How to File an Insurance Claim When the Policyholder has No Nomination

When an insurance policyholder dies without a nominee, the claim process transitions into a legal procedure to establish rightful ownership. To disburse funds securely, insurers require the legal heirs to submit a Succession Certificate or a Legal Heir Certificate issued by a competent court.

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Can You Still Claim Insurance Without a Nomination?

When a policyholder dies without naming a nominee, the insurance company cannot automatically transfer the death benefit of the deceased policyholder’s life insurance to any family member. Instead, the insurer waits for the legal heir(s) to come forward and prove their rightful claim.

In simple words, if there's no valid nominee, or if the nominee dies before the policyholder, the claim doesn’t automatically go to anyone. This situation is called an "Open Title" case.

In an Open-Title case, the payout is distributed to the legal heirs according to succession laws, either the Indian Succession Act or relevant personal laws like the Hindu Succession Act or Muslim Personal Law, depending on the policyholder's background.

Two scenarios determine who gets the money:

Situation	Who Gets the Payout
The deceased left a valid Will	Beneficiary named in the Will
No Will (Intestate)	Legal heirs as per personal succession law (Hindu Succession Act, Indian Succession Act, etc.)

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Who Can Claim Life Insurance Without a Nominee?

If a life insurance policy has no nominee, the death benefit is treated as part of the deceased's estate. The payout goes to the legal heirs, an estate executor (if there is a will), or a court-appointed administrator.

The claim process without a nominee varies depending on whether a valid will exists:

With a Valid Will: The executor appointed in the will can initiate the claim. The insurer distributes the money according to the specific instructions in the will.
Without a Valid Will: The payout goes to the Class I legal heirs, which generally include the spouse, children, and parents.

How to File a Life Insurance Claim without a Nominee?

A life insurance claim can still be filed even if the policyholder did not appoint a nominee. In such cases, the legal heirs must establish their right to receive the policy proceeds by submitting the required legal and claim-related documents to the insurer. Since no nominee is mentioned in the policy, the claim settlement process may involve additional verification and legal formalities.

Steps to Follow

Below is the step-by-step process to file a term insurance claim without a nominee:

Step 1: Inform the Insurance Company

The first step is to notify the insurance company about the policyholder’s death. This can be done by visiting the nearest branch office, contacting customer support, or submitting a claim intimation through the insurer’s official website. Early intimation helps initiate the claim process smoothly.

Step 2: Collect and Submit Required Documents

The claimant must provide documents proving the policyholder's death and their relationship with the deceased.

Step 3: Establish Legal Heirship

Since there is no nominee, the insurer requires proof that the claimant is the rightful legal heir. Depending on the insurer’s requirements and the claim amount, the following documents may be required:

Succession Certificate issued by a civil court
Legal Heir Certificate issued by local authorities
Indemnity Bond for protection against future disputes
No Objection Certificate (NOC) from other legal heirs, if applicable

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Step 4: Submit Additional Documents for Accidental or Early Death Claims

In certain cases, insurers may ask for additional documents based on the cause of death. These may include:

Hospital records and the attending doctor’s statement for medical deaths
FIR, post-mortem report, police investigation report, and charge sheet for accidental or unnatural deaths

Once all the required documents are submitted and verified, the insurance company processes the claim and transfers the payout amount to the legal heir’s registered bank account.

Step 5: Receive Claim Settlement

Once all documents are verified, the insurer transfers the amount directly to your bank account.

IRDAI Rule: Insurers must settle or reject claims within 30 days of receiving all documents. If an investigation is needed, the maximum is 90 days.

Policybazaar offers a dedicated claim assistance program to help policyholders' families with the claim process. This service is especially helpful in guiding nominees through the steps and ensuring a smooth claim settlement.

What Documents are Required to File the Claim?

To file a term insurance death claim, the primary beneficiary must formally notify the insurer and submit the required documents.

Below are the the list of documents required to file Term Insurance Claims

Mandatory Documents (All Claims)

Document	Purpose
Original Policy Document / Bond	Proof of policy existence
Certified Death Certificate	Issued by the municipal authority/registrar
Claimant's Photo ID (Aadhaar / PAN / Passport)	Identity verification
Cancelled Cheque / Bank Passbook	For direct payout transfer
Duly Filled Claim Form	Available on insurer's website or Policybazaar

Additional Documents (No Nomination Cases)

Document	When Required
Legal Heir Certificate	Small to mid-size claims; no Will; issued by revenue authority
Succession Certificate	Large claims; issued by civil court
Probated Will	When deceased left a Will; probated by a court
Indemnity Bond	Insurer may ask claimants to sign to protect against future disputes
FIR + Post-Mortem Report	Accidental or unnatural deaths
Medical Records / Cause of Death Report	Claims within the first 3 years of policy

What If the Insurer Rejects or Delays the Claim?

If no nominee is registered, the term insurance claim is not void. The payout is redirected to the policyholder's legal heirs. To receive the funds, the family must apply for a Succession Certificate, Legal Heir Certificate, or a will's probate from a competent court to prove rightful ownership. If you face unfair rejection or prolonged delays, escalate in this order:

You can contact the insurance company’s Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) and submit a written complaint along with all supporting documents.
You can escalate the complaint to IRDAI through the Bima Bharosa (IGMS) Portal if the insurer does not resolve the issue within the prescribed timeline.
You can approach the Insurance Ombudsman for free mediation and dispute resolution if you are dissatisfied with the insurer’s or IRDAI’s response.
You can file a case before the Consumer Court if the claim dispute remains unresolved or involves a higher claim amount.

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FAQ's

Q. Can a life insurance claim be made if there is no nominee?

Yes. The absence of a nominee does not invalidate the claim. Legal heirs can claim the benefit by submitting a Legal Heir Certificate or Succession Certificate along with standard claim documents.
Q. Who gets life insurance money if there is no beneficiary?

The payout goes to the legal heirs, spouse, children, or parents, as determined by the deceased's Will or applicable succession law (Hindu Succession Act, Indian Succession Act, etc.).
Q. What is the difference between a nominee and a legal heir in insurance?

A nominee is the person named by the policyholder to receive the claim amount. A legal heir is entitled by law (through a Will or succession law). When no nominee is named, legal heirs must establish their entitlement through legal documents.
Q. Is a succession certificate mandatory for all no-nomination claims?

No. For smaller claims, a Legal Heir Certificate from the revenue authority is usually sufficient. A Succession Certificate (court-issued) is typically required for large claim amounts or when there are multiple heirs.
Q. Can the insurance company keep the money if there is no nominee?

No. The insurance company is legally obligated to pay the claim to the rightful legal heir(s). Unclaimed funds are held in a designated account but cannot be retained by the insurer.
Q. What if there is no nominee in an insurance policy?

If no nominee is registered on the life insurance policy, the claim amount is usually paid to the deceased policyholder's legal heirs. The insurer may request legal documents, such as a legal heir certificate, a succession certificate, or probate, to establish the rightful claimant.
Q. How to claim money if there is no nominee?

To claim the insurance amount without a nominee, the legal heirs must inform the insurer about the policyholder's death and submit the required documents, including the death certificate, identity proof, relationship proof, and legal heir or succession certificate, as requested by the insurer.
Q. How is a death claim settled in case of no nomination?

In the absence of a nominee, the insurer verifies the legal heirs and supporting legal documents before settling the claim. Once the verification process is complete, the claim amount is paid to the eligible legal heir(s) in accordance with applicable laws.
Q. What happens to the claim if a policyholder dies in an accident but no nominee was registered?

If the policyholder dies in an accident and no nominee is registered, the claim process remains similar. The insurer will require accident-related documents, such as the FIR, post-mortem report, and death certificate, along with legal heir documents, before processing and settling the claim.

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Author's Bio

Varun Agarwal IRDAI Certified Term Insurance Expert with 10+ Years of Experience

Varun has spent years in the insurance space, but what drives him isn't policies or premiums — it's the conversations he's had with real people. A young father in Pune wondering if his salary is enough. A newly married couple in Jaipur putting off "the insurance talk" for later. A mother in Chennai who never knew her husband was underinsured until it was too late.
These stories stay with him. As Head of Term Insurance at Policybazaar, Varun knows the numbers well — 52.4% of Indians are aware of term insurance, yet only 9.6% own it. And 87% of families don't realise they're leaving their loved ones with far less protection than they actually need. But behind every statistic, he sees a family that just needed someone to sit with them, explain it simply, and help them take that one step. That's exactly what Policybazaar's term insurance is built to do. In his words, "Most people aren't avoiding protection — they're just waiting for someone to make it easy. That's what we're here for."

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˜The insurers/plans mentioned are arranged in order of highest to lowest Sum Assured(SA) offered by Policybazaar’s insurer partners offering term insurance plans on our platform, as per ‘first year premium of life insurers as at 31.03.2025 report’ published by IRDAI.

Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by any insurer. For complete list of insurers in India refer to the IRDAI website www.irdai.gov.in

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We will respond in the first instance within 30 minutes of the customers contacting us. 30-minute claim support service is for the purpose of giving reasonable assistance to the policyholder in pursuance of the claim. Settlement of claim (including cashless claim) is the responsibility of the insurer as per policy terms and conditions. The 30-minute claim support is subject to our operations not being impacted by a system failure or force majeure event or for reasons beyond our control. For further details, 24x7 Claims Support Helpline can be reached out at 1800-258-5881

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