Make a life insurance or critical illness claim

If you need to make a claim on a life insurance or critical illness policy, this page will tell you how. Scottish Widows will do all they can to make sure your claim is handled as quickly and smoothly as possible.

1. What you'll need to make a claim

If you can, try to have this information to hand when you start your claim. It’ll make it easier to find your policy:

Policyholder’s full name and date of birth.
Policyholder’s address, including the postcode.
Your postal address, email address and a phone number Scottish Widows can use to contact you.
The plan or policy number, which you can find in the policy documents. Don’t worry if you can’t find it, you can start your claim without it.

2. Get in touch

3. What you'll need to send

When you start your claim, Scottish Widows will ask you to send some documents. They'll let you know exactly what you need to send, and why. They'll usually ask for:

The policyholder’s death certificate for Life Insurance claims.
Copies of medical notes from your GP or hospital specialist for critical illness claims.

If the policy is not held in trust, Scottish Widows will ask you to send documents to show that you have a legal right to deal with the policyholder's estate. They'll let you know if you need to send.

A copy of the policyholder’s Will, if they left one.
Legal documents that say who payments should go to, like a Grant of Probate. These are also called 'Letters of Administration' in England and Wales, or 'Confirmation' in Scotland.

In some cases Scottish Widows might need to contact a doctor or coroner to ask for medical information. They’ll always ask for your permission, first.