LIC Unclaimed Amount and Unclaimed Insurance Money: Claim Help

How an LIC unclaimed amount builds up

Under IRDAI's master circular on unclaimed amounts, any sum an insurer owes a policyholder or beneficiary that remains unpaid 6 months after its due date is treated as unclaimed. The insurer must add investment income to it while it waits.

Typical examples are an LIC maturity claim never collected because the address changed, survival benefits sent to a closed bank account, premium refunds, and death claims the family never filed because nobody knew the policy existed.

The totals are not small. LIC alone held unclaimed amounts of ₹7,318.5 crore as of 31 March 2026 (Government reply in Parliament). Across insurers, unclaimed insurance money stood at ₹8,973.89 crore as of 28 February 2026 (PIB, March 2026).

What happens after 10 years

If the amount stays unclaimed for 10 years, the insurer transfers it to the Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund (SCWF). This is not the end of the road: the claim can still be made through the insurer for 25 years after the transfer.

Check and claim unclaimed insurance money: the official route

Every insurer must provide an unclaimed-amount search on its website. For LIC, go to licindia.in (see our LIC unclaimed amount check guide). The search needs:

• The policyholder's name and date of birth (mandatory).
• Policy number or PAN (optional, but they narrow the results).

If an amount shows up, contact the servicing branch or LIC's customer service with the policy details and your KYC. For your own policy, it is usually a matter of updating bank and KYC details. Neither the search nor the claim costs anything, and simple cases do not need outside help.

Lost LIC policy bond

A lost LIC policy bond is common, especially for policies bought decades ago. It does not cancel the policy. Insurers have their own procedure for a missing policy document, usually involving an indemnity, and the servicing branch will tell you exactly what it needs. Any old premium receipt, letter or passbook entry showing the policy number makes tracing much easier.

LIC policy claim after death

For an LIC policy claim after death, the family usually faces three questions: which policies existed, who the nominee is, and whether the claim is a death claim or a maturity amount already due before death.

• Nominee registered: the nominee claims with the death certificate, their own KYC and the insurer's claim forms.
• No nominee, or nominee also deceased: legal heirs claim, and the insurer may ask for heirship proof such as a legal heir certificate or, in some cases, a succession certificate.
• Policy details unknown: start with the unclaimed search, old bank statements showing premium debits and any correspondence at home.

Bima Bharosa complaint and escalation

If a claim is delayed or rejected without a clear reason, escalate in this order:

1. Insurer's grievance officer — write with the policy number and claim reference.
2. IRDAI Bima Bharosa portal — register a Bima Bharosa complaint if the insurer does not resolve it.
3. Insurance Ombudsman — the next forum if the grievance remains unresolved.

A word of caution: IRDAI has warned the public about fake calls offering refunds or bonuses on old policies. Never share OTPs or pay anyone who calls promising to release your policy money.

Rules and updates 2025–26

The Government's "Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar" campaign, launched on 4 October 2025 with IRDAI and other regulators, is actively encouraging families to reclaim such money. A common DFS landing portal for unclaimed assets followed in May 2026.

When families usually need help

• The policyholder has died and there is no nominee, or the nominee has also passed away.
• The policy bond is lost and the policy number is unknown.
• The name or date of birth in the policy differs from ID documents.
• Heirs live in different states or abroad.
• Several policies, bank accounts and investments of the same person need to be claimed together.

How Expertvuw helps

Expertvuw does not sell insurance and does not act for any insurer. We help families use the insurer's own claim process correctly. You remain the claimant, and payment goes only into your own bank account.

1. Case review: we understand the policies, the family position and what papers exist.
2. Tracing and documents: we help locate policy details and prepare KYC and heirship papers in order.
3. Filing and follow-up: we coordinate submission with the insurer, track progress and help with escalation to Bima Bharosa or the Ombudsman if needed.
4. Credit: we stay with the case until the amount is credited to the claimant.

Why Expertvuw

• Registered company with offices in Dwarka, Delhi and Udyog Vihar, Gurugram.
• Pan-India and NRI families supported remotely.
• One team for insurance, bank deposits, shares and dividends of the same person.
• Plain-language updates and careful documentation at every stage.
• Not affiliated with IRDAI, LIC or any insurer.

Related services

• Claim a deceased parent's investments
• Claims where there is no nominee
• Unclaimed bank deposit claims
• Legal heir and succession certificate support
• Unclaimed asset recovery for NRIs

Frequently asked questions

How can I check my LIC unclaimed amount?

Use the unclaimed amount search on licindia.in. Enter the policyholder's name and date of birth; adding the policy number or PAN narrows the result. The search is free. If an amount appears, contact the servicing branch or LIC customer service with the policy number and your KYC to claim it.

What counts as unclaimed insurance money?

Under IRDAI rules, any amount due to a policyholder or beneficiary that remains unpaid 6 months after its due date is unclaimed. This includes maturity amounts, survival benefits, death claims, and premium refunds. The insurer must add investment income to these amounts while they remain unpaid.

Is there a time limit to claim an unclaimed insurance amount?

After 10 years unclaimed, the insurer transfers the money to the Senior Citizens' Welfare Fund. You can still claim it through the insurer for 25 years after that transfer. So even very old maturity or death claim amounts are usually still recoverable, although older cases tend to need more documentation.

How do I make an LIC maturity claim if I have lost the policy bond?

A lost policy bond does not cancel the policy or the maturity amount. Tell the servicing branch the policy is missing; LIC has its own procedure for a missing policy document, usually involving an indemnity. Keep any premium receipts, bank statements or letters showing the policy number, as they speed up tracing.

Who can make an LIC policy claim after death?

The registered nominee claims first, with the death certificate, their KYC and the insurer's claim forms. If there is no nominee or the nominee has also died, the legal heirs claim, and the insurer may ask for proof of heirship. Where a succession certificate is needed, an advocate files the court petition.

How do I file a Bima Bharosa complaint?

First write to the insurer's grievance officer with your policy and claim details. If the reply is unsatisfactory or delayed, register a complaint on IRDAI's Bima Bharosa portal and keep the reference number. If it is still unresolved, you can approach the Insurance Ombudsman. Keep copies of every letter and acknowledgement at each stage.

Someone called offering to release my old policy money. Is it genuine?

Be very careful. IRDAI has warned the public about fake calls offering refunds or bonuses on old policies. Genuine claims are paid by the insurer directly into your own bank account. Never share OTPs or passwords, and never pay a caller to release policy money. Check the amount yourself on the insurer's website.

Does Expertvuw sell insurance or charge the insurer?

No. Expertvuw does not sell insurance and is not linked to any insurer or IRDAI. We help families with difficult claims, such as lost bonds or no nominee, through the insurer's own process. You can begin with an initial case review by contacting our team.