Make a death claim

We are sorry for your loss. 

The step-by-step guide on this page shows the documents you need and helps you to understand the requirements under different scenarios.

Did you know?

You can submit your claims via your Financial Representative, and they can also help follow up on your specific needs.

How to make a death claim

1. Download documents

You will need to submit the following documents for your claim.

Document Purpose
Claimant's Statement To be completed by the named beneficiary, appointed executor, or immediate family member of the deceased's estate
Clinical Abstract Application To allow us to access the deceased's medical information
Doctor's Statement Required only if the death occurred overseas, and is to be completed by the last doctor who attended to the deceased
 
2. Include supporting documents
 
In addition to the forms and documents in the previous step, we'll also require you to submit the following supporting documents:
 
a. Certified true copy of the death certificate
 
  • If the death occurred in Singapore, submit a copy of the death certificate (hardcopy or digital) at our customer service centre or through a Financial Representative.
  • If the death occurred overseas, certify the original death certificate at the Singapore Embassy or Notary Public of the country where the life assured passed away.

Note: All non-English documents need to be translated into English by a certified translator. The original and translated death certificates need to be authenticated by a Notary Public before submission.

b. NRIC or passport of the person making the claim (claimant)

c. FATCA Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification Form W-9

d. If the death was accidental or due to unnatural causes, submit any of the following documents:

  • Police report
  • Newspaper clipping
  • Coroner's Certificate
  • Post Mortem and Toxicology Report

e. Repatriation Report (if the body was was sent back to Singapore for cremation or burial)

f. Burial cremation documents (if cremation or burial occurred overseas)

g. Last will of the deceased (if the deceased left a last will)

h. Letter from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) (for Singaporeans or Permanent Residents who passed away overseas)

  • This document confirms the declaration and surrender of the Singapore IC, passport, and overseas death certificate by the next-of-kin

3. Submission

By email

Submit the completed forms and supporting documents to us via email.

Attention to: Life Claims Department
Email: lifepaclaims-sg@greateasternlife.com
Subject: Death claim

By walk-in or post

You can also visit us at our customer service centre, or send all forms and documents and supporting documents to us by post.

Attention to: Life Claims Department
The Great Eastern Life Assurance Company Limited
1 Pickering Street
Great Eastern Centre #01-01
Singapore 048659

 

Payout process

Depending on whether the policy is under trust, is assigned, or has a nomination, we will pay out the policy accordingly after the submission is processed.

 

Policies with nomination

If a nomination was made, the death claim proceeds will be paid out to the nominee as one lump sum.

Refer to the tables below on the types of nominations and the respective recipients of death claim proceeds.

Nomination type Nomination under Co-operative Societies Act (CSA) Trust policy under section 73 of Conveyancing & Law of Property Act (CLPA)
Recipient of death claim proceeds

a. No trustee is appointed

  • If the nominee is 21 years and above: Payout to nominee
  • If the nominee is below 21 years: Payout to the parent/legal guardian. They will receive insurance proceeds on behalf of the nominee.

b. Trustee is appointed

  • If the nominee is 21 years and above: Payout to nominee
  • If the nominee is below 21 years: Payout to trustee

Trustee will receive the payout on behalf of all beneficiaries.

Otherwise, payment can be made to each nominee who is 21 years and above.

From 1 September 2009, two types of nominations can be made under the Insurance Act – revocable and irrevocable.

Nomination Type Revocable nomination under section 49M(2) of the Insurance Act Trust/irrevocable nomination under section 49L(2) of the Insurance Act
Recipient of death claim proceeds

a. If the nominee is 18 years and above: Payout to nominee

b. If the nominee is below 18 years: Payout to the parent/legal guardian. They will receive insurance proceeds on behalf of the nominee.

Trustee who is not the policy owner can receive on behalf of all nominees.

Otherwise, payment can be made to each nominee who is 18 years and above.

If the nominee is below 18 years, a parent/legal guardian can receive on behalf of the nominee.

 
From 01 Sep 2009, only revocable nomination is allowed for Dependants’ Protection Scheme (DPS) policies.
 
For Muslim policyholders
 
Revocable nominations can be made for DPS. However, the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) requires a revocable nomination by a Muslim to be in accordance with the school of Muslim law professed by the Muslims.
 
You can seek guidance from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) on how the different types of nominations interact with the principles of Muslim law.
 
 

Policies without trust, assignment or nomination

If there is no trust, assignment or nomination under the policy, we may pay to a "Proper Claimant" under Section 61 of the Insurance Act (on a case by case basis) for an amount of up to SGD150,000, provided there are no contesting claimants and without requiring the production of the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. 

Amounts in excess of SGD150,000 will require the Grant of Probate (if there is a will) or Letters of Administration (if there is no will) and Schedule of Assets. Both can be applied through a lawyer or the Public Trustee, who will draw up and submit a petition to the High Court for approval.

 

If there is a will

Person to submit death claim: Executor of the last will

Documents to submit

  • Copy of last will
  • NRIC of Executor

 

If there is no will

Status of deceased Person to submit death claim Documents required
Married Spouse
  • NRIC of spouse
  • Marriage certificate
Widowed or divorced with adult children Any adult child
  • NRIC of child
  • Birth certificate of child
  • Death or divorce certificate of deceased's spouse
Single with surviving parents Any parent
  • NRIC of parent
  • Birth certificate of deceased
Single with no surviving parents Any sibling
  • NRIC of sibling
  • Birth certificates of sibling and deceased
  • Death certificates of parents

Questions and Answers

The nomination that you have previously made for your Central Provident Fund savings will not apply for your policy.

We reserve the right not to make payment to Proper Claimants under Section 61 of the Insurance Act should any of the following scenarios occur:

  • Proper Claimant cannot be determined.
  • Any dispute amongst family members.
  • Family members are unable to furnish documentary evidence to prove their relations with the deceased.

We would then request for a certified true copy of the Grant of Probate or the Grant of Letters of Administration before releasing the claim proceeds to the deceased's estate.

Your next-of-kin will need to go to the relevant authority to request for a copy of the documents to be extracted at their own expense. If they are unable to provide the relevant documents, we reserve the right to make payment to the estate of the deceased only upon submission of a certified true copy of the Grant of Probate or the Grant of Letters of Administration.

If the deceased had left behind a will, the representative will be the executor appointed in the will. If the deceased did not leave behind a will (i.e. died intestate), the representative will be the spouse or one of the next-of-kins of the deceased, and this representative is called an administrator.

Upon receiving the Grant of Probate, the executor distributes the deceased’s estate according to the provisions of his will. Upon receiving the Grant of Letters of Administration, the administrator distributes the deceased’s estate in accordance with the Intestate Succession Act (for non-Muslims) or Islamic inheritance laws (for Muslims).

Both the Grant of Probate and the Grant of Letters of Administration can be applied through a lawyer or the Public Trustee, who will draw up and submit a petition to the High Court for approval. The approval from the court may be given any time from six months onwards, depending on the complexities of the deceased's estate.

No, the Proper Claimant will be accountable to the deceased's estate for the money received. Payment to Proper Claimant is to enable the family to receive money quickly, for immediate needs before a certified true copy of the Grant of Probate or the Grant of Letters of Administration is obtained. The payment is part of the deceased's estate and is authorised under the Insurance Act.

It depends on the type of nomination that you have made:

  • Nominations made under the Co-operative Societies Act (CSA) cannot be superseded by the contents of a will. We will pay according to the nomination regardless of any will. 
  • For revocable nominations made under section 49M(2) of the Insurance Act, a valid will executed after a revocable nomination - and is made known to the insurer - will supersede the revocable nomination. However, the will must satisfy specific requirements under the Wills Act. For example, the will must provide for the disposition of all death benefits under the policy and it must specify the particulars of the policy.

The will must be made in accordance with the Wills Act (Cap. 352) which provides for the disposition of all death benefits under the relevant policy; and specifies the particulars of that relevant policy referred to in regulation 5(3) of the Insurance (NOB) Regulations 2009.

Regulation 5(3) of the Insurance (NOB) Regulations 2009 lists the following particulars:

a. The name of the registered insurer that issued the relevant policy.

b. The policy number

c. The name of each beneficiary to whom any portion (including the whole) of the death benefits under the relevant policy is bequeathed.

d. Where a beneficiary referred to in sub-paragraph (c) is an individual, the following particulars of the beneficiary: NRIC/BC/Foreign passport number, address, date of birth.

e. Where a beneficiary referred to in sub-paragraph (c) is not an individual, the following particulars of the beneficiary:

  • The Singapore unique entity number of the beneficiary or, if the beneficiary does not have such a number, any other official registration number which identifies and is unique to the entity.
  • The address of the beneficiary.

f. The portion of the death benefits under the relevant policy which is bequeathed to each beneficiary.

For deaths of Singaporeans or Permanent Residents that occur outside of Singapore, the deceased's next-of-kin should report the death to the Registry of Births & Deaths in Singapore at the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority.