Life Insurance Code of Practice decides a death claim within six months of being told about it.
The official page
Things change, so check their own page before you start: Moneysmart: making a life insurance claim.
This is one of many. The tracker holds all of them.
The notification tracker lists every organisation most families have to tell, with a place to mark each one off and keep the reference number they give you. The checklist for the weeks after a death is free, with no account needed.
Checked against the official sources on 13 September 2026. General information, not advice. 18December is not affiliated with any organisation named on this page.