How to find a lost life insurance policy

If you think someone had a life insurance policy but you can't find it, there are several steps you can take.

Check personal documents

Start by looking through the person’s financial records, bank statements, and important documents.

Life insurance policies might be filed with other important papers. Look in places where they kept their financial records, such as a home office, safe, or digital files on their computer.

Review bank statements and look for payments to life insurance companies. Regular payments to an insurer might mean there's a policy in place.

Contact employers

If the person was employed, check with their current or past employers.

Many companies offer life insurance as part of their employee benefits package. Contact the human resources department to see if they had a policy.

Ask financial advisers

Contact the person’s financial advisers, accountants, or lawyers. They might have information about any life insurance policies. These professionals often keep records of their clients’ insurance details.

Check with banks and insurers

If they held accounts or other policies, check with their banks and insurance companies. They might have records of a life insurance policy.

If you know which company issued the policy, you can contact them directly. For example, Aviva will help to reunite their customers with their policies.

Finding a lost life insurance policy is very similar to finding out if somebody has life insurance:

• Search personal records
• Contact insurance companies
• Review bank statements
• Check with employers
• Consult professionals.

Life insurance policies sometimes go unclaimed for several reasons:

• Lack of awareness. Beneficiaries might not know that the policy exists, as the policyholder might not have told them or the policy was forgotten over time.
• Lost documents. Policy documents might be misplaced or lost over time. Important documents can also get lost during moves or changes in life circumstances.
• Incomplete information. The insurer might not have up-to-date contact details for the beneficiaries, so can't contact them.
• No claim filed. Life insurance beneficiaries may not know how to file a claim or that they need to do so.

At first, unclaimed life insurance money is held by the insurance company. They’ll use any contact details they have to try to find the beneficiaries and pay out the claim.

If the money goes unclaimed for a a long period of time - usually somewhere between one and five years, it may be transferred to the government. In the UK, unclaimed assets can go to the Dormant Assets Scheme, which uses the funds for social and charitable causes. This scheme ensures that the money is put to good use even if the beneficiaries can't be found.

Thankfully, even if the funds are transferred to the government, beneficiaries can still claim the money by providing proof of entitlement. So, if you discover a policy later, you can still file a claim to receive the benefits, although it might take some time to process your claim.

To start exploring your options and possibly find a policy that meets your needs, you can visit the Aviva life insurance products page. You can also use our life insurance calculator to work out how much life insurance you might need. It only takes a few minutes, but it could make a huge difference to your life insurance journey.