Life insurance
Life insurance claim rejected? A guide for nominees.
Last updated 23 October 2026.
The short answer. If a life insurance death claim is rejected or delayed, the nominee can ask for the reasons in writing, answer them, and escalate: the insurer, its grievance officer, Bima Bharosa, then the Insurance Ombudsman. Keep the policy papers and the death certificate.
Your options
Your options, in order.
These steps apply to death claims, and to maturity or surrender complaints.
- 1. Read the repudiation letter. Note the reason given and the clause or the proposal-form answer it relies on.
- 2. Reply in writing. Answer each ground with documents, such as medical records and the proposal form.
- 3. Escalate to the grievance officer. Attach the first reply and any response.
- Register on Bima Bharosa. This is IRDAI’s online grievance portal. It states that a registered complaint will be attended to within 14 days.
- Approach the Insurance Ombudsman. If the insurer has rejected your complaint, has not replied within a month, or the reply is not acceptable, you can complain to the Insurance Ombudsman within one year. There is no fee, and compensation sought should not exceed ₹50 lakh.
Documents to keep
- Policy document and proposal form
- Death certificate and the claim form
- Nominee’s ID and bank details
- Medical and hospital records of the life assured
- Premium receipts
- The repudiation letter and every reply
Reasons given
Common reasons, and what to check.
Insurers most often rely on the proposal form and the policy age.
- Death within the first three years. IRDAI describes a three-year window within which an insurer may question a life policy.
- Non-disclosure of health history. Compare the proposal form questions and your answers with the medical records.
- Policy lapsed. Check premium dates, any grace period and revival.
- Nominee or documents. Names and papers must match; missing papers can often be supplied.
How Samadhan Sarathi helps
We prepare it, step by step.
We read the papers against the policy wording, prepare your grievance and escalation letters, and, where it comes to that, prepare the Ombudsman petition. You sign it and return it, and we submit it online. A team of specialists works your file, supported by AI-assisted review of the policy and the correspondence.
Our fee
- 12% of what we recover for you
- GST included
- Nothing payable upfront
Who we are. Samadhan Sarathi is a private service based in Ludhiana. We are not the government, not the insurer, not a bank, and not IRDAI or the Insurance Ombudsman. We prepare your papers and take you through the process.
Questions
Common questions.
My death claim was rejected within three years of the policy. What now?
Ask for the grounds in writing and reply with the proposal form and medical records. Then escalate to the grievance officer, Bima Bharosa and the Insurance Ombudsman.
What can a nominee do if the claim is repudiated?
The nominee can write to the insurer, escalate to its grievance officer, register on Bima Bharosa and approach the Insurance Ombudsman within one year.
Is a surrender or maturity complaint handled the same way?
The same ladder applies: the insurer, its grievance officer, Bima Bharosa, then the Ombudsman.
What does the three-year provision mean?
Section 45 of the Insurance Act, 1938 sets a three-year window for an insurer to question a life policy. See the IRDAI page under Sources.
Does the Ombudsman charge a fee?
No. There is no fee, and compensation sought should not exceed ₹50 lakh.
Will Samadhan Sarathi get the claim paid?
We cannot promise any outcome. We prepare your papers and take you through the process.
Sources
Official pages.
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